Pool-Yard Cedar Fence Restored in Oakville

The fence: a new pool, a grey fence

This Oakville backyard had just been redone with a new pool, a hot tub and a stone patio, and the old cedar privacy fence around it suddenly looked out of place. It is a good board-on-board fence with heavy posts and rails, but years of sun and shade under the big trees had turned it a flat grey, with orange-brown streaks running down from the rails where tannins and dirt had bled out. Against fresh stone and blue water, it was the one thing in the yard that looked old.

Wood cleaner and power washing

Grey cedar is not dead cedar; the grey is a surface layer of weathered fibres. We applied a wood cleaner to lift the grey and the tannin streaks, then power washed the fence so the cleaner and the loosened fibres came off. The second photo shows the fence at that point, still wet: the natural red-orange cedar is already back. The garden beds and the new patio were protected through the whole process.

Sanding and staining

Once the fence dried, we sanded it to smooth the raised grain from washing and to give the stain an even surface, then finished it in a warm cedar-tone penetrating stain. The stain soaks into the wood rather than forming a film, so it will fade gradually instead of peeling, and it protects the cedar from the UV that turned it grey in the first place. In the after photo the fence frames the pool in a single warm colour that suits the stone and the trees.

The result

A fence that now matches the rest of the new yard, protected for years to come. A wash and a maintenance coat every few years keeps it this colour.

Fence staining in Oakville

UCO Construction Group cleans, restores and stains cedar and pressure-treated fences, and builds new wood fences, across Oakville, Burlington, Mississauga and the rest of the GTA. See our fence and deck staining service and get in touch for a free on-site estimate.