How to Paint a Chain Link Fence

Chain Link Fences are durable and inexpensive and found in many places around the country. Unfortunately over the years the exposure to the elements can cause corrosion and rust to form on the metal of the fence. Many people will choose to just shoot a coat of spray enamel over the fence and call it a day (once, before a last minute gathering at my house, I did it as well). However a proper job painting the fence can last a very long time.

To begin to paint a chain link fence you first need to remove the rust, corrosion, and other stains. Failure to remove the rust will probably result in a bleed through of the new paint and continued corrosion and will make it more difficult for the paint to adhere properly to the fence. To remove the rust you should use a wire brush or use a wire cup or wheel in a power drill. In either case be sure to wear eye protection to keep flakes of rust from getting into your eyes. Once the rust has been removed use a garden hose to spray the fence down to further remove any remaining loose material. Let the fence dry before beginning to paint the fence.

To properly paint the fence you will need a thick paint roller. These rollers are designed to paint over rough textures inside the home but will work great on a chain link fence as the extra material on the roller will hit more of the fence. A high quality roller is not needed as the smoothness of the finish on the fence will be hard to see and you will probably ruin the roller anyway with this one job of painting a chain link fence. Use a quality oil based paint that will cover well and withstand the elements that a chain link fence is often subjected. Follow the instructions on the paint can from the manufacturer concerning application of the paint for the best results. You will need to paint the fence from both sides and you may want to put on two coats of paint for best results. To finish the job use a small brush to paint the posts and railings to the fence.

I have written numerous home improvement articles on a variety of subjects such as replacing a glass window, patching a hole in drywall, installing a peephole and many more. Visit my Content Producer page for more articles on travel, hunting, fishing, home improvement, and much more.