Fence staining in CNY (installed, stain, build, iron)

[Slice4444]

So I've been told that if you build a fence, then staining and sealing it will prolong it's life. But I was also told that if you use pressure treated wood, you have to wait a year before staining and sealing it. But if you use cedar, you can (and should) stain and seal it right away.

Here's the problem. The recommended fence material is pressure treated wood for the posts and cross boards, and cedar for the pickets. Do I really have to stain and seal just the pickets now and wait a year to stain and seal the cross boards and poles? This would be kind of hard to do. The other option would be to stain the cedar pickets before nailing them up, but it would be WAY easier to do it after they're up. What will happen if I seal and stain the pressure treated wood right away?

Also, is there a combination stain / sealer or is this a two step process? And what is a good sealer? I was told Thompson Water Seal isn't very good. I will agree because I've used it before and water beads up for about two weeks, and then I don't see that anymore.

[davebarnes]

If you stain now you won't have to clean (pressure wash) the fence.

You main decision is: water-based or oil-based stain.

I am old so I prefer (demand) oil-based stain. Two coats. Every few years. The sun in Denver is brutal.

Water beading will disappear for all stains after a few weeks. Don't worry about it.

Consumer Reports has rated various stains. You might want to subscribe.

[Slice4444]

Thanks for the recommendation on the oil stain, although that wasn't my question.
I asked whether or not I can stain and seal the pressure treated poles & crossbeams now or if I really have to wait a year. Because if I have to wait a year, it will be a pain in the ass to try and just stain the pickets - which aren't pressure treated so require staining & sealing now...
The other question was whether or not they make a stain / sealer combination. And if not the name of a good sealant because Thompson's Water Seal I was informed, is inferior...
The water beading I was referring to had nothing to do with the stain, it had to do with the sealer. The water beading means the sealer is working. When the water stops beading, it means the water is soaking into the wood. My point was that with Thompson's, it stops beading in two weeks - and you say not to worry - but that's obviously not good

[K'ledgeBldr]

Anybody with half a brain would know that a 5/8" PT dog-eared fence picket, newly installed will be bone dry in 3-4 days. That's all you need- removal of excess moisture from the PT process.

That's all the time you need to wait to apply stain/sealer.

Here's my recommendation: TWP. TWP 100 Stain for Wood and Decks
It's THE best stuff on the market-

[Slice4444]

I understand that.... How can I explain this better? I know that the pickets (cedar) should be stained and sealed. But the cross boards and poles are pressure treated (so they're not bone dry) So do I really have to stain just the pickets and wait a year for the other boards? This will be difficult. And again, thanks for the stain recommendation but does that stain you recommend also seal or do I need to buy a separate sealer? If so, please recommend one. Not Thompson's please!

[K'ledgeBldr]

4X4's and 2X4's will dry out in a week or less- you don't have to wait any longer than that.

Though it would be particularly hard to find now- there was an independent study done about 20yrs ago on the effectiveness of wood preservatives on PT wood. All of the samples were subjected to different scenarios under the same environmental conditions- long story short; the wood that was treated with a preservative after just 5 days of exposure to the elements held up the best in both durability and esthetics.


TWP is a preservative

[Slice4444]

Ok thank you... So TWP is both a stain & sealer I take it. And the PT wood will be dry enough in a week or so to use it you say... I was told the stain wouldn't take right and the boards will turn green. So I hope you're right because it makes the job a lot easier.