When should a new cedar fence be stained in Lubbock?

Why not stain it right away

Cedar comes from the mill and the lumber yard with moisture in it. An oil-based stain works by soaking into the wood, and it cannot soak into a board that is still wet. Stain applied too early sits on the surface, looks blotchy and wears off fast. The fence needs a few weeks of Lubbock sun and wind to dry out first.

The water test

Sprinkle a little water on a picket in the middle of the run. If it soaks in within a minute, the wood is ready for stain. If it beads up and sits there, give it more time and test again in a week. Check a board on the shady side of the fence too, since it dries slower.

Why it matters to seal it at all

Sun breaks down the surface of bare cedar first, which is what turns new boards grey within a season. Wind-blown dust scours the face of the pickets, and the occasional hard rain soaks into dry wood and makes it swell, then shrink again as it dries, until boards cup and nails back out. An oil-based stain soaks in so water beads off instead of soaking in, keeps the color you picked, and keeps the boards tighter on the rails.

Which color

We use Wood Defender fence stain in nine colors: Cedar Tone, Redwood, Leatherwood, Oxford Brown, Desert Sand, Rustic Oak, Sierra, Sable Brown and Coffee Brown. Bring a photo of your house and trim to the estimate and we will narrow it to two. South- and west-facing runs fade first, so a darker tone holds up longer on those.

How to book it

We can bid the stain with the fence so it does not get forgotten, then come back for a second visit once the wood is dry. It works the same way for a cedar fence someone else built, as long as the wood has dried. Plan on a fresh coat every few years; when that day comes, it is a different job, covered on the fence weather treatment page.

Written by the A+ Fence Repair & Installation team from the way our crew builds and repairs fences around Lubbock. It is general guidance; Blake looks at every fence in person before a bid.