A Colorbond® fence is meant to be low maintenance, but scratches still happen: a whipper snipper, a bike leaning on it, a dog, or the neighbour's ladder. Before you worry about replacing a panel, it's worth knowing which damage a can of touch-up paint will fix and which it won't.
When touch-up paint is the right fix
Touch-up paint is made for small, surface-level damage, where the steel is still solid and only the paint is marked. That includes:
- Scratches and scuffs from tools, bikes, mowers and whipper snippers.
- Small chips where the paint has come off but the steel isn't dented.
- Screw and rivet heads that were left silver or got scratched during install.
- Cut edges on new fencing or roofing where sheets were trimmed on site.
Fixing these early matters. Exposed steel at a deep scratch or cut edge is where corrosion can start, so a quick touch-up protects the fence as well as making it look better.
When it's time to call a fencer instead
- Dents and bent panels: paint won't fix the shape of the steel.
- Rust that has broken through: if the steel has rusted through or the paint is bubbling over a wide area, the panel likely needs replacing.
- Large faded or damaged areas: touch-up paint is air-drying and weathers at a different rate to the original factory-baked finish. A small spot blends in well over time, but a large touched-up area can become more noticeable as it ages.
Touch-up paint also isn't endorsed by BlueScope, so for large-scale work, check whether it could affect any existing Colorbond® warranty.
How to touch up a Colorbond® fence
- Find your colour. Check your fencing invoice, or see our guide on how to find your Colorbond® colour.
- Clean and degrease the scratch and the area around it, then let it dry.
- Lightly sand any rough edges with fine 220-grit paper and wipe off the dust.
- Mask around the scratch with tape and paper to control overspray. Watch the wind, and cover anything on the neighbour's side.
- Spray light coats from about 20–30cm away, letting each dry before the next.
Tip: for a single fine scratch, some people spray a little into the can lid and dab it on with a small artist's brush. It gives you more control and no overspray.
The most common fence colours
Fences come in plenty of colours, but a handful turn up everywhere: Monument, Woodland Grey (also sold as Grey Ridge or Slate), Surfmist, Basalt and Night Sky.
Shop all Colorbond® colours in 300g aerosol cans, $14 each.
Colorbond® is a registered trademark of BlueScope Steel Limited. MatchMyPaint products are colour-matched touch-up paints and are not made by BlueScope.