Fence paint - red or not?

Discussion in 'Garden Projects and DIY' started by snapshot26, Feb 16, 2012.

  1. snapshot26

    snapshot26 Apprentice Gardener

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    What colour should fence panels be? Alot or people seem to be painting them the red cedar colour, but i dont think it looks right.

    Bring back creosote!
     
  2. SiXpence

    SiXpence Gardener

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    Its your choice at the end of the day really snapshot,

    I like Terrocotta:D
     
  3. alex-adam

    alex-adam Super Gardener

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  4. shiney

    shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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    Any colour you like! :thumbsup:


    [​IMG]
     
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    • alex-adam

      alex-adam Super Gardener

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      Shiney, that blue-green paint makes an exceptionally fine backdrop to your plants - Whats your secret in keeping them in such superb condition - not a slug nibble to be seen.

      a-a
       
    • *dim*

      *dim* Head Gardener

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      smother in evergreen and deciduous creepers .... it's better than paint
       
    • shiney

      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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      I think it's a number of things. The larger leafed ones don't seem to be so attractive to the slugs, the pots have a fairly high glaze on them (which can be climbed, but not quite as easily), the pots stand on small feet so less access and we put a few mini slug pellets underneath the pots.
       
    • merleworld

      merleworld Total Gardener

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      Mine are painted dark brown - as are the concrete posts cos I don't like the look of them.

      I am going to paint over them in a red-ish brown though cos they are too dark - that way I'll have a cross between the two.
       
    • clueless1

      clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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      I gave my wife and young son a load of old paints, and let them loose on the fence. As the paints included half a tub of bright red emulsion, and half a tub of pale yellow, we now have a section of fence that is sort of pink. It would look awful to do the whole fence like that, but I think it will work to paint blocks of different colour, possibly. I hope.
       
    • Bilbo675

      Bilbo675 Total Gardener

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      Personally I can't stand the red/orange fences that you see almost everywhere, they draw your eye away from the plants, fences; in my opinion, should for the most part be in the background forming a boundary not the main feature of your garden.

      Ours are a very dark brown, including the posts, I'd also be happy with dark green but at the end of the day its up to you, you can get almost any colour you want these days :dbgrtmb:
       
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      • Madahhlia

        Madahhlia Total Gardener

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        A dark colour will make the fence recede into the background and be a wonderful foil for green leaves and bright flowers. My preference would be for contemporary black.

        A pale fence will catch the attention much more but can reflect light back into a shady space and also contribute to wonderful colour effects.

        A coloured fence can help to create atmosphere (as in Shiney's lovely example) and also pull a tatty, mis-matched old fence such as mine into some semblance of order. A coloured fence needs more upkeep as attention will be drawn to it, though.

        Dark green is very nice and inoffensive but creates an awful lot of green and doesn't give you much scope for playing with colour.

        So it's really up to you. I certainly wouldn't paint a fence the same colour as all the neighbours' just because I thought I should - especially if it was red cedar, shudder. Quite the opposite, in fact!
         
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        • redstar

          redstar Total Gardener

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          I would look at the whole picture. Do you want the red fence to stick out like a sore thumb or to be insignificant because of all the wonderful beautiful planting will be around it.

          And besides that, "I never do "what a lot of people do"". As they say I swim against the tide.
          Whenever I hear " A lot of people do it that way" it just gets my goat.
           
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          • Jack McHammocklashing

            Jack McHammocklashing Sludgemariner

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            Any colour is better than NO protection at all
            Amazing how many pics are posted where the fencing is grey about to rot through
            Mine I have just done in RED CEDAR it was previously forrest green
            I chose the red cedar, due to location, we are back to back with standard estate housing, the Green sort of vanished from view and all you could see was the grey houses beyond
            The red draws your eye back down to YOUR garden and the plants in it (it mellows down to a soft terracota after a couple of weeks)
            IMHO

            Jack McHammocklashing
             
          • boogaloo

            boogaloo Apprentice Gardener

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            We moved last year and ours are a hideous bright red. It totally overpowers the colours in the garden, particularly when you don't have strong summer flowering. Personally I'd go for the natural look every time, but sadly that's not an option for me (unless I choose to replace hundreds of pounds worth of fences and gates.... :(
             
          • ARMANDII

            ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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            My side fences are painted green, while my bottom fence is 6' x 4" x 2" laid horizontal between the posts and treated with dark brown creosote substitute.

            I find the green paint does merge with the shrubs and give extra depth to the borders. My sister has just renewed all her fence panels and likes them as they are in red cedar colour. She describes any other colour for fences as "tacky", I just nod and pay homage to my sister!!!:heehee::D
             
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