Sanding slatted timber fence

Clauric

We recently moved into a new house which has a slatted timber fence held in place between concrete fence pillars. We are planning on painting/sealing the fence in the next few days, but wehn I went to look at it, I found that a lot of the timber slats are very rough, and most are covered in cement/plaster residue.

I was thinking of sanding down the fence before I sealed it. However, when I went looking for a sanding attachment for a corded drill, nowhere I went had any stock, or even an idea of what I was looking for.

Does anybody have any suggestions of where I could buy a flat sander drill attachment, and any recommendations for the best way the sand down the fence before sealing it?

Billgirlylegs

sorry duplicated

Lumen

It sounds like you have "rough" timber (that's a technical term), and you want it to be "planed". The correct tool for this job is a planer (or "power plane"), like these:

https://www.screwfix.ie/c/tools/planers/cat830902

You can use a sander of various types (belt, random orbital) but sanding removes much less material. It'd be unusual to sand outdoor timber, it's more for joinery.

Either way, you're going to have the problem that you can't get a tool into the gaps between slats. So you can either live with those being rough, or (maybe, if there is enough gap) use a trim router with a roundover bit to tidy up the edge.

All of these tools can be hired.

Are you sure you can be bothered with all this? :-)

awec

I'd pick off as much cement residue as I could and then just paint the thing. Painting will take a bit longer but to hell with sanding down / planing a fence, you'd go mad.

Clauric

Thanks for the advice. Will have to have a think about what we do going firsts.

Tiercel Dave

Clean off as much of the cement etc as you want to, even using a wire brush, then a rough sanding with hand held block, grade 80 or suchlike. Then use a Sprayer to freshen them up, much easier to get to all the hard to reach spots.....

https://www.screwfix.ie/p/ronseal-precision-finish-fence-sprayer-5ltr/9284p#product_additional_details_container

awec

Be very careful with the sprayer if it's hit and miss fencing, chances are it will go through to your neighbours side. Also the obvious thing about the wind carrying paint particles everywhere and anywhere, make sure the neighbours don't have the washing out!

IMO the sprayers are a bit of a pox, you'll probably need to go over it with a brush anyway to tidy it up, especially if it's rough timber.

rodmn2377

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117861519#Comment_117861519

agree with this comment, if you can lift out the panels and lay them in the lawn happy days but if not be very careful. used one last year and was very careful but even still the wind took the paticles onto the neighbours car which was parked well away from the fence i was painting. i used a decent timber fence brush this time and it worked out well

rje66

Just curious, for the people suggesting planers and sanders here , how would you suggest dealing with the nails holding fence panel together???

Lumen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117875477#Comment_117875477

Nail punch.

rje66

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117876154#Comment_117876154

Aaaahh jaaasyus