Well, think of it like this. If you stain first and you don't like it you can always paint it white. But if you paint it white first then you don't have the option of staining. You can paint over stain but you can't stain over paint.
I agree with Naomie. All depends on your taste. Stain will absorb into the wood and show the grain. Paint will cover the wood and need a little more maintenance than stain.
Youtube will give you a lot of tutorials to choose from. Watching those is a good beginning to deciding what technique/approach you want to use. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8QdOL3qTJY If the wood is brand new and unpainted/stained - you won't need to power wash it. COSTS: You want to buy the best stain or paint you can afford. The extra cost will be offset by how many years it holds up before you need to do it again. Keep in mind, if you paint it, you will have to scrape the fence when it comes time to redo--this is a major amount of labor. Some of the new stains do not require ANY prep to be restained in the future. I paid a lot more for one of these stains, and I do not regret it. CONDITIONS: The fence needs to be dry - no rain for at least three days before you seal it. If the wood used to build the fence was "wet" wood, you need to wait a few weeks to let the wood dry out because it will shrink and crack when it does this. Once that is done, you are good to go.
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Completely up to you. What goes better with the style and other features of your home?
Well, think of it like this. If you stain first and you don't like it you can always paint it white. But if you paint it white first then you don't have the option of staining. You can paint over stain but you can't stain over paint.
I agree with Naomie. All depends on your taste. Stain will absorb into the wood and show the grain. Paint will cover the wood and need a little more maintenance than stain.
Painting can be more upkeep, so be sure to use a good quality paint and prep the surface .
I used opaque stain which was a solid color on my deck, and it's been a nightmare. I would get a high quality outdoor paint, and do several coats.
Youtube will give you a lot of tutorials to choose from. Watching those is a good beginning to deciding what technique/approach you want to use. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8QdOL3qTJY If the wood is brand new and unpainted/stained - you won't need to power wash it. COSTS: You want to buy the best stain or paint you can afford. The extra cost will be offset by how many years it holds up before you need to do it again. Keep in mind, if you paint it, you will have to scrape the fence when it comes time to redo--this is a major amount of labor. Some of the new stains do not require ANY prep to be restained in the future. I paid a lot more for one of these stains, and I do not regret it. CONDITIONS: The fence needs to be dry - no rain for at least three days before you seal it. If the wood used to build the fence was "wet" wood, you need to wait a few weeks to let the wood dry out because it will shrink and crack when it does this. Once that is done, you are good to go.
Hi Deborah, hope this helps. Personally I prefer stain, but this link should help you with your decision.
https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/blog/should-i-stain-or-paint-a-fence/
Why not stain it and if you don't like the way it looks then paint it. Paint peels and stain is absorbed into the wood.
I re-stain my fence every 5 years....still looks good. Best of luck.