Budget fence makeover

[Elise15]

Mixing Dulux Domino with a more affordable base and hand painting instead of investing in spray tools kept this project to a tight budget.

• The project
• Before and after
• How to spray paint a fence
• More inspiration for your fencing project

The project

We finally managed to complete a makeover of our horrible back fence. This one has been on the to-do list for a while.

The overall condition of the fence wasn't too bad, considering it looks as though the previous owners had done little to no work on looking after it. Our budget is tight, so I didn't want to spend a fortune on sprucing up the back fence. Unfortunately this meant a lot of manual painting instead of splurging on a spray gun.

Our neighbours at the back have a large Colorbond fence, so we didn't want to choose a colour that was too light and might clash with the cream colour of their fence. We decided to make the fence a bit of a feature, so we used the colour Dulux Domino, which is a dark grey, almost charcoal colour.

When choosing the paint, we opted for a more affordable option than the Dulux paint and selected Walpamur exterior paint. Because we chose a different paint base, the colour wasn't exactly dark grey and the cool undertones were a little more prominent despite two coats. The colour is almost a dark blue, so if you're specifically wanting the dark grey colour I would recommend spending the extra for Dulux paint.

Despite the fact that the colour isn't exactly what we wanted, it still looks great. It really makes the plants pop, and probably even matches the light blue colour of our house better.

The next step in our courtyard makeover is to source small plants that grow well in the shade, but I'm definitely glad we managed to cross this item off our list – it makes the fence look almost new again.

Before and after

How to spray paint a fence

You can quickly and easily make your fence look a million bucks without the cost of replacing it. Spray painting is a fast and efficient way to update the look of your front or back yard. The Bunnings team has shared step-by-step advice for how to transform your fence.

More inspiration for your fencing project

You can get more ideas for your home by checking out the Top 10 most popular fence projects on Bunnings Workshop and our Top 10 most popular screening projects. 

[SalingPusa]

Your fence looks fantastic! Did you have to prep the fence before painting it? Our wooden fence is 3 years old and unpainted; a friend put me off a bit when they said it takes tons of work because you have to sand and clean the wood first. And is the budget saving because spraying uses much more paint? 

[MitchellMc]

Hi @SalingPusa,

Let me mention @Elise15 so they are alerted to your questions.

As long as the fence's timber is in reasonable condition you'll only need to give it a scrub down with a broom. If there is any mould or mildew you can use a product like 30 Seconds 2L Outdoor Cleaner With Rapid Hose End Technology and a pressure washer to clean it. Make sure you let the fence fully dry before applying paint.

Sanding the fence would only be required if you wanted a smoother look to the timber. It doesn't need to be sanded to accept paint.

Spraying can use more paint, however, if you are a bit heavy-handed with the amount you apply with the brush, perhaps not. The budget part likely comes down to not having to purchase the spray gun and choosing a "more affordable base". It sounds like @Elise15 had the Dulux colour Domino mixed up in a budget-friendly brand. British paints or even Walpamur could be an option.

We look forward to seeing your results. Please let us know if you have more questions or need assistance.

Mitchell

[Elise15]

Hi @SalingPusa 

We did minimal prep work - I used a stiff broom and hose to clean, and then let it dry over a day or two. 
We saved money by painting it ourselves instead of investing in a spray gun, and also choosing a cheaper base from Walpamur.