Painting old, weathered, wood fence

[Nightstar]

Hi,

I want to paint my wooden patio fence, which as not been previously painted. The wood seems well preserved, but weathered. Will I need to prime it first? How could I get a "whitewash" effect instead of a solid color?

Thanks.

[Don Phillipson]

At the paint store, ask about stain instead of paint. It is easier to apply to weathered wood than paint, it needs no primer, and many users simply prefer it on outdoors wood.

[Childfree Scott]

Can you post a picture of the fence, showing the weathering in detail?

I can think of anything that I would apply to a weathered item unless I sanded it first.