Area / coats / gallons / wait
Stain Calculator for Fence
A 100 ft fence, 6 ft tall, on both sides (1,200 sq ft) takes 8 gallons of Ready Seal (pine or treated pine fence) for one coat, at 150 sq ft a gallon.
Your estimate
8 gallons
1,200 sq ft with Ready Seal, pine or treated pine fence, one coat: 8 to 8 gallons across the printed coverage.
- Area100 ft × 6 ft × 2 sides1,200 sq ft
- First coat8 to 8 gallons across the printed coverage8 gal
- Gallons, best to worst coverage8
- New pressure-treated woodWood at 12% moisture content or less; the sheet gives no number of days.Wait first
How the gallons are counted
- Area: 100 ft × 6 ft × 2 sides = 1,200 sq ft. No maker in our sources prints a rough-sawn area factor, so a rough board takes the rough rate of its product instead.
- One coat: 1,200 sq ft ÷ 150 sq ft a gallon = 8 gallons. Ready Seal prints one rate, so the best and worst coverage agree; a product with a range of printed rates gives a range of gallons. Round up to whole gallons, 8 here.
- A second coat takes the same again. Where the maker prints a rate for it, that rate is used; where it prints none, the first coat’s rate is used, and the answer says so.
- For the fence itself, the posts, rails and pickets, use the fence calculator; to compare what each material costs and needs, the fence material comparison sets the five on one line.
Each product is counted at both ends of its printed coverage: the high end gives the fewest gallons, the low end the most. The number to buy is the most, rounded up to whole gallons.
Printed coverage by product
| Product | Printed coverage | Coats and application | Gallons, 1,200 sq ft | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ready Seal, pine or treated pine fence | 150 sq ft a gallon | One generous coat, or two light coats. | 8 | Ready Seal technical data sheet (distributor copy) |
| Ready Seal, cedar fence | 125 sq ft a gallon | One generous coat, or two light coats. | 9.6 | Ready Seal technical data sheet (distributor copy) |
| Cabot 1300 S-T acrylic stain | 200 to 300 sq ft a gallon; rough boards 100 to 200 sq ft a gallon | One coat. Rough boards take less per gallon than smooth ones. | 4 to 6 | Cabot 1300 S-T Acrylic data sheet (2014) |
| Cabot 7600 solid oil stain | 400 to 500 sq ft a gallon; rough boards 250 to 350 sq ft a gallon | Two coats, the second within 48 hours of the first. Rough boards take less per gallon. | 2.4 to 3 | Cabot Solid Color Oil Decking Stain 7600 Series data sheet |
| Penofin Pressure Treated penetrating stain | 175 to 300 sq ft a gallon | One coat. The 550 VOC formula takes a light second coat after 4 hours. | 4 to 6.86 | Penofin Pressure Treated Formula data sheet |
| Benjamin Moore Arborcoat N638 | 200 to 400 sq ft a gallon | Generally one coat on properly prepared wood. | 3 to 6 | Benjamin Moore Arborcoat N638 data sheet (2019) |
| DEFY Extreme wood stain | 100 to 150 sq ft a gallon, both coats | Two coats on pressure-treated wood. Its rate is for both coats together. | 8 to 12 | DEFY Extreme Wood Stain data sheet (2020 copy) |
| Olympic Maximum solid stain | 350 to 500 sq ft a gallon | Two thin coats. | 2.4 to 3.43 | Olympic Maximum solid stain data sheet (79611) |
| Behr solid color stain No. 5011 | 200 to 400 sq ft a gallon | Coverage depends on the application method and on the wood. | 3 to 6 | Behr Solid Color No. 5011 data sheet (2017) |
| Seal-Krete Original, wood fencing | 125 sq ft a gallon | Two coats for waterproofing. | 9.6 | Seal-Krete Original data sheet |
Every rate is the maker’s own, from the document named. The form offers the same products.
Waiting before you stain new pressure-treated wood
| Product | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ready Seal, pine or treated pine fence | Wood at 12% moisture content or less; the sheet gives no number of days. | Ready Seal technical data sheet (distributor copy) |
| Ready Seal, cedar fence | Wood at 12% moisture content or less; the sheet gives no number of days. | Ready Seal technical data sheet (distributor copy) |
| Cabot 1300 S-T acrylic stain | Wood below 15% moisture, or 3 to 5 days of dry weather first. | Cabot 1300 S-T Acrylic data sheet (2014) |
| Cabot 7600 solid oil stain | Wood below 15% moisture, or a spell of dry weather first. Its sheet also says new smooth wood should weather generally no longer than 4 weeks. | Cabot Solid Color Oil Decking Stain 7600 Series data sheet |
| Benjamin Moore Arborcoat N638 | New pressure-treated lumber dries to below 15% moisture first; the sheet gives no number of days. | Benjamin Moore Arborcoat N638 data sheet (2019) |
| DEFY Extreme wood stain | Let new wood weather 3 to 6 months before staining, with no moisture figure. | DEFY Extreme Wood Stain data sheet (2020 copy) |
Where the makers disagree
Coverage for two coats: a job rate or a rate per coat
- 100 to 150 sq ft a gallon for both coats together (DEFY Extreme)DEFY Extreme Wood Stain data sheet (2020 copy)
- 200 to 400 sq ft a gallon for one coat (Arborcoat N638)Benjamin Moore Arborcoat N638 data sheet (2019)
The DEFY rate is for both coats, so a DEFY job is counted as two coats of its area. Read coat by coat it is 200 to 300 sq ft a gallon, close to the single-coat stains; its gallon count is higher because the job takes two coats.
Smooth boards against rough-sawn boards
- 200 to 300 sq ft a gallon on smooth boardsCabot 1300 S-T Acrylic data sheet (2014)
- 100 to 200 sq ft a gallon on rough boardsCabot 1300 S-T Acrylic data sheet (2014)
The surface you choose in the form sets the rate. A rough fence takes its own rate for the product that prints one; the planner does not add an area factor on top, because no maker prints one.
How long new pressure-treated wood waits before staining
- 3 to 6 months of weathering (DEFY Extreme)DEFY Extreme Wood Stain data sheet (2020 copy)
- 12% moisture or less (Ready Seal)Ready Seal technical data sheet (distributor copy)
- 15% moisture or less (Arborcoat N638)Benjamin Moore Arborcoat N638 data sheet (2019)
- 15% moisture, or 3 to 5 days of dry weather (Cabot 1300)Cabot 1300 S-T Acrylic data sheet (2014)
The makers disagree: DEFY counts months and no moisture, the others count moisture and no months. Where a maker gives a moisture figure, a moisture meter reading settles it; the calendar is a guess until then.
Fence stain questions
How much stain does a 6 foot fence take?
1,200 sq ft for 100 ft of 6 ft fence on both sides, which takes 8 gallons of Ready Seal for pine at one coat, or 10 for cedar at its lower rate. The product table above gives every printed rate for the same fence.
How many coats of stain should a fence get?
It depends on the product. Ready Seal prints one generous coat or two light ones, Cabot 1300 prints one and Arborcoat generally one; DEFY Extreme and Olympic print two, and Cabot 7600 asks for a second coat within 48 hours.
How is the area of a fence worked out?
Length times height times the number of sides. There is no deduction for gates, and no rough-sawn factor, since no maker prints one; rough boards take the rough rate a product prints where it prints one.
How much area does a gallon of fence stain cover?
It varies by product. Ready Seal covers 125 to 150 sq ft a gallon on fence boards, Penofin 175 to 300, and Cabot 1300 200 to 300 on smooth boards but 100 to 200 on rough ones.
How long should new pressure-treated wood weather before staining?
The makers disagree. DEFY Extreme says 3 to 6 months of weathering with no moisture figure; Ready Seal says wood at 12% moisture or less; Arborcoat and Cabot say below 15% moisture, and Cabot 1300 also accepts 3 to 5 days of dry weather. Where a moisture figure is given, test the moisture.
Why does DEFY Extreme need more gallons than other stains?
Its printed rate is for two coats together, 100 to 150 sq ft a gallon, so each coat covers twice that area per gallon. The calculator counts DEFY as a two-coat job whatever coats box is chosen.
Is the second coat the same rate as the first?
None of the data sheets here prints a separate rate for the second coat, so the calculator uses the first coat’s rate for it, and the answer says so. A second coat often goes further on wood that is already sealed: check the can.
Should I buy a little extra stain?
The answer rounds up to whole gallons and counts the low end of the printed coverage, which leaves room for porous wood. Add your own share for waste if the boards are cut to length or the fence is very open.
A planning aid, not an engineering calculation: your local code and building inspector have the final word. Terms