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Fences and outdoor timber
Fences, gates, decking, sheds and garden rooms washed back, repaired where the timber has gone, and treated in a finish that survives an Irish winter.
in short
AltHome washes, repairs and treats fences, gates, decking, sheds and garden rooms across Kerry, Cork and Limerick. Timber is washed and left to dry for at least 48 hours, then coated in a penetrating stain or oil that moves with the wood rather than a paint film that cracks and peels. A normal garden takes two to three days, and exposed timber here needs recoating every two to three years.
what decides it
Dry timber, and a finish that moves with it
Two things ruin outdoor timber work here, and neither is the product in the tin. The first is coating wet timber. Wood that looks dry after a shower is still carrying water in the top few millimetres, and anything applied over it is sitting on moisture rather than soaking into fibre, so it lifts within a season. We wash the timber, then leave it a clear day or two, and we check it rather than assuming. In a wet week we move the job. The second is choosing a film forming paint for something that moves. A fence panel or a deck board swells and shrinks with every change in the weather, and a hard film cracks, lets water in behind itself and then peels, which means the next job is stripping rather than recoating. A penetrating stain or a decking oil soaks in, moves with the timber and wears back evenly, so in three years you wash it and put another coat on rather than starting again. Paint has its place on joinery like a front gate, a shed door or a garden room that is out of the worst of the weather, and there we use a flexible exterior system with the end grain sealed properly. The rest of the work is repair. Fence posts rot at ground level, where the wet and the air meet, so a fence that wobbles usually has sound panels and dead posts, and post sleeves or new posts set in concrete fix it for a fraction of a new fence. Deck boards go slippy long before they go soft, so we wash off the algae, replace the boards that have cupped or split, check the joists underneath while boards are up, and finish with an anti slip additive in the oil where the deck is shaded.
Spraying, brushing, and your neighbours
A long run of fence is sprayed and then back brushed, which puts the material into the grain instead of leaving it sitting on the surface, and it is far faster than brushing alone. Spraying needs still weather and proper masking of walls, paths, planting and anything on the far side of the fence, and we do not spray a boundary fence in wind next to a neighbour with a car parked. If conditions are wrong on the day we brush it or we come back, rather than making someone else a problem.
the work
What is included in fence and deck treatment?
- Wash off algae, dirt and loose coating, and let the timber dry before anything goes on.
- Check every post at ground level and every deck board for movement and rot.
- Replace dead posts, split boards and broken rails, and refix anything loose.
- Mask walls, paths, planting and the far side of the fence before spraying.
- Apply penetrating stain or decking oil, sprayed and back brushed into the grain.
- Seal cut ends and end grain, adjust gate hardware, and wash down the site.
4 steps
How long does it take to treat a fence or deck?
You get in touch
Tell us roughly how many metres of fence or square metres of deck, and send a photo. We answer the same day.
We come and look
We push every post, lift a board or two and check what coating is already on it. Then a written price for the repairs and the finish.
We do it
Wash, dry, repair, coat. We work to the forecast and tell you straight away if rain moves a day.
You sign it off
We walk the garden with you, leave the product name for future coats, and tell you when to do it again.
next door
What goes around it
Most gardens get done in one go, because the crew and the machines are already there.
asked
Fences and outdoor timber: common questions
How often does it need doing?
On exposed timber here, every two to three years for a stain or oil, and a wash in between. South and west facing runs go first. Because a penetrating finish wears rather than peels, the next coat is a wash and a recoat instead of a strip.
My fence is leaning. New fence or repair?
Usually repair. Panels and rails often have years left while the posts have rotted at ground level. New posts concreted in, or post sleeves over the sound part of an old post, will straighten a fence for a fraction of replacing it. We will tell you when it really is past that.
Can you do it over a new fence?
Yes, and it is the best time. New pressure treated timber often needs a few weeks to weather before it will take a finish properly, and we will tell you if yours is still too green. After that, coating it from the start is what keeps it looking new.
How much does it cost to stain a fence?
The length and height of fence, its condition, how many sides are done and the product used set the price. Repairs to rotten boards or posts are priced separately so you can see them. We give a written price after a look.
When is the best time to treat outdoor timber in Ireland?
Late spring to early autumn, in a dry spell of at least two days. The timber must be dry below the surface, not just to the touch, so we move the date if the weather turns.
quote
Get a fixed quote for fence and deck treatment
Tell us the address and the length of fence or size of deck. We work across Kerry, Cork and Limerick. We ring you back within one working day.
085 220 1422 · info@althome.ie
Written by the AltHome crew. Last reviewed September 2026.