We all want our gardens to look splendid and full of rich foliage, but sometimes the space isn’t enough for all the plants of our dreams. Still, there are ways to make your garden look more spacious and one of them is painting the fence. But what colour will make your garden look bigger?
If you
Can’t decide on one particular colour
Wonder which is better for painting your fence: spray paint or paint brush
Then read along…
What colour fence will make my garden look bigger?
The popular method of using light colours for small rooms and dark colours for large rooms can be applied to your garden as well. Pale-coloured fence panels work well for small gardens because they reflect sunlight better and make the garden appear sunnier. If your garden is rather shady, it will definitely benefit from colours such as:
White
If you love flowers and have lots of them, then white should be suitable for your fence panels. It will not only give the illusion that your garden is larger than it actually is, but it will also let the colours of the flowers pop. Mind you, if your garden is facing south, then white might prove to be too overpowering on your eyes as it reflects light.
Light grey
If plain white seems boring to you, and you have a problem with too much sunlight, then light grey is the way to go. This next fence colour will not only provide your garden with more sense of space but will also add a touch of modernity. It will pair well with other colours in your garden, but won’t take the attention away from your beautiful flowers.
Light Blue
If grey is not your colour, then consider light blue as an alternative. It will give your garden a spacious feeling, but it will also add a touch of natural colour to your garden. It will become, sort of an imaginary extension of the sky falling down in your garden. Natural colours are always a joy to look at especially in the context of a garden.
Avoid darker colours and nuances as they will make your garden look small, maybe even smaller than it actually is.
Prepare fence for painting
After you’ve chosen a colour, you need to take the necessary measures to prepare your fence. Painting a fence may sound like a piece of cake, but it certainly won’t be if you miss any of the following tips.
Figure out who’s responsible for the fence – if you already know it’s you, then continue reading. If you are not sure, check our post on which fence side is your responsibility.
Check the weather forecast – rain falls when it may in London, but still, try and chose a period of a few days, when the forecast says it will be dry. Also, don’t paint right after a rainfall because the panels will still be damp.
Cut back on loose vegetation – the reason for this is simple: the less vegetation you have around the fence, the less chance of something sticking to the paint while it’s still wet. Mow the lawn and trim any nearby trees. Collect the vegetation in a bag and put it somewhere far away from the fence.
Repair the fence – if you’ve been postponing this task, now is the perfect time to get down to it, or hire a professional fence repair service. Either way, it’s best to replace any rusty bolts and glue some cracks now, instead of later when you can ruin the new paint job.
Pressure wash the panels – pressure washing will clear away any impurities along with most of the old paint. Don’t overdo it though, you don’t want to soak the wood. Allow the panels to dry until the next day.
Sand the panels – after the pressure washing, wood fibres will be lifted up. That’s why they need to be sanded. This will also give you a smooth surface to paint on and remove any leftover paint. Consider borrowing a palm sander for this task, because having to do it by hand will consume endless hours of your time. Afterwards, sweep the dust.
Apply coat primer – coat primer works as an adhesive for the paint and protects from developing mould.
Use masking tape to protect parts you don’t want to be painted – some examples include the fence posts, handles and hinges.
Shield plants – cover the nearby plants with plastic bags when you decide to start the painting. Be careful not to crush them, though.
Protect ground under the fence – some paint will inevitably drip, no matter how sparingly you apply the material. So, to protect the ground, slide some plastic sheeting or old newspapers below the fence panel.
You might have seen some ads for spray guns that promise to make the fence painting easier and quicker. Indeed, if you have a large garden, such an option will look preferable. For small gardens, though, a paintbrush will be of greater use for the following reasons:
You have better control over the brush, than over the spray gun. Spray paint is highly dependent on the weather. If there is even a slight wind, the paint will go in the wrong direction and cover what it’s not supposed to. With a paintbrush, this situation will never happen.
You use paint sparingly – because you have better control with the paintbrush you will only use as much paint as you need. On the other hand, spray guns use a lot of paint, most of which ends up in the atmosphere or on your neighbour’s car if your fence has slats.
You get even coverage of the fence surface. On the other hand, if you are just a little bit closer to the fence whilst spraying, that section will get oversaturated with paint.
The only downside to using a paintbrush is it takes longer, compared to using a spray gun. But since your garden is small, that shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
Whichever you choose though, know that the principle or painting fences are the same in both cases:
Start from top to bottom
Paint horizontal borders first
Then vertical borders
Paint the panels last (from top to bottom)
Book our professional painting service
If you don’t want to purchase a spray gun just for one application, but on the other hand, don’t want to spend hours painting your fence by hand, then simply book the professionals to handle it. Fantastic Services will send experienced and fully equipped landscapers to your place.
They will not only paint it, but also carry out repairs to your fence if needed as part of our fence installation and repair service. If your current fence is not up to standards, it can be removed and a new one installed in its place as well. Get in touch today for a quote!
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