Silver-grey fence panels

[Mathew Newton]

This feels like a bit of a stupid question but as I'm not sure of the answer I'll ask anyway...

Is it possible to buy 'natural-looking' silver-grey fence panels that look similar to the following?

The reason I ask is that all the panels I'm seeing available have been treated with something that has quite a heavy pigment and, as such, quite often have a deep orange colour to them.

The panels above are ~12 years old and so I have no doubt that their silver-grey appearance will primarily be down to weathering, particularly UV-induced fading, but I am wondering if it is possible to get something at least close at the outset? I may need to replace a couple soon and I really don't want some bright orange affairs as they'll stick out like the proverbial sore thumb.

[John Rumm]

Yup, they have the classic "left outside for years" kind of patina to them. Not easy to create with new panels, and even if you could they would then weather and end up looking different again.

Either pic something different that contrasts with what is there, or bite the bullet and replace them all. (if a couple are close to needing replacement now, the rest may not be that far behind - especially with the wind today!)

[Andy Burns]

Just buy the panels that are light green pressure-treated, but without any dip-treated stain, fit them and wait a year or two ...

[Mathew Newton]

It was today's weather that reminded me how much sway there is in that fence line and that it is only a matter of time before I'll have to sort it. It then dawned on me that actually the panels are probably okay; it's the posts that are likely rotting at the base (or the concreted hole is no longer holding) and so I should replace the posts and footings sooner rather than later - that might avoid the concerns over panel matching, at least for a few more years.

[Tricky Dicky]

Cuprinol do a restorer that removes the grey surface, it is actually for timber furniture which will have a planed finish but might work on your panels.

Richard

[Mathew Newton]

Interesting, thanks.

Perhaps, as Andy suggested, I could go for the light-green pressure treated panels as they'd not be too offensive whilst they weather - I think in my eyes they'd just look 'new' rather than stained.

[Mathew Newton]

It's the grey look I'm after ideally!

[dennis]

Find a manufacturer and ask them not to treat the panels you want to buy. They will weather faster and last just as long as the treated ones.

They only rot if they are too thick to dry out occasionally. The drying out kills the rot.

Failing that find some that use real creosote as that washes out quickly and has no effect after about a year or two.

[news19k]

I tried that a few years ago - except the panels had been dropped into slots and then also nailed to the posts, and couldn't be detached in anything approximating one piece.

#Paul

[Mathew Newton]

I've had a couple out previously and they too were nailed to the posts but I just cut through them with a hacksaw. I used fence clips to put them back so I should be able to avoid any further damage.

[Dave W]

I don't think you can buy panels that have been weathered as much as yours. I suggest buying new panels coated in something you can paint on the weathered ones to look similar.

[Mathew Newton]

As I said it really is the natural grey look I'm after, and am not keen on applying anything that I may have to redo.

I think I could live with the temporary greenish tinge of tanalith and I'm sure I'd cope with leaving it to weather naturally after that. It really was the heavy orange colour that I kept seeing on most of the panels I came across.

[Dave Liquorice]

Not sure that properly tanalised timber weathers grey. Our gates haven't after well over ten years, they still have a weak greenish tinge and definately aren't grey.

[Dave Liquorice]

Good point! B-) Not full sun at midday but they do catch the sun but possibly too early or late in the day for really high levels of UV.

[Jim K..]

ISTR caustic soda does this, neutralise with vinegar say?

[Jim K..]

ISTR the green is these days just a dye to remind customers of the old CCA preservative, the replacement for it is, I think, colourless.

[Jim K..]

I believe it does weather to grey by UV action. Do your gates get any sun?