Wood fences: wash before you stain, and here's how

Wooden privacy fences take a beating from weather. Every 3–4 years they need a wash — and every 4–6 years they need re-staining. Here's how to do the wash right.

Same as decks: wide fan tip, 15–20 inches away, moving with the grain. Never straight-on with a narrow tip.

Wash both sides. If you're only doing your side, the neighbor-facing side still gets sun and mildew, and it looks bad. Better to do all of it while the setup is going.

Loose or damaged pickets can get worse under pressure. Do a walk-through first — I'll flag anything that needs a nail before I wash.

• Let dry 3–5 days
• Sand any raised grain
• Stain during a dry window (like decks, follow the manufacturer's dry-time)

• Chain link (rinse only): $50–$100
• Standard 6-ft wood fence: $1.50–$2.50 per linear foot for both sides
• Vinyl privacy fence: similar to wood

Many privacy fences are shared with neighbors. If your neighbor wants their side done too, I discount both. Same setup, same trip.