The Bronx has more iron fences and railings than wood ones. Iron rusts wherever the paint chips, so we scrape, wire brush, prime with a rust inhibiting primer and repaint. Wood fences behind houses in Throgs Neck, Morris Park and Woodlawn are washed, dried and stained or painted.
Walk down a block in Belmont, Morris Park or Mott Haven and most of what divides the front yards is metal: wrought iron and steel fences, low gates, window guards and stoop railings. Wood fences are behind the houses, mainly cedar or pressure treated stockade panels along the back lot line in Throgs Neck, Pelham Bay and Woodlawn. Chain link is everywhere too. We paint and stain the first two kinds, and each needs its own preparation.
Iron lasts for generations if it stays painted. Once the film breaks, rain reaches the metal and rust spreads under the paint from that spot. We scrape and wire brush each picket to a firm surface, treat pitted areas, prime the same day with a rust inhibiting primer and apply two coats of a gloss enamel made for metal. Scrollwork and the joints where pickets meet rails take the most time, and they are where rust starts.
A wood fence is washed at low pressure to lift dirt and green growth, then left to dry before any stain goes on. We tighten loose pickets and replace split ones first. Stain can be clear, tinted or solid color, and we explain how each one wears. Because Bronx lots are close, we cover the neighbor's side, cars, plants and paving, and brush rather than spray on windy days. Let the people next door know before we arrive.
Fence painting & staining in Bronx: common questions
My iron fence has old paint that may contain lead. Is that a problem?
Old paint on iron often does contain lead. We treat it that way: ground covers, hand tools that limit dust, and careful cleanup. Nothing is sanded dry into the wind.
Should a wood fence be stained on both sides?
Coating both sides protects the wood better and keeps the boards from cupping. If the far side faces a neighbor's yard, we need their permission to go in.
Can you paint a chain link fence?
It can be done, but it is slow and the result depends on the state of the coating on the wire. Often a new fence is the better use of money. We will look and say so.
How it works
- Free estimate: Call, text or book online. We walk the job and measure.
- Written quote: Prep, paint and price in writing.
- Prep & protect: We cover floors and furniture, repair and prime surfaces.
- Paint & walk-through: Two coats, clean lines, full clean-up and a final walk-through.