What's the Best Wood Fence Stain for Middle Tennessee Heat and Humidity?

Our climate is hard on a fence finish: summer sun, humidity, heavy rain, and freeze-thaw winters. Here's what I've seen hold up over 34 years.

Penetrating, semi-transparent oil stain: my pick for most fences

• It soaks into the wood instead of sitting on top, so there's no film to peel.
• The pigment blocks UV, which is what turns wood gray.
• When it wears, it fades. It doesn't flake. Re-coating is just clean and re-stain, with no scraping.
• Plan on re-coating every 2–4 years, sooner on the side that faces the afternoon sun.

Solid-color stain and paint

• They look sharp the first year or two.
• They form a film, and in our humidity that film traps moisture, then peels and flakes.
• Worse, that film traps moisture inside the wood and won't let it dry out. Wet wood that can't breathe rots early.
• Re-doing it means scraping and sanding. That's a lot more work and money down the road.

Clear sealer

• Better than nothing on new wood while you wait for it to dry out.
• With little or no pigment it won't stop graying for long.

What matters more than the brand

1. Dry wood. Before staining any wood fence, check it with a moisture meter. Here in Tennessee you want between 9% and 15%. Wetter than that, and the stain can't soak into the wood fiber; with a solid stain, you'd be sealing that moisture in. New pressure-treated pine needs to dry first. See how long to wait.
2. Clean wood. Wash off dirt and mildew first, and let it dry.
3. All the surfaces you can reach, especially the bottom ends of the boards, where water wicks up.
4. A dry forecast for a day or two after.

The easy button

GopherWood is cedar that's stained with a penetrating oil-based stain on all six sides before it ships, including the faces you can never reach once a fence is built. It goes up finished, the same color on every board.

Want a price on staining your fence, or on a GopherWood fence? Get a free estimate.