I tried the viral sponge fence painting hack – it’s cheap & transformed our garden, but there’s something better to use
A DIY enthusiast has shared her thoughts on a viral 12p hack that’s ideal for sprucing up your fence with no faff.
With summer now here in full force, many green-fingered homeowners have been working on their gardens, whether that’s banishing weeds or cleaning their patios.
However, if your dull wooden fence is in a dire need of some TLC and you don’t want to spend ages painting it over and over again, there’s a hack that people have been raving about.
The trick involves ditching the paint brush and swapping it with a sponge – which costs just pennies.
According to DIY fans, not only does this method save you time, but using this kitchen essential is also mess-free and won’t ruin your plants and lawn as the paint drips.
But while the trick has taken TikTok and other platforms by storm, is it really that effective?
One woman, only known as Kirsty (@kirstyhome1) recently set to find out for herself, sharing her final verdict too.
The homeowner, who regularly shares cleaning and home-related content on the page, first dipped the big yellow sponge in a pot of khaki paint before sliding it across the wooden fence.
However, as she soon discovered, this method required several layers to achieve the desired look, the video showed.
Demonstrating the Before and After, Kirsty said: ”A few hours and three coats later, this took way too long and the sponge kept ripping on the fence.
”Love the colour though, the olive ties in beautiful with our garden.”
As there were still many bits that needed the lick of paint, the cleaning fan said she wouldn’t continue with the sponge method – and instead, would use an alternative.
”We are definitely getting a sprayer, there are too many fence panels to do.”
If they stick to the 12p sponge painting, Kirsty jokingly said they’d be ”done by next summer”.
Dozens of fellow gardening fans raced to comments of the video, which has racked up a staggering 101k views so far.
How to get algae off fences
ABS Fencing shared a list of do’s and don’ts when it comes to cleaning green algae off your fence.
- Don’t use household mould or mildew remover sprays as these are generally intended for use on hard surfaces indoor.
- Don’t use bleach in the garden, it kills a lot more than the mould.
- Don’t try sanding back the top surface of the wood, as algae will just regrow back.
- Don’t bother with power hosing – that only opens up the timber grain and allows more water inside, making the problem worse down the line.
- Do use white vinegar mixed with hot water in a spray bottle and work it in with a brush, leave for 30 mins or more, then hose down.
- Do repaint when dry with good quality fence paint.
One person advised: ”Invest in a paint spray if you can, they are around £40 ideal for fences and took two mins for a 6′ panel.”
Someone else suggested: ”My only advice with the sprayer is be careful and warn your neighbours.
”Ours ruined our furniture (that we could have moved).”
Another remarked: ”Stick on some latex gloves and saturate the sponge in paint, will work much better.”
”Wet the fence a bit first then won’t try to absorb all the pigment deeper rather than the surface,” a DIY lover chimed in.
Shoppers can find sponges at most supermarkets, including Aldi where a six-pack goes for 75p – working out to around 12p per sponge.
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