8 Tips for Choosing Paint Colours for Your Fence
Choosing what colour to paint your fence can be difficult. Do you match your house or go for a “safe” neutral colour? Should you make a statement or try to go for a colour that will blend in?
Your front yard fence will be the first thing someone sees of your home. Your backyard fence will be the backdrop for entertaining your friends and family. It’s safe to say that making sure your fence is attractive and suits your property is often an important visual component of your property. Like any other part of your home’s decor, you want it to fit your stylistic preferences. Unlike items such as a couch or a lamp, there are external factors you’ll need to consider when choosing your fence colour.
Jim’s fencing contracting has been installing fences across Australian homes for over twenty years. Our friendly staff can advise clients which fence styles and colours will best suit a property and budget. There is a huge range of fencing options available, and many aluminium or steel styles can be powder coated in your colour of choice to perfectly suit your home.
Having trouble selecting your perfect shade? We’ve rounded up eight factors you should consider when choosing what colour to paint your fence.
#1 Can you paint your fence?
The majority of fences have the option to be modified by either painting, powder-coating or staining. Some materials will not be able to be coloured, however, such as wire or glass fences. Other fencing materials, such as merbau timber – Jim’s Fencing’s wood of choice – is known for their beautiful, golden brown colour that deepens with age. While you can technically paint this the colour of your choice, it seems a shame to cover the natural beauty, and in that case, it may be worth getting a cheaper alternative timber that doesn’t have such an iconic tone.
#2 Do your homework on your selected materials
Stains have varying lasting powers. A transparent stain will last a couple of years. A full-bodied, solid coloured stain will last around five years. Also, solid stains tend to chip or flake as they wear down, whereas semi-permanent are more inclined to simply fade away. Therefore, you shouldn’t choose a stain if you’re planning on not topping up the colour on a regular basis.
#3 Consider how the weather will affect your paint
Wood, unless properly sealed, can weather and change colour after a few years due to the weather. It can turn grey, orange or a dull dark brown. Likewise, non-galvanised steel or aluminium can rust to an ugly orange/brown colour after exposure to copious amounts of rain or moisture. Similarly, some paint will not hold up well under extreme weather. Never use indoor paint on your fence, and make sure you consult a professional when selecting your paint type to ensure it will be hardy enough for your wall.
Also, remember when first selecting a paint that the colour can look different in the sunlight than it can on duller days. The best way to check this out is by swatching your sample of choice and reviewing it over a couple of days.
#4 What is the colour palette of your home?
When focusing on the style of your new fence, it can be easy to zero in on just the fence itself and not take the time to consider your property as a whole. Your fence should be a cohesive part of your entire lot’s landscape and shouldn’t clash with your house or yard colours. This goes for the style and design of the fence too, but most importantly, the colour you choose. A simple way to select your fence colour would be to match it either with your house’s exterior wall colour or the colour of the roof. If you want to push the envelope a bit more, you could match your fence’s colour with a minor aspect of your house, such as a feature front door. Above all, make sure it’s a colour that doesn’t clash. Nothing is more jilting than seeing a heavy black fence framing a red brick-and-white-painted home.
#5 How much maintenance will it require?
Certain colours require more regular upkeep than others. The most obvious example would be a white fence. White is clean, modern, and sleek – and shows dirt fast. If you have a white wall, you need to commit to regular cleaning to ensure it always looks its best. The frequency of the cleaning would depend on your house’s surroundings, e.g., do you live somewhere that’s frequently windy in which dirt will be carried over to your fence in the breeze? Lighter colours, like pastels, creams, or tans, carry similar risks. Black can also be a colour that showcases a lot of flaws, despite most people thinking of black as the type of shade to cover all imperfections. But, think about patting a cat while wearing black clothing – doesn’t every individual strand of hair show up on your clothes? Black can actually showcase dust, mud and other debris very obviously against its dark backdrop.
#6 Consider your neighbour
If your fence is a boundary fence that you share with your neighbour, it would be a good idea to consider and consult them before painting your side. Even if you think it’s unnecessary, as you’re only painting your side, it’s a nice gesture to show you’re thinking about them. They might want to go with the same colour as you, and you might even be able to go halves on the pot of paint! Getting your neighbours on your side is a good tactic for any fence maintenance problems that arise in the future, as well. Likewise, consideration for your neighbours is also something to consider for your front-facing fence. If your entire street has a white-painted fence, you choosing a bright colourful shade will make your house stick out from the rest of the streetscape. Consider whether you’d like your home and fence to feel cohesive with the rest of your neighbours.
#7 Will this colour showcase your plants and garden?
Many homeowners take great pride in their landscaping. In Australia, we’re home to many beautiful plants that need little to no maintenance to create a stunning, atmospheric green haven. A focus for many when choosing a fence colour is to select one that will showcase their plants. A green or blue wouldn’t be a good option, as it will make your foliage blend into the wall. Neutral shades like brown, black, and white are all excellent options for showcasing your greenery, although bright shades can also make them pop. Consider how your garden will change throughout the seasons – will there be pink/red/orange flowers blooming in spring? Will your trees shed a lot in autumn and spread pollen? These are all critical elements to think about, as they’ll help you make a more educated paint colour choice.
#8 What is your style?
For anything to do with decor or landscaping or your home, there are a million and one rules you’re told to consider. Some of these are important, as they’re practical and will save you later down the track. However, don’t ever feel pressured into having to choose a fence colour you don’t like, simply because someone tells you that’s the ‘right’ one. At the end of the day, you’re the one looking at your fence for the next couple of years, so make sure you pick something that makes you happy.
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