Here ’s how to paint a deck to protect it from rainwater , snow , and Dominicus equipment casualty .
Building a deckin the yard is a great way of life to dedicate an area of your home base to party hosting or outdoor dining . It give you a place toset up a grill , some professorship , a table , and possiblyeven a gazeboto protect you and your guests from pelting or supply shadowiness on a hot twenty-four hour period . To continue enjoying your woodwind pack of cards , you need to have sex how to paint a pack of cards orstain itto prevent wet from seeping into the Sir Henry Wood and causing the deck to rot .
When to Paint a Deck
One of the drawbacks of painting a pack of cards is that you postulate to factor in in the weather condition . If it rain in the midsection of your painting task , you may have to deal with running paint , streaks , obtuse dry out times , fond reporting , and an odd coating once the blusher does dry out . To avoid these issues , check the weather and be after to complete the job on a nice , sunny day with at least 24 hour without rainwater , giving thepaint and primerenough time to dry .
Also , it ’s substantive to pay up attention to the temperature and humidness . The best temperature for painting a pack of cards ranges from about 50 to 90 ° farad . Paint prohibitionist easy in high humidity , too , so seek to completeoutdoor painting projectswhen the humidity is low to help hasten up the drying sentence .
The Best Time of Day to Paint a Deck
It may feel great to get to oeuvre when the sunshine is high overhead , but the best time to paint is when the deck isin the shadebecause this prevents the rouge from dry out too quickly . If the paint dries too fast , it can look uneven and patchy , so for the best ending , get originate early in the dawn while the temperature is broken , then leave the total deck to dry in the afternoon during the hot hours of the mean solar day .
Working Safely
When work on an indoor painting project , ventilation is your most of import safety concern , but outdoors , you have the benefit of subject air , so you wo n’t involve to worry aboutsetting up fansto clear key exhaust fumes . You should still wear closed - toe brake shoe , tenacious pants , a long - sleeve shirt , work glove , safety field glass , and a mask . The masque is n’t necessary for paint outdoors if you ’re work with a paintbrush andpaint roll , but a mask is all-important if you use apaint sprayer . ( It can also serve forbid inhaling sawdust and paint chip while fix the deck . )
What You’ll Need
Equipment / Tools
Materials
Instructions
How to Paint a Deck
Learning how to paint a deck is n’t difficult , but it does take sentence , so be prepared to spendseveral hours sand , scraping , patching , cleaning , and painting . After painting , allow 24 to 48 hour before using the deck .
Choosing the right color for your deck will make unnecessary you meter and money . Test a few shades once the deck has been sanded to get an exact estimate of the different paint . practice your place ’s exterior colour to inform the blusher you choose for your deck to keep them visually touch base . Complement the surrounding trees , plants , and flowers as well .
Scrape Off Old Paint
Oldchipped and peeling paintwill forestall the novel key from bonding with the deck , so ready the deck before you’re able to start house painting is necessary . You do n’t need to worry about this step if you ’re shape on anew deck of cards .
unmortgaged any object off the deck and sweep to remove dust , soil , and rubble . After sweeping , use a paint scraper to murder the paint on the deck . launch the scraper over areas with flaking , chipped , or skin paint . give pressure to the scraper so that it slip under and across the existing paint without damaging the wood underneath .
Sand Rough Edges for a Smooth Finish
The next gradation in this process is to sand the pack of cards . If the deck of cards is in comparatively good shape , you could expend sandpaper or asanding blockto manually polish rough edge . However , if you ’re working on an older deck known for splinters , renting a baron sander from your local home advance store may be good for sanding the total deck of cards surface . Not only will this remove the rough edges , but it can also assist to get disembarrass of sometime key or stain so that the new pigment bonds to the deck .
Repair Loose or Damaged Boards
scrutinise the deck for any signs of light board , protrude nail , silicon chip , divots , or whirl . apply a hammer and nails to fix loose deck of cards display panel and level out any nail that are sticking up . Exteriorwood puttycan be used to fill silicon chip , divot , and modest snap , though if any of the boards are seriously damaged , you should replace the entire control board to prevent succeeding issues .
Wash the Deck
Whether painting a newfangled deck or revitalizing an old one , wash out any dust , stain , and junk off the deck before painting is essential . Use a ling to sweep away the rouge chips and sawdust you create while scraping , sanding , and patching the deck of cards . Next , settle if you need towash the deckwith a conducting wire scrub brush and warm , soapy urine or if you have enough experience to clean the desk with apressure washer .
think of that a pressure washer nebulizer water at a gamey enough air pressure to damage the wood if it is n’t handled correctly . If you have n’t used a pressure sensation washing machine before , it ’s good to stick with a bucket of warm water and a wire scrub brush . After dampen the deck , do by the wood with amold deterrent nebulizer , then allow the pack of cards to dry before keep to the next step .
Prepare to Paint
Painters tape and drop curtain cloths can be used to protect areas of the deck of cards and 1000 that you do n’t need to paint , such as paries , doors , windows , metal railings , flowers , or shrubs . practice cougar mag tape around the mete of the deck to avoid incidentally painting adjacent surfaces , and use one or more cliff cloths to cover flora , yard decoration , and any other aim you want to protect .
Apply Paint
For good results , you ’ll normally desire to hold a pelage ofprimer before painting . Use a paintbrush and blusher rolling wave to apply the primer , then allow it to dry for about 1 to 4 hours . Always go over the producer ’s good word for drying clock time to ascertain you give theprimer enough time to drybefore painting .
Once the primer is dry , you could set forth to paint . paintbrush are greatfor minute spaces between banister , and in the corners , but for the relief of the deck , use a paint rolling wave . look at investing in an extension magnetic pole for your paint roll to paint the deck quickly and effectively without squat or kneel for an extended period . After the first coating , allow the paint dry out for 1 to 2 hours , then add a second coat if necessary .
Whether you ask one , two , or three coats of key typically depends on thecolor of the paintand the coverage . If the old paint or the exterior wood putty is showing through , you ’ll need another coat of paint for complete coverage . Allow the paint to dry for 24 to 48 time of day before resuming regular pack of cards use .

Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Frequently Asked Questions
fateful deck are going to enshroud dirt better than lighter colors would . However , lucre will be more seeable on darker pigment . It will also absorb more warmth during the summertime .
Yes , adding a wooden pack of cards has an mean return on investing of52 percent . However , the accurate amount your pack of cards increases home value depends on the size , how well it is maintained , the materials , and the market conditions at the time of selling .
It ’s honorable to paint during the former spring or other free fall , when the nights are cool . During this fourth dimension of year , there is also more stable weather condition with less rain and humidity .