How to Plaster a Fence

Clean the fence with trisodium phosphate and a stiff-bristled scrub brush. Mix 1 cup of trisodium phosphate into 4 gallons of hot water and scrub the fence thoroughly. Rinse the fence with a garden hose.

Make the plaster in a wheel barrow or other large, mobile container. Start with equal parts of Portland cement and masonry cement -- this will be the cement base. Add four parts of sand to one part cement base. Sand comes in different colors, which you can use to add pigment to the plaster.

Work with a partner to add water while mixing the plaster until it is about the consistency of peanut butter or toothpaste. Test the consistency of the plaster by scooping some onto a trowel, then hold the trowel at a 45-degree angle. If the plaster slips off of the trowel, you've added too much water and will need to add more dry plaster mixture.

Moisten the fence with a garden sprayer with a mist setting. The wall should be damp, but not dripping. Scoop plaster out of the container and spread it over the wall; you may do this by hand or with a trowel -- wear gloves if you choose to do this by hand.

Press the plaster into any grooves, dents or holes to ensure full contact with the plaster and the wall. Smooth the plaster with the trowel until the plaster is about 3/8-inch thick. You may find it helpful to work with a partner -- one person can get the plaster on the wall while the other smooths it with a trowel.

Scratch the first layer of plaster with a plaster rake, also known as a scarifier, in a horizontal or crisscross pattern. Once the first layer dries, the grooves made by the plaster rake will allow the second layer to bond to the first.

Check the initial plaster layer by pressing into it with your thumb. If you leave a dent, it is too wet. The plaster should resist dents, but you should be able to scratch it with your fingernail.

Mist the wall lightly with water, then apply a second layer of plaster using the same process you used before. This time, the layer should be about 1/4-inch thick and you must use a finishing trowel to smooth the plaster. If desired, you can make the wall smooth or give it texture by moving the trowel in waves, circles or crescents.