painting a deck

[harrow17]

im gonna paint my aunts deck for her. should i sand first or powerwash first?

[dexter]

A lot depends on the condition of the deck, how old it is, and how well it has been maintained, but regardless, it is more of a process than a task.

Typically, my first step is to go over the entire deck, including railings, steps, surface, structure, etc. with things like a scraper, putty knife, nails, screws, hammer, screw gun, level, and tape measure, etc. In this step, I am looking at the structure itself, checking to see if any of the joists need to be shimmed, repairing any loose boards, loosening debris between boards, and scraping any loose paint. Once I am done with this, I wash as much of the underside of the deck as is possible, then wash the top side of the deck, rails, steps, etc. At this point, I am done with this step. Regardless of how careful you are, or what tool you use, you will gouge the wood if you try to scrape it when wet.

After letting it dry for at least 3-5 days, I look everything over again, checking for loose boards, etc., scrape any paint that came loose as a result of having washed it the first time, and then wash it again.

After letting it set for another 3-5 days, I am generally ready to paint.

Note that I referred to cleaning the deck as washing, not pressure washing. A pressure washer is a very handy tool for this purpose, but a lot of nice decks have been turned into mediocre decks as the result of pressure washing. The purpose of washing the deck is to clean it, not to necessarily remove all of the paint (or stain) that is on it, so adjust your pressure down, and gradually work it up to what is appropriate. Also, depending on the amount of algae, etc., you will want to inject a cleaner in your pressure washer, or brush it onto the surfaces. You will find a variety of cleaners, whether for use with your pressure washer, or brush on, at your local hardware or home center.

Lastly, choose your paint before you start, and follow the manufacturer's instructions regarding dry time before application, etc.

[harrow17]

sounds good thanks for the advice

[Laserlad]

Whatever you do, don't paint the deck the same color as the house :P

[ImmLawn]

If it has not already been painted in the past I would recommend solid stain rather than paint. You can see a bit of the grain with stain, but it last much longer without peeling.

[greyhouseinc]

Regardless of the stain you are going to need to reseal it every year or so.

[GoMarchingIn]

Whatever you do, don't paint the deck the same color as the house :P

heh :mrgreen:

[michaelsaam]

I would recommend as well staining the deck before painting it. LIke that guy said if it isnt already painted. Stain it solid. An awesome stain to use is from Sherwin Williams called Deck Scapes or Olmpic from Lowes has an awesome stain as well but pricey.

[michaelsaam]

hey bro and definately pressure wash it good

[designbuildnj]

Depending on how old the deck is and how deteriorated the decking is you may have to sand it a bit, but most definetley you should powerwash it very well. Benjamin Moore has some great products, you just have to know the type of finish you are looking for.

[joecaption]

Pressure treated wood should never ever be painted. If you did paint it any way you'll be back soon and now have to sand off all the peeling paint and be doing it all over again.
Use soild colored stain instead. Then it will faid but not peel.

[surfaceguardian]

I would use a product called the surface guardian floor paint. It last for over 20 years and does not chip or peel. This floor paint comes in a variety of colors and you will not be disappointed. Their is a video on the site as well as a photo gallery. Check it out http://www.thesurfaceguardian.com

[EDJ13]

My $.02.

Painted decks are a pain in the keester. Stain is easy to do and use.