Wife wants gloss finish for fence

[Phil Abel]

G'day all

I'm currently building a 15m x 1.8m horizontal-slat front fence using 90x19 kiln-dried Merbau, and I'm not sure which finish to use. I was intent on using a natural decking oil (Cabots, Feast & Watson etc) but they are a matt finish, and SWMBO would like a high gloss or gloss finish. F&W have Weatherproof and Spar Marine Varish which are both high-gloss. Any comments on using these products for a fence, or any other options for a gloss finish I should look at is much appreciated. We live in Bungendore NSW which is always windy and gets down to -10 in winter and stinking hot in summer, so need a finish that will hold up in a harsh climate. I'm happy to recoat once a year, but no more.

Cheers Phil

[Honorary Bloke]

Sigh. . . .

They will want it their way, won't they?

It's not the best solution but you can use a water-based polyurethane and recoat every year.

[ubeaut]

There's a slatted fence here in Geelong that appears to be maybe Kwila (marbau). It has been finished with a full gloss clear and I have been keeping an eye on it for a few years. Still looks really good much to my surprise. Probably something like Sickins UV gloss used on it but not sure.

Cheers - Neil

[orraloon]

You would need to use a uv polly finish and be prepared to redo it at regular intervals. The other method is give her some sandpaper brushes and a can of polly and say "you do it!"

Regards
John

[Phil Abel]

You would need to use a uv polly finish and be prepared to redo it at regular intervals. The other method is give her some sandpaper brushes and a can of polly and say "you do it!"

Regards
John

Hehe....Hang on a minute, I'm the boss of this house. I wear the pants here.......(whispers) "could I possibly ask you to tell her " !!

Thanks to all for the advice, I will try to talk her into a matt finish. I will tell her if she insists on gloss we will have to recoat every 6 months TOGETHER...that should do the trick !!

I have a couple more questions:
My plan now is to put the finish coats on the back (ribbed) side of the kiln-dried Merbau only, then put up the slats and leave for 3 months to weather, and then clean with nappysan (learned that here on the forum)) and then apply my finish coats.
Am I on the right track here ?

I'm thinking of using Sikkens...1 coat Cetol HLS followed by 2 coats Cetol Filter 7 or Supernatural....comments/opinions ?

Cheers Phil

[spokeshave]

You could try Monocell Gold Marine. I think it comes in gloss.
I have used Monocell Gold with good results so the marine version should be pretty durable.

Steven.

[orraloon]

Phil,
I would not put any timber outside coated on one side. The uncoated side will have moisture changes at a different rate to the coated side and warp the timber. We are almost at the wet and hot time of year. Both sides or no sides is the question.

Regards
John

[Bleedin Thumb]

I'm thinking of using Sikkens...1 coat Cetol HLS followed by 2 coats Cetol Filter 7 or Supernatural....comments/opinions ?

Cheers Phil

Phil thats exactly what I would suggest, although the supernatural doesnt really gloss up like a poly (never heard of Filter 7). You should get at least 5 years between coats - really good stuff

EDIT I am also a bit dubious about coating one side only. I would have thought that if you are sealing the timber with 2 coats of supernatural there would be no reason to let it weather. Its not like decking where it has to stop bleeding - mind you I have only used the supernatural on cedar windows and got 7 years out of it.

[Shedhand]

G'day all

I'm currently building a 15m x 1.8m horizontal-slat front fence using 90x19 kiln-dried Merbau, and I'm not sure which finish to use. I was intent on using a natural decking oil (Cabots, Feast & Watson etc) but they are a matt finish, and SWMBO would like a high gloss or gloss finish. F&W have Weatherproof and Spar Marine Varish which are both high-gloss. Any comments on using these products for a fence, or any other options for a gloss finish I should look at is much appreciated. We live in Bungendore NSW which is always windy and gets down to -10 in winter and stinking hot in summer, so need a finish that will hold up in a harsh climate. I'm happy to recoat once a year, but no more.

Cheers Phil

G'day Phil.
Somewhere among the thousands of posts on this 'ere forum is a WIP thread I posted last year sometime on a King Billy Pine letterbox I made for my brother. He lives in the foothills of Mt Wellington in Hobart where it can get pretty cool all year round but also very damned hot too. I finished the letterbox in spar varnish (feast watson I think) as i thought it would cope well with the wild variations in temperature. Almost 12 months on and it needs recoating (as a yacht deck does each year). It is a great product but as an amateur I've come to the conclusion it is meant to provide protection for the timber rather than enhance its appearance though it does that too. The one difficulty I can foresee with painting such a large expanse of fence is that the stuff takes a long time to dry hard (like weeks) and it is not a good idea to thin it more than 5%. You'll find that it will be covered in dirt and grime before it can dry properly. I'd suggest something like Intergrain Exterior Wood Finish. Its not gloss but brings out the colour of those Asian rainforest timbers beautifully. Much easier to apply as well. Goes on milky and dries clear. My 2 bobs worth.
Cheers

[Phil Abel]

Phil thats exactly what I would suggest, although the supernatural doesnt really gloss up like a poly (never heard of Filter 7).

Taken from the Sikkens website:

Difference Between the Systems:
Supernatural is a water-borne acrylic giving a satin finish with a soft tint. Recoat should be done approx every 1.5 - 2.5 years.

Cetol Filter 7 is an oil-alkyd resin giving superior UV protection and longer life between recoats but has more pigmentation resulting in a more richly coloured finish. Recoat should be done every 2-4 years.

You should get at least 5 years between coats - really good stuff

5 years !!! Where do I sign !! ...Yep, Sikkens looks the biz !! I might call their head office this week and see what they reckon is the best product to use.

EDIT I am also a bit dubious about coating one side only. I would have thought that if you are sealing the timber with 2 coats of supernatural there would be no reason to let it weather. Its not like decking where it has to stop bleeding - mind you I have only used the supernatural on cedar windows and got 7 years out of it.

Thanks again to all for the great advice, it has been extremely helpful. I'll post a few before and after pics of my WIP.

Cheers Phil

[Phil Abel]

I rang Sikkens Head Office today, and the guy there was extremely helpful. He has just installed his own Merbau fence, which is a lucky coincidence, so I thought i'd pass on his recommendations, which he is putting into practice.

He has coated only the sections of boards that are butted together or fastened to posts before installing with Cetol HLS, then leaving it to weather for 6 months. Then he is using a household detergent to wash it down, and leaving 3-4 days to dry completely. Then he will sand it using 80 grade paper, before applying 3 coats ( 1 x HLS and 2 x Filter 7). For recoats he recommends a light sand and 1 (or if needed 2) coats of Filter 7.

He said that the Supernatural product is better suited to softwood.

Sounds like a good plan, I think I'll run with that. I hope others find this helpful.

Cheers Phil

[Phil Abel]

Well I finally finished my front fence project. I got delayed stating the build, so spent the time 3 coating (Sikkens HLS x 1; Cetol Filter7 x 2) 270 metres of Merbau. I found the first coat quite enjoyable watching the beautiful stain come to life, however the 2nd coat was tedious and boring, and the 3rd coat was sheer bloody torture !! I reckon it was worth the effort though, as I've already had a few positive comments from the neighbours. Here's a link to a few pic's of the job. http://www.vabel.com.au/Gallery/main.php
Cheers Phil

[Dannopower]

looks good man, what colour was the HLS you used??

[ravlord13]

Looks the part Phil
Love the lawn don't have to mow that Bugger, I wonder if the wife will let me put a lawn in like that?
Catch Ya
Andrew

[orraloon]

That is a fine looking fence. I can imagine the work involved.