How to Paint a Deck to Freshen It Up and Fight Off the Elements (2023)

FAQs

How do I protect my deck from elements? ›

The best preventative measure you can take to protect your wooden deck is to use wood sealant. Clear wood sealants are a great way to maintain the natural beauty and wood grain while still preventing damage from rot, mold, and other weathering.

Yes, as long as the old deck paint is still in good condition, you should be able to paint right over it. But if the old paint is cracking, peeling, or otherwise damaged, give it a light sanding to even the surface before you paint.

Is it better to stain or paint your deck? It is better to stain your deck if you want a natural look and paint your deck if you want to add color. Stain is easier to apply and easier on the wood, but painting gives a more protective barrier and lasts longer.

Priming the Deck

As with any painting job, it is also very important to prime the surface before applying paint or stain. Your deck boards need to be properly primed because they are constantly exposed to varying temperatures, moisture, humidity, and lots of foot traffic.

All loose and peeling paint must be removed before repainting a deck. For the best results, rough surfaces should also be sanded smooth. Start with a wire brush: Use light sweeping strokes over the painted decking to dislodge loose paint.

Stain offers little to no moisture protection, while sealant offers tremendous moisture protection. Conversely, clear sealants offer little to no UV resistance, while the pigment in many stains can act as a UV barrier for the wood.

Once painted, the surface must be sealed with a clear polyurethane sealer.

With a new deck, you get to choose your finish. Paint has the advantage of offering more color options than stain. Additionally, it forms a water-resistant film on the surface, filling small gaps and cracks. This helps to protect wood from water intrusion.

When should you not paint a deck? ›

When the bottom sides of the deck boards are not protected, such in most cases, moisture is still able to penetrate the wood. A heavy pigmented paint or stain traps the moisture in the wood, unlike a more breathable deck stain. This phenomenon causes the paint to crack, flake, and peel.

Consumer Reports notes the best time to paint or stain a deck is late spring when temperatures are between 60 and 85°F and the nights are cool. You'll need four dry days for preparation, for application, and for a finish to completely dry.

Sand the Deck

If you plan to stain (or restain) the deck, sand the surface before application to make the wood better absorb the coating. Remember, water-based stains will need to be stripped off before you apply a new finish, while oil-based stains can be recoated after using a deck cleaner.

Applying a deck wash product to completely clean all wood surfaces. Allow to dry thoroughly, at least 48 hours. Sanding any ridges or lifted grain with 80-grit sandpaper; cleaning up any dust. Protecting adjacent surfaces, such as siding, with painter's tape and plastic sheeting.

How to deck stain without sanding? Sanding is usually unnecessary to prep a wood deck for a new coat of deck stain. The best way to apply new deck stain without sanding is to clean the deck, strip the old deck stain, and apply a wood brightener. A final rinse should be done on the deck before applying the new stain.

Wood deck brightener, also called deck neutralizer, is an acid-based product that simply neutralizes the caustic cleaners and helps lower the pH level making the wood more acidic. This opens up the wood pores and brightens the wood bringing out the grain's natural beauty.

Rust-Oleum Restore is a revolutionary, easy-to-apply repair coating that's 10 times thicker than paint. And it's proven to last over 10 years.

Sanding is preferable where less penetration is required and the deck is flat, but the process requires additional labor and time to achieve consistent results. A stripper can often be the best option for larger decks, even though the cost will be significantly higher.

The first and most obvious reason to roll on deck stain as opposed to brushing it on is that the former allows you to cover a much larger surface area in less time. Rollers are wider, more efficient, and easier to operate. Additionally, using a roller helps you achieve a smoother finish.

If you properly clean the surface and use the correct primer, you can avoid sanding altogether. I promise! It's time to tackle painting that stained piece you have been avoiding because you thought you had to sand or even strip off the finish first!

Should I power wash deck before painting? ›

Yes, pressure washing your deck before applying a new stain is a good idea. This will provide a much cleaner surface to work with, which should prolong the life of the stain.

Apply 1-3 coats of paint.

Paint the floor of the deck a few boards at a time, making sure you have a clear path on and off the deck so you do not paint yourself into a corner. Applying 3 coats will ensure the paint is durable and make the paint easier to maintain.

'Peeling deck paint is usually caused by poor quality paint, incorrect application, or inadequate surface preparation,' says Charlie Tack of ADA Fastfix. 'Luckily, there are things you can do to fix this and stop it happening again.

One of the most common reasons that the paint peels off from your deck is because you've got moisture trapped in your decking boards… You get moisture trapped in your deck board in two ways… When you painted your deck, your boards weren't completely dry so the paint couldn't adhere to your decking boards properly…

You want to be sure there won't be any rain for at least a week. Your deck needs at least 72 hours to dry completely after prepping it. That is because wet lumber does not stain easily due to moisture clogging up its pores. A newly-stained deck requires 48-72 hours for the stain to set in properly.

Cedar is by far one of the most popular deck colors and will fit on any deck and in any garden. As a rule, it is wise to take the most dominant color in your yard and work from there but with cedar, it is hard to go wrong. The color is not too dark for warm summer days and is perfect for those cozy winter evenings.

If your deck sealant has worn off, the wood underneath can fade rapidly due to UV rays. Rain: Excess moisture is the enemy of decks everywhere. As rain penetrates small cracks in the wood, decks can start to rot. Mold and mildew issues are common results of leaving a deck without a dependable wood sealer.

Whatever type of stain you use, apply two coats to ensure there are no missed spots and to get a more uniform finish.

Paint is an excellent way to provide strong protection from the elements for your beloved wood furniture. Paint can prevent sunlight from penetrating the wood's surface. Paint can also block UV rays and protect the wood beneath from discolouration and a variety of other issues.

Deck Painting

Paint doesn't require frequent refinishing. A quality paint job can last for up to 10 years when it's done right.

Is it better to spray a deck or paint a deck? ›

So, after looking at the list above, is it better to stain or paint a deck? Make the smarter choice by choosing to stain your wood deck. It provides more protection against the elements while preserving any wood material's natural beauty and elegance, giving you a timeless look that doesn't fade.

Deck paints are either acrylic (water-based) or oil-based. Acrylic paints stay on the surface and act as a protective shield or coating. Oil-based paints sink into wood and protect from within, but they are also good for metals. Acrylics tend to be more flexible, easier to clean and simple to remove.

The cons of painting your deck include: Painting traps moisture in the wood. Decks are horizontal, so the paint simply lies on it, which leads to water pooling in certain areas. Over time, this traps moisture in the wood.

Once a wood surface has been painted, it can be incredibly difficult, time consuming, and expensive to remove the paint and restore the wood's natural beauty. Painting a wooden surface with a darker colour can also result in the paint fading faster, which means that you will need to recoat the surface more often.

Of course, you can also get good results by doing any exterior painting or staining in the fall. The key is to do the work when the temperatures are moderate. Other painting veterans and paint companies recommend painting between 50° to 85° F for latex paints, as one example.

In most cases a full body stain or acrylic deck finish will be dry to touch within an hour in dry, hot weather. After two hours you could take a chance and walk on it with shoes, though I'd recommend barefoot. After about 4 hours you should be able to safely walk on your deck.

Because you want to wait for days that aren't excessively hot or humid, the best times to apply deck stains are in the late spring and early fall, when the weather is moderately warm and dry. Check the weather and find a time when it's not expected to rain for two days before and following the deck treatment.

Most oil-based stains must dry for at least 12 hours before they are exposed to any moisture/rain; however, Ready Seal, if properly applied to prepped and dried wood, can get wet within a couple of hours, and it won't wash away. Oil-based stains will generally take 24-72 hours to fully cure.

Overall, a wash with a cleaner, a light scrubbing, and a pressure wash afterward is the best way to remove gray, he says. A third kind of bleach, chlorine bleach, is not as effective or gentle as its cousins, says Juhn.

How do you clean weathered wood before staining? ›

Weathered wood must be cleaned with a bleach-and-water solution to remove any mold and mildew present prior to application. It is not necessary to rinse the bleach solution after the cleaning process on a vertical surface like a fence.

Sand the Deck

If you plan to stain (or restain) the deck, sand the surface before application to make the wood better absorb the coating. Remember, water-based stains will need to be stripped off before you apply a new finish, while oil-based stains can be recoated after using a deck cleaner.

Paint allows you more color options, as where stain is limited to shades of brown. Because paint fills gaps and cracks, it hides the flaws of a weathered or old deck much better than stain does. It's easier to clean a painted deck rather than a stained one.

Radiation from the sun's ultraviolet rays breaks down the lignin in the cellulose causing photo chemical degradation, and it occurs in any wood exposed to sunlight. The result is a change in the wood's appearance from it's original color to a gradual silvery gray sheen.

Spray Deck and Wipe

To remove rust stains, spray a 50-50 solution of water and distilled white vinegar on the stain and let sit for about 10 minutes before wiping clean with a cloth. For stubborn stains, try using an oxalic acid cleaner ($10, The Home Depot) following the manufacturer's instructions.

If your deck is looking a bit worse for wear, you don't need to replace it. Rescue it! Our Decking Paint fills in small cracks and covers grey wood, making your deck look as good as new. A good clean and a couple coats of paint is all it takes to give your deck a new look.

To use, first wet the surface then apply the Wood Reviver Power Gel with a brush in the direction of the grain on to the greyed areas. Wait for about 20 minutes for the gel to penetrate the surface. Depending on the extent of the greying, you may need to use a stiff scrubbing brush to remove the grey wood fibres.

The best deck stain is the Benjamin Moore ARBORCOAT Exterior Stain because of its high quality and protection against natural elements. For a more eco-friendly choice, we also love the Vermont Natural Coatings PolyWhey Exterior Penetrating Wood Stain, which is non-toxic and made from renewable resources.

Should I Pressure Wash My Deck Before Staining? Yes, pressure washing your deck before applying a new stain is a good idea. This will provide a much cleaner surface to work with, which should prolong the life of the stain.