Gather your supplies
Nail punch; spare pickets/palings (if needed)
abrasive paper (number 80 grit)
linseed oil putty
exterior self-priming acrylic paint

Here's how
STEP 1 Using a nail punch, drive in the heads of any nails that are standing proud so they are sitting below the surface.

STEP 2 Replace any damaged or missing pickets. If you have shaped pickets, you may need to shop around for matching replacements or, as here, standard 70 x 19mm hardwood decking boards may be a good match. Attach new pickets with galvanised nails.

STEP 3 Sand the surfaces to remove all loose paint, then dust well. Wash the fence with sugar soap to remove any grime still on the timber. Fill the punched nail holes with linseed oil putty, so that it finishes flush.

STEP 4 Apply 2 coats of self-priming low-sheen acrylic paint directly to the timber. Don't forget to paint the end grain on the underside of the pickets. If you want to match an existing colour and don't know its name, you can take a small scraping or chip of the paint to your paint supplier, who should be able to match it exactly. This is best done with flat or low-sheen paints. We used Dulux Weathershield Off White.