8 Best Fence Paint of 2024

Who said that fences and sheds had to be standard colours like brown or green? If you are looking for something a bit jazzier for your garden, the ‘Bold Plum’ option in the Johnstone’s Garden Colours makes a striking impact. It’s the best fence paint to make a colourful statement in the garden.

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

This fence paint is not limited to use on rough-sawn timber and can be used on anything from garden fences to playhouses, and even wooden garden furniture. Everything from dining sets to benches can be made a lot more colourful using Johnstone’s Garden Colours, making it possible to create some really decorative and unique pieces.

A 1 L tin provides enough fence paint to cover approximately 12 m² (approximately five fence panels), 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.

Johnstone’s Garden Colours is quite thick, with a ‘waxy’ texture, and may need at least two 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 a large garden fence, due to the price and the fact that it’s best applied with a brush, this is the best fence paint for creating colourful feature-areas in the garden. The Bold Plum colour comes out as a bright, eye-catching purple that works for both furniture as well as fences.

Ronseal Fence Life Plus Paint is the best fence paint if you want a versatile option. Unlike the Ronseal One Coat Life fence paint (also featured on this page), this Ronseal Fence Life Plus paint can be applied to both rough-sawn wood as well as smooth-planed timber. It can also be applied to damp wood and dries reasonably quickly.

This Ronseal Fence Life paint is available in nine colours, though I’ve chosen to focus on the classic ‘Medium Oak’ finish – a traditional and timeless hue for the garden. The other colours are Black Oak, Cornflower, Dark Oak, Forest Green, Harvest Gold, Red Cedar, Sage and Willow. This fence paint range is one of Ronseal’s most colourful options and can be used to add some extra personality to your garden fence, as well as protect wood from the elements.

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

The 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 the paint is pretty thin and therefore drips are likely.

Another benefit of this fence 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 means that even if there have been a few days of rain, you can still paint your fence or shed once the sky clears.

In terms of application, this fence paint will take slightly longer to apply than some others due to the number of coats required. For rough timber 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 (depending on how many coats you have to do).

Overall, this is the best fence paint 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 the best fence paint for easy application. It’s thick and smooth, making it easy to apply without mess. Cuprinol Ducksback is suitable for smooth or rough-sawn wood and can therefore be used on fences, garden sheds and furniture. 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 fence paint – it results in a modern, contemporary look.

In terms of application, the thick viscosity is what makes Cuprinol Ducksback 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).

Some 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 no more than 5 hours in total.

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

Overall, this paint is good quality and is the best fence paint 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 creating an attractive, modern finish.

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 – Dark Oak treatment is quite a popular choice. This Ronseal fence paint offers good coverage, is easy to apply and is reasonably priced. Therefore, it’s the best fence paint in terms of value for money.

One 5 L tin of One Coat Fence Life covers a large area. According to Ronseal, 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 in the Ronseal Fence Life range including: Gold, Medium Oak, and Dark Oak. I’m focusing this review on the Dark Oak colour which dries as a dark chocolate and has a matt finish. It’s a rich, warm colour to use in the garden. One coat should be sufficient on most rough-sawn timber if painted over a lighter colour.

The viscosity is of this fence paint 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 fence 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 of One Coat Fence Life 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 ‘Less Mess’ name. The formula is neither excessively thick nor thin, and it doesn’t run too much or create a lot of drips.

It’s the best fence paint for keeping mess to a minimum, and can be applied with either a brush or a spray gun. 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.

This fence paint is intended for use on rough-sawn timber, so it’s suitable for painting a lot of different exterior wood like wood stores, sheds and fences. However, it’s not recommended for smoother wood like garden furniture.

There’s 6 L of fence 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 fence paint colour may look a little different to the swatch colour when first applied, but when dry it’s a better match; however, the ‘Autumn Red’ dries slightly more orange than you might expect.

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 fence paint that does get somewhere it shouldn’t can be washed off using water and detergent.

This Sadolin Shed and Fence Woodstain is the best fence paint if you’re looking for something that will freshen up the appearances of fences whilst also offering weather protection for several years.

This fence paint is wax enriched, which helps with repelling water from the surface, and it offers an all-weather barrier to protect exterior wood. The ‘Ebony Wood’ is perfect for anyone wishing to create dark, striking fences.

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 of this fence paint is that it can be applied using a compressor and a spray gun (despite its relatively thick viscosity). This dramatically speeds up how long it takes to get the painting done.

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

Overall, it’s one of the best fence 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. It’s also a great option because of how quickly it dries. However, it’s not the cheapest option if you’re on a budget.

This One Coat Fence Life – Medium Oak by Ronseal has an elegant, rich colour. It’s the best fence paint if you’re after a traditional look and easy application. It can be used on both sheds and fences.

As the name suggests, in many instances you only need one coat of One Coat Fence Life. It’s designed for use on any rough sawn timber, including that which has been previously stained. This fence paint dries quickly, becoming showerproof in just one hour.

This Ronseal fence paint is extremely long lasting, retaining its colour for up to two years. When initially applied, the fence paint colour is fairly bright, although this softens as it dries. It not only adds a fresh lick of colour to wood, but it offers good weather protection 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 fence paint should be applied on a dry day when temperatures are over 10°C. 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 of this Ronseal fence paint depending on personal preference.

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

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

Onto the colour – this Slate Grey fence paint 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 this fence paint is so 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 paint sprayer and achieved good coverage with the paint spreading on well.

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