I am building a cedar fence. After a few years, these fences become battered by weather and the UV rays of the sun. I doubt that there is any finish which will provide more than a temporary protection from these processes. Is it better just to leave it to the elements in the first place or is there a durable finish available?
It kinda depends on what you’re looking for. Most (many) people just let it turn gray and then it requires basically zero maintenance until it begins to rot. Even then, just make sure you keep an extra dozen or so pickets in your garage and replace them as they fall out.
The other option is to paint them. My fence is painted, whatever the person who put it up used, it’s held very well. It’s been up for about 14 years and while it could probably use a new coat of paint, it just looks ‘aged’. The paint isn’t peeling off, all the boards are still perfectly solid and other than hitting the few feet visible from the road with a pressure washer every few years, it’s needed no maintenance. He also painted (all 6 sides) of a few extra pickets which I have in case I need, but at this point I suspect I’ll replace the fence someday before any individual boards need to be replaced.
IME, it’s just about what you like. Do you like the weathered look or would you prefer it painted, but possibly have to roll on a new coat from time to time.
If you go unpainted, I bet there’s a deck/fence UV/sealer you could apply to it. That’s what I suspect would only buy you an extra few years before it begins to weather, unless you want to do it every summer.
Thanks. Yeah, no paint, and I think the sealers which are commonly used probably are more trouble than their worth. But I don’t know that.
Marine Verithane, while expensive, will prove extremely long lasting, if that’s what you’re after.
You said you were already building it, but if you weren’t then I would suggest using pressure treated lumber.
ETA, regarding painting, you can get a sprayer for not a whole lot of money and spray it.
I don’t believe linseed oil adds any UV protection, but it does make cedar look nice.
Well, I haven’t started yet. I am using pressure treated 4x4s and 2x4s. The boards, which are not in ground contact, are regular cedar.
I had considered this also. I have a compressor and a HVLP sprayer.