The UK's bestFence Paint2022 Review

Whoever said that fences and sheds had to be standard colours like brown or green? There are loads of brighter colours out there, if you are looking for something a bit jazzier for your garden, like the ‘Bold Plum’ option in this Johnstone’s Garden Colours range.

From plum, to lime, to berry, there are a lot of loud colour options available, as well as some more neutral tones like ‘Vintage Rose’ and ‘Natural Vanilla’.

Unlike ‘standard’ colour paint, this Johnstone’s range makes it possible to be very creative in the garden, whether you’re looking to create statement fence panels, or have a shed that pops with colour.

It’s not limited to use on rough-sawn timber either, setting it apart from Ronseal, and can be used on anything from fences, to playhouses, and even wooden garden furniture. Everything from dining sets to benches can be made a lot more colourful with this paint, making it possible to create some really decorative and unique pieces.

The 1 L tin provides enough paint to cover approximately 12 m², so it’s one of the more expensive options featured on this list, but the coverage is good and it’s easy to apply, often only requiring one coat.

It’s quite thick, with a ‘waxy’ texture, and may need a couple of coats for full coverage. It can be a little difficult to spread, although any streaks tend to even out as it dries.

Whilst perhaps not the most ideal option for large areas, due to the price and the fact it’s best applied with a brush, this is one of the best fence paints for creating colourful featured areas in the garden. The Bold Plum comes out as a bright, eye-catching purple that works for both furniture as well as fences.

Ronseal Fence Life Plus Paint is one of the most versatile paints on the market. Unlike the Ronseal One Coat Life (also featured on this page), this paint can be used to paint rough sawn wood as well as smooth-planed timber.

It’s available in nine colours, though I’ve chosen to focus on the classic ‘Medium Oak’ finish – a traditional and timeless option. The other colours are Black Oak, Cornflower, Dark Oak, Forest Green, Harvest Gold, Red Cedar, Sage and Willow. It’s one of Ronseal’s most colourful options and can be used to add some extra personality to your fence, as well as protection.

On that note, let’s take a look at the durability. This paint protects from rain, snow, frost and UV damage, with the colour lasting for around five years.

This paint is also easy to apply. It dries fully in four hours and is showerproof in just one hour. It can be either brushed or sprayed on, although it’s worth noting that this paint is very thin and therefore drips are likely.

Another benefit of this paint is that it can be applied on either damp or dry wood, although it still needs to be applied on a dry day. This does mean that even if you’ve had a few days of rain, you can still paint your fence or shed.

This paint will take slightly longer to apply than some others due to the number of coats required. For rough sawn wood you’ll need to apply two coats, while smooth planed wood will need three coats.

Finally, the coverage. One litre of this paint can cover up to 6m², so the 5L pot should contain enough paint to cover 30m² – approximately six shed panels.

This is one of the best fence paints if you’re looking for something versatile and easy to apply. It’s a particularly tough paint from Ronseal, made even more flexible by the fact that it can be applied to damp surfaces as well as both rough-sawn and smooth-planed wood.

The Cuprinol Ducksback Fence Paint is a smooth paint that’s easy to apply. It’s designed for both garden sheds and fences and is suitable for rough-sawn wood. It offers long-lasting protection against the elements thanks to the wax-enriched formula.

In terms of colour, this paint is available in nine different hues. I’ve chosen to focus this review on the Silver Copse finish which is a matt, dark grey – it gives quite a modern, contemporary finish. In some cases, fences may only require one coat, but it’s more common to need two or three. The drying time between coats is around 2 – 4 hours and the overall drying time should also be no more than 5 hours.

This paint is relatively thick which makes it easy to apply without mess. It can be applied using either a paint sprayer or a brush, although a brush is recommended due to the waxy consistency. It can be applied to either smooth or rough sawn wood.

The coverage is cited as 6 m² per litre which means one tin contains enough paint for approximately six fence panels.

Overall, this paint is good quality and is one of the best fence paints for easy application. When applying with a brush it doesn’t produce a lot of drips, although older wood may need a good few coats. The Silver Copse colour is great for adding an attractive, modern finish to the garden.

When it comes to the infamous job of painting fences and sheds, there are a few brand names that often come to mind. Ronseal is one of them, and their One Coat Fence Life treatment is quite a popular choice; it offers good coverage, is easy to apply, and is reasonably priced.

One 5 L tin covers a large area. Ronseal quantifies this by stating that each litre of paint can cover 6 m² per coat. This means that a 5 L container holds enough product to cover 30 m².

There are several colours including Gold, Medium Oak, and Dark Oak. The Dark Oak dries as a dark chocolate colour and has a matte finish; one coat should be sufficient on most rough-sawn timber if painted over a lighter colour.

Whilst this paint is only described as being suitable for rough-sawn timber, some customers have also applied it to smooth timber using two coats.

The viscosity is quite thin, and it does have a tendency to run when applied. This is both a blessing and a curse; the paint can be applied with a sprayer, and is quick to put on regardless of what technique is used, but it can get messy.

A cloth may be needed on standby to catch any drips, and any paint that gets onto the floor will need to be quickly washed off. Otherwise, the stain can become permanent.

Overall, this is one of the best fence paints in terms of value; one tin can cover a large area and, given that most garden timber should only require one coat, it’s not too time consuming to apply either. The main downside is the consistency, as you do need to watch out for drips.

Although all fence paints will drip a little, this Cuprinol Less Mess Fence Care does a decent job of living up to its name. The formula is neither excessively thick nor thin, and it doesn’t run too much or create a lot of drips.

It’s one of the best fence paints for keeping mess to a minimum, and can be applied with either a brush or a sprayer. Although it achieves good coverage most of the time with just one coat, there are some instances where two coats might be required:

For example, Cuprinol will likely need to be heavily diluted if used with a paint sprayer, so there is a possibility that another coat will be required in that case. Two coats might also be needed if painting over a darker colour, or applying the paint on fresh wood.

It’s intended for use on rough-sawn timber, so it’s suitable for painting a lot of different features in the garden like fences, sheds and wood stores. However, it’s not recommended for smoother wood like garden furniture.

There’s 6 L of paint in one tin which is enough to cover approximately 10 fence panels, and it’s available in different colours like ‘Autumn Red’, ‘Rich Oak’ and ‘Rustic Brown’.

For the most part, the paint may look a little different to the swatch colour when first applied, but when dry it’s a better match; however, the ‘Autumn Red’ can dry slightly more orange than expected.

Overall, this is a good paint for providing good coverage, and it’s one of the best fence paints for applying with a brush because it’s not too messy and has a manageable consistency. Any paint that does get somewhere it shouldn’t can be washed off using water and detergent.

One of the best things about fence paint is how it can be used to kill two birds with one stone. For example, this Sadolin Shed and Fence Woodstain will freshen up the look of any fences and wood in the garden, whilst also protecting the timber against the elements for several years.

The paint is wax enriched, which helps with repelling water from the surface, and it offers an all-weather barrier to protect the wood. The ‘Ebony Wood’ colour may not initially be to everyone’s taste, but it creates a surprisingly natural look in the garden as opposed to making fences look like one large black barrier.

It’s also one of the best fence paints to apply at any time of year, because it becomes showerproof within approximately 30 minutes of application. Therefore, even if you can’t rely on there being no drizzle during the whole day, you can still pop some of this paint on during a dry window.

Also, a further advantage is that although this Sadoline paint has a relatively thick viscosity, it can still be applied using a compressor and a spray gun, which dramatically speeds up how long it takes to get a painting job done.

There’s 5 L of paint in one tin, and in terms of value it sits roughly on par with the Cuprinol paint, making it a mid-range option; however, this Sadolin paint may require more coats than the Cuprinol.

Overall, it’s one of the best paints if you’re looking for something that will offer a good amount of protection to timber and it shouldn’t need repainting for several years. However, if you are on a budget, it may not be the best option to go for.

Available in a Medium Oak finish, this Ronseal One Coat Life – Quick Dry Fence Paint has an elegant, rich colour. It’s designed for those who prefer a more classic look when it comes to their garden fence, and it can also be used on garden sheds.

As the name suggests, just one coat of this fence paint needs to be applied. It’s designed for use on any rough sawn wood, including those which have been previously stained. It dries quickly becoming showerproof in just one hour.

This fence paint is extremely long lasting, retaining its colour for up to two years. When initially applied, the colour is fairly bright, although this softens as it dries. It not only adds a fresh lick of colour to wood, but it protects it from weather damage and greying as well.

Another great thing about this fence paint is that it’s relatively easy to apply. The thick consistency ensures mess is kept to a minimum, and it can be either sprayed or painted on. The coverage rate is fairly standard for fence paint, at 6 m² per litre. This means that the 5 L container holds enough product to cover approximately 30 m² (around six fence panels).

This paint should be applied on a dry day when temperatures are over 10°C and you’ll need to clean the wood first using a stiff brush to remove any dirt.

Although only one coat is required, if you’re covering a bright or very rich colour, you may wish to apply an extra coat depending on personal preference.

Overall, this is one of the best fence paints if you’re after a traditional look and easy application. It doesn’t produce much mess, and most garden timber should only require one coat.

Made for fences, sheds and decking, this King of Paints Slate Grey Fence Paint is exceptionally easy to apply and produces a gorgeous, dark slate colour.

This paint is designed to offer long lasting protection to your fence – it contains algaecides and fungicides to eliminate mildew and will also help prevent weather damage. As a result, it’s a good choice for those living in exposed areas, helping protect the fence from rain, frost and snow. It’s also very resistant to sunlight, retaining its rich colour even after a long summer.

Onto the colour – the Slate Grey offers a contemporary, rich finish. It’s a deep colour and the paint applies well, so it often only needs one coat.

One of the reasons that it’s easy to apply is that it has a thick consistency. This means it doesn’t drip a lot during application, avoiding unnecessary mess. It can be applied using a roller, brush or sprayer and achieved good coverage as the paint spreads on well.

Overall, this is one of the best fence paints if you want a quality, premium option. It’s a little more expensive than the other paints listed here, but it’s clear from online customer testimonials that it’s a thick, quality paint which gives good results.