Over time, vinyl fences lose their beautiful luster and shine. Luckily, vinyl fences are easily maintained; and that gloss can indeed return.
A vinyl fence can be safely waxed to restore its original, glossy finish. Use a non-abrasive wax such as outdoor paste wax, outdoor house wax, plastic or fiberglass boat polish, or automotive wax like Carnauba. The wax can also be applied as a mix when pressure washing the fence.
Waxing your vinyl fence is an easy solution to bring back that new-fence-look and protect it from damage by the elements.
How to Wax Your Vinyl Fence
Vinyl fences are preferred by many for their durability, good looks, and easy maintenance. However, just because the maintenance is easy does not mean that you don’t have to maintain your vinyl fence.
Fortunately, pretty much anyone can wax their vinyl fence; it’s not a very hard job. In fact, you could probably enlist your kids to help you.
By getting your kids to join in, you will have the opportunity to teach them the very same lessons we all learned with Mr. Miyagi before they were even alive. Just remember to wax on with the right hand, and wax off with the left!
All jokes aside, keep in mind that waxing your fence could likely take an entire day, especially if the fence is very dirty.
A good rule of thumb for projects like this is to plan with the worst in mind, and then be happy and grateful when it works out great and takes much less time than you anticipated.
1. Clean The Fence With A Light, Non-Abrasive Cleaner
Make sure that you clean your fence before you wax, or you could have undesired spots and stains on your otherwise freshly waxed fence.
Waxing a dirty fence is like painting dirty walls; if the fence is dirty, the waxed fence will look bad. The wax may not even apply evenly or set properly! The only thing worse than a dirty, dull fence is a dirty, blotchy fence.
Therefore, make sure to clean your fence before you wax it.
When cleaning your vinyl fence, make sure to use a light, non-abrasive cleaner, and a soft, non-abrasive cloth. If you don’t have a specific cleaner for your fence, you can use a bucket of warm or cold water mixed with detergent. This mixture should be sufficient for the majority of stains and dirt.
After you are finished cleaning the fence, rinse the fence off with clean water to prevent leaving any residue behind. This is important because residue can start to accumulate if soapy water is left on the fence for even a short amount of time.
2. Apply the Wax to the Fence
Once the fence is dry, you can begin waxing!
Apply the wax in even coats on the entire length of your fence. Make sure to follow the instructions on the container of your respective wax to ensure the best results, as each wax is different.
Once you have finished the waxing process, be sure to let it set. After all, is said and done, you should be able to see that shiny, new fence look!
Waxing With A Pressure Washer
An easier method than cleaning and waxing the fence by hand is to pressure wash the fence, and then apply the wax with a wax nozzle hooked up to your pressure washer wand.
As easy as it might make it, pressure washing a vinyl fence can be tricky business. It is really easy to damage your fence by pressure washing it. Check to see if your pressure washer wand came with a nozzle meant for vinyl or a similar material.
If your pressure washer did not come with a tip meant for vinyl, here are some tricks to protect your vinyl while powerwashing:
- Wash the fence from farther away, so the water pressure is lower when it hits the fence.
- Use tips meant for more destructible materials.
- Don’t power wash the fence very frequently. The more often you power wash, the more damage the fence will sustain. Try alternating between washing by hand and power washing.
- Apply heavier duty wax when you wash by hand. This will repair some of the damage done by the high-pressure water.
Here is a video by DeuceLiter on YouTube that explains a little more about cleaning your vinyl fence with a power washer:
Which Types Of Wax Work Best?
There are quite a few different kinds of wax that you can use on your fence. One of the big qualifiers of whether you can use it or not is to ensure that the wax is non-abrasive.
Examples of waxes you can use on vinyl fencing include:
- Outdoor paste wax
- Outdoor house wax
- Automotive wax
- Carnauba wax
- Fiberglass boat polish
- Plastic boat wax
However, just because you can use it does not mean that you should use it. The boat wax should really only be used if you already have some and want to get rid of it. They’ll get the job done, but there are better waxes you can use.
The best waxes to use on your vinyl fence are the outdoor paste, outdoor house, and Carnauba waxes. These will protect your fence the best, and will also be more likely to last longer.
How Long Does the Wax Last Before it Needs to be Reapplied?
Depending on how big your fence is, waxing your fence can take an entire Saturday of your precious weekend. But, don’t be alarmed! With the sacrifice of one Saturday, your fence will look great for a while to come.
When done right, wax does not need to be reapplied very frequently. In fact, you may not even have to reapply it for a couple of years!
However, the frequency with which you need to reapply the wax onto your fence depends largely on the type of wax you use on your fence.
For example, wax applied via a pressure washer may not last as long as outdoor paste wax. For the best results, always refer to the wax that you are using. That way, you’ll know how frequently you should reapply it.