The Classic Sponge Hack For Fences Also Works On Sheds

If you've recently been tricked into painting the local picket fence by your friend Tom, you've also likely found the viral fence painting hack going around TikTok that suggests you should replace your brush with a larger grouting or bone sponge. The idea is about as simple as it sounds; a sponge can absorb more paint in one go, and should apply a more even coating of paint over a longer distance than the bristles of a paintbrush. Now, consider doing the same with your backyard shed.

There are plenty of good reasons to consider using this fence-painting sponge hack on your shed beyond the aesthetics of it all. Maybe you're thinking about converting your shed into a tiny home for guests and need to repaint, or you want to try a newer, more environmentally friendly paint that better reflects sunlight to combat global warming. Using a sponge is a viable option whether you're trying to finish the shed's wood with paint, color stains, or a water-repellent preservative. One good option might be trying to spruce up your wooden property with affordable products like Restor-A-Finish, which can also be absorbed into a sponge. All you need to do is fill up the sponge with paint and get to work as you would with a brush.

A solution as simple as using a sponge to get a better paint application than the kind of brushes used for centuries may seem too good to be true, and there's an extent to which it is. Since that original video hit social media, plenty of paint has been spilled over whether the viral fence-painting TikTok hack is actually worth your time over tools like paint rollers that are designed for a similar purpose. Regardless of your opinion, it's worth keeping the sponge hack in mind as just another tool in the arsenal of home — or in this case, shed — design. Even if you don't use a sponge to paint, it can still be useful to apply other finishes over lumber, plywood, or other reconstituted wood products.

In fact, there are some cases in which the perfect, even coating of a paint roller might not be the preferred aesthetic. You can distress outdated wood furniture without sanding by instead using a block of wood, or sponge, that's coated in paint, and you can do the same with your outdoor shed. Sponges can be a good companion to this design by getting a coat of varnish or sealer inside the gaps more easily, too. A sponge can be especially useful when scraping away older paint and cleaning wood surfaces to refinish your fence or shed, so it's worth having one around even after learning about this interesting hack.