If it’s real redwood I wouldn’t want to paint it at all. I have a redwood deck in my backyard and I just refinished it last week. The wood is so beautiful and so rare nowadays not to mention expensive nowadays it would be a shame to paint over it. Depending on how many coats of paint you have on it will depend on what type of paint stripper you will need. They make all kinds of strengths to work with. It’s a very time consuming job but very worth while when you finish.

After the paint is scrapped away you will need to sand it down to it’s original state. Then you should condition it with a wood conditioner before you varnish. This will fill up all the little divits in it and allow the varnish to be applied smoothly and without little bubbles. You have your choice of gloss, semi-gloss etc. to choose from. I perfer McCloskey Man O’ War Spar Varnish. It has proven to be the most beautiful and effective against the elements (sun, rain etc.) I applied it with a sprayer that I bought specifically for refinishing wood with varnish. Or you could use a good durable paint brush (China Bristle) but this takes a lot longer to apply.

I guarantee that if you have the patience and energy to do this for your redwood fence you will never be sorry and will be the envy of the neighborhood. Hope this helped you.

It’s just my opinion and ideas here. If you are in cali then there is a reason why it was redwood in the first place. Redwood is a sign of wealth. Redwood is a wood that can be stained and preserved and it shouldn’t be peeling or anything like paint would be. Seems to me there are only a couple of kinds of paint and the latex which prevents moisture also peels. I would think if you wanted the fence to look nice you’d remove the paint that’s on there and go back to the redwood. I know it will be a pain the first time, but if it ever needs worked on again it will be a simpler job. Why not go to Home Depot and ask.