Best Deck Painting Guide for a Wooden Deck
Best Deck Painting
Painting is essential not only to decorate but also to preserve any wooden deck. But there are numerous types of paints with a wide range of colors to choose from. Before you buy any of them and use them in your home, you need to evaluate and consider a couple of things. First of all, check out whether your deck is directly exposed to the sunlight or not. Secondly, find out whether the wooden deck is new or old one. Is it trodden too many times by your family members? Or does it remain untouched most of the time? After you successfully assess all these questions you can move on to choose desired painting.
But why are these important to know? The answer is simple: so that you don’t mess up things. If you choose a color that mismatches with your refined decoration, the whole surrounding will seem uninviting to you. And if you choose a costly paint that doesn’t suit your requirements, you will simply waste money. So how do you know which is the best paint for your wooden deck? Here’s a quick guideline for you that can help you to decide.
Choosing the Suitable Color
Every home has its own distinctive existing color. You need to choose the paint color according to home decoration. You can bring a slight variation to the color to make it unique and elegant.
But it is always recommended to blend the paint to your home’s complexion to make it more natural looking. You can brighten some untrodden part of the wooden deck in a matching, attractive way. You can use fuzzy white, shady green, or dark blue for such purposes.
But while using white you must remember, white is prone to spots and stains. High traffic areas should be given a darker appearance. Dark grey and chocolate brown are best for such areas since they hide footprints easily.
Choosing the Proper Paint Type
There are mainly three types of paints used in wood decoration: latex, water-based and oil-based. However, latex is generally a water-soluble based paint with both acrylics and vinyl in it. But it is used so distinctively and widely that we gave him an independent space in this article.
Latex is used to cover a large chunk of wooden areas since it is comparatively cheap and is available in large quantities. So if your wooden deck is a larger one you can opt for latex primer. Latex will give your wooden deck a half glossy look and will make it impressive.
And latex usually makes it easier to clean the wooden deck surface. However, it has one shortcoming. It is less durable than oil-based paints and vulnerable to bad weather, i.e., extreme heat.
Water-Based Paints
Oil-based paints ruled the market for decades after decades. But today the tides are turning in favor of more common, easy applicable water-based components.
Let’s find out its features and conveniences. Water paint usually lasts around 6-8 years based on the proportion of acrylic in it. The more acrylic a paint contains the more durable it becomes.
This paint has low volatile components (VOC) in it; thus ensures human safety. It is easy to clean up with soap and water solution.
It is quite easy to apply and it dries faster (within 6 hours) than oily substances; so you can recoat faster. Moreover, water-based paints are flexible against fading and cracking. So it can be your best option to choose from.
Oil-Based Paints
Oil paints were the most used paints for a long time and now it is still popular among the general mass. It gives a tough finish ensuring durability.
This paint lasts 10 years at best in new wood. It requires almost a day to dry properly which may seem a bit irritating. However, there are a number of oil paints available nowadays that contain certain additives to dry the component faster.
This paint offers best protection from moisture and dust. However, this oily substance is difficult to apply on wooden surfaces; and they are time consuming as well. It also contains a high level of volatile components that can be proved unhealthy if not applied carefully. To avoid such nuisance, you need to give the paint enough time to dry.
Resurfacer for Old Wooden Deck
Sometimes old wooden deck are damaged and weathered due to long, constant use and negligence. So they need some special care from your part. If you don’t want to coat and recoat multiple times, you can choose a resurfacer that is water based (such as Rust-Oleum). Water-based wooden deck paints are many times thicker than oil-based ones. So these substances can reach crevices and holes easily without much effort. Therefore water resurfacer hides flaws and gives the wooden deck a new look. However, it is not very durable in direct exposure to sunlight.
Which Lasts Longer on a Wooden Deck: Stain or Paint?
Among all the modern-day infrastructures, the traditional wooden deck have been quite popular till date. Thanks to their soothing natural view, people passionate for nature find them the best choice. And they are my favorite too.
I really enjoy myself feeling the touch of solid-wood boards under my feet. For my choice, I fancy those real wooden deck which weather over time from years of wonderful outdoor living. Nothing else can beat the naturalness of such boards, especially when they get worn out in just the right manner, in the intricate places to reveal its beautiful fibers. Both the view and the touch of them are just charming.
But it is true that all of the stable-wood excellence arises through the requisite concern and care. As compared to other options, for instance solid brick, concrete, or artificial deck boards, a genuine wooden deck demands a slight of love and hard work.
Surely, The most important decisions you should take with regard to wooden deck is if you want to implement a finish coat of a certain kind. If your answer is yes then what you want to consider. Are you willing to paint them? or As a substitute stain them? Or do you need to consider leaving as it is?
Allow Us to Examine the Advantages
Except for some extremely sturdy tropical hardwoods, if you want wooden deck to last outside, some sort of finish should always be applied to your wooden deck. Jumping to the finish generally drives to the warping, splitting, cracking, and sometimes rotting of the wood, earlier before it requires. It requires lots of time and the bills of repair pick your pockets. To prevent coming to this point, you must do some finishing. It is a great decision if you consider painting the wooden deck. Paints contain a great number of unique advantages compared to the other finishes like stains or even sealers. Honestly, it might not be liked by you in case you admire the natural look of wooden deck. Let us have a look at the features of wood stains first.
- Staining retains the natural beauty of wood, revealing the fibre patterns.
- Stained wooden surfaces are not that slippery. This is a generality but even by and large, stained boards have a greater extent flat surface that consist of wood’s own fibres, and the slipperiness depends on how much the wood is burnished.
- It is easier to apply stains on wooden decks.
- Stains are available in a large variety of colors, which change the hue but do not conceal the fibrous patterns.
- Stains on wood have a shorter life span. It may not last as long, depending on quality and the number of coats applied.
- Stains never fill the cracks and it is generally much thinner. So, water and other fluids may penetrate more easily.
- Stains give a bit more “rustic” look and darker color varieties can look uniform in appearance.
- It requires to burnish and smoothen the surface to a greater extent before applying stains, so the costs are generally higher than painting.
After that we have discussed a bit about staining the woods of decks
Let Us Now Learn All about Paints.
- Painting allows you a wider variety of choice – almost any color you want.
- Because paints produce a solid surface you can completely cover the previous color or stains on the wood anytime you wanna change.
- Paints often fill gaps and cracks between the broken fibres.
- Paint is a thicker finish which means it creates another layer.
- It is important to repair the woods frequently which possess a little damage through any elements.
- Painted surfaces are easier to clean.
- Painting gives better safeguard for wood itself. Paints fight way better compared to anything else against mold fungus, rot and also sun damages.
- Painting covers the organic charm of wood fibres which is quite shocking.
- One of the biggest disadvantages is perhaps that paint seals the curves of the wood grains, thereby producing a smooth surface and erasing one of the prospective features of any real wooden deck.
- Once you paint, it is permanent. If you choose to paint for the first time, then it is likely to decide to choose to paint from next as well. Whereas you are easily able to jump from sealers and stains to paints but you barely even turn back into sealers or stains. You can not turn without making excessive efforts, which hurt the wood.
- Paints can be slippery especially when it is wet. It is totally subject to the sheen of your paint task. Such as the decks which are painted using semi gloss or gloss occasionally can appear slick like the wet ice.
How to Remove Paint from a Deck
Decks with old, unattractive paints undeniably lessen the beauty of a refined home. So if the painting of any of your decks is weathered and worn-out, you need to paint it anew.
But before you do so you need to remove the stains of the old paint to prepare the ground for future decoration. Common paintings can be removed easily by rubbing and washing. Yet, the stubborn stains are not that much easy to deal with.
Apart from manual cleaning, you need to apply chemical strippers with a power wash. This combo can strip off any marks or stains effectively to make your deck fresh. To apply such a combo you don’t need to hire any expert craftsman; rather you can do the job yourself without facing much nuisance. This article will help you to know the process of paint removing step by step.
Step 1: Prepare the Deck First
Before you rush toward applying chemical-based strippers, you need to make sure that you have glasses on your eyes, gloves on your hands and a painting mask on your face for personal safety. First of all, swipe away any debris and trash from the deck using a broom. Remove furniture and objects from the deck. Cover its surrounding so that the area is not affected by stripping and washing or by any stains. Now gather scraper and stiff-bristled brush and begin brushing them manually for a brief period of time. It will peel away loose coating of the paints and dirt.
Step 2: Use Paint Stripper
Then we move toward the second step. Now you need to buy a chemical stripper suitable for the deck. First find out whether the coating is a latex or oil painting. While latex paints are easier to remove, the oil-based coatings are basically stubborn stuff. In both cases you should buy a stripper that contains limonene components in it. It is better to use a gel stripper that can stick to the old paint to peel it off.
Try to avoid methylene chloride as it is too harsh for the deck. Apply the stripper on the surface of the deck in necessary proportion. You can use sprayer, nylon brush or roller for effective application. Start spraying from one corner of the deck and finish on the other to avoid messing up. Never tread on the stripper used area. Let the deck be wet from the stripper and wait at least 20-30 minutes afterwards. If any particular place seems dry, apply stripper there until it becomes wet.
Step 3: Remove the Old Paint
When you see the deck is perfectly dampened and the outer coating of the paint is loose, you need to remove the paints using stiff brush and scraper. It is not an easy breezy job for some freaky stains and marks. It needs some extra time from your part to deal with them. After you have brushed off the old coating from every corner of the deck, apply a power washer or a hose on the deck. Don’t hold the tip of the washer too close (keep it at least 1 feet away) and keep the pressure below 1000 PSI. The residue of the old coating will eventually come off if you have done everything accordingly. If any particular stain remains stubborn use a bit more stripper there and excoriate the surface.
Step 4: Rinsing and Drying
Now you need to clean all the remnants from your deck using a gentle flow of water. You can use the same pressure washer with limited pressure to rinse away the residue. Don’t tread on the rinsed surface even if your shoe is crystal clean. Let the deck dry first. After it is dried, you can use a neutralizing component that will neutralize the PH of the deck. Then you can apply a brightener or bleaching agent to give it an impressive look. An equal mixture of water and vinegar can do the job. It can bring back the original color of your deck.
Step 5: Polishing and Sanding
After the deck is completely dried up, you need to polish it to make it usable for the new coating. The best way to do so is using sandpaper or similar polishing materials. Sand the deck with a new, shapely sandpaper until it becomes smooth and glossy. Then remove the sand dust using a softer broom or brush. This rubbing and softening should be done manually to yield the best possible result. Make sure you have cleaned it perfectly before you recoat the surface. Then carefully clean the tools and equipment (such as brooms and brushes) that you have used to do such a tedious job.
So now you know how to remove paint from a deck easily. It may take a couple of hours to finish, but considering the impression that it will give afterwards, it is a worth trying task.
What Color Should I Paint My Deck?
It’s really confusing to choose only one among those thousands of eye-catching colors.
It is also crucially important to choose the matching one for an immaculate, fashionable home.
A suitable color can enhance the beauty of your home and make it cozier than before. But if you take the wrong choice, color can turn into a distraction and nuisance.
The optimal color selection depends on a couple of factors including the existing color of your home. In this article we shall explore a number of issues that will help you to choose the best possible color scheme. Let’s start with your deck’s condition and its quality.
Assess the Deck Material :
Different deck material needs different color according to its suitability. Wood is inevitably the most used material for a number of reasons. In it you can add any sort of color from numerous varieties that the modern market can offer. Concrete decks are usually not painted with diverse color since they look good naturally. However, if your deck is an old one, you need to coat it heavily with a dynamic color that can vivify it.
Consider Foot Traffic and Light Exposure :
Definitely all parts of your deck don’t get the same traffic. Stairs, for instance, get a rapid treading all day long whereas railings get only few. And some parts even remain untouched for months. So you must choose color accordingly. If you apply white color on stairs, it will need frequent tiresome sweeping to keep it clean. So for such an area you can opt for gray and grizzle that will hide footprints. However, it should be remembered that every deck needs periodical cleaning and sweeping to keep it fresh. And in case of high light exposure, colors that won’t be faded easily should be applied such as chocolate brown or light black. In low light exposure, especially in case of interior, you can apply bright colors.
Do the Color Matching :
This is obviously a crucial thing to deal with. The color you are intending to apply must match the aura of your home decoration so that it doesn’t mismatch. Imagine how it will look if a crow wears a white tie or a tiger having black skin. It is always advisable to blend the deck’s color with home decoration. Don’t apply any awkward color that doesn’t suit your home design. If your home exterior is white, apply classical white or ashy color on the deck. You can also combine different colors in one deck; but don’t make it a rainbow ground.
For the optimum color combo, you can apply a dominant and a decent one. For instance, if you apply grey color on wooden stairs, use a decent white (not full white) on the railing so that both colors perfectly match reciprocally. Moreover, if the surrounding is glossy and bright, use a shady decent color on the deck and vice versa.
Choosing the Color :
Now let’s talk about some of the classical and widely used colors that you can pick for your own deck. These six choices are not the end however. You can use some rarest ones as well.
Dark Gray
This can be your best choice for stairs and a frequently visited guest room since it will not reveal the marks of footsteps. It is also suitable in exterior decks because of its durability. And it matches with white surrounding most.
Brown and Black
Black is the color of beauty. This color is also less prone to dirt and footprints; therefore, you don’t need to stand with a broom all day long once you have applied it. A mixture of brown and black will create chocolate brown which is an impressive color to look at. However, for large areas, it is not recommended.
Jatoba
Jatoba or reddish brown color is best for a seaside deck. It will look captivating in tropical areas. Apply it with whitish shade to give the deck a perfect shape. However, it will look outdated if applied in interior areas.
Green
Green is a popular color that people often choose for its beauty. It brings a natural look to the whole surroundings. Forest green is recommended for homes adjacent to nature. And sage green can be used in every deck providing the fact that it looks soft and fascinating.
Dark or Sky Blue
This color is perfect for Cod-style homes and small cottages. It has a number of varieties from light to dark, sharp to smoke. This color looks best in railings as well as in exterior decks.
Natural
Natural color means simply not applying any color to your deck at all. Many homeowners from the countryside tend to keep the deck natural looking to get real rustic feelings. This may seem simple and unattractive, but this can match with any surroundings and furniture.
Finally, What Should To Do.
After you have properly figured out the above conditions, hopefully, you will come to the desired conclusion. In a nutshell :
If the wooden deck is an old one, you should apply water paints. If it is a new one, use oil-based paints. For large area coverage, apply latex coating. And in case of choosing a color, choose according to the surroundings.
The last thing that you should know is that all paint doesn’t have UV protection. Decks with a great deal of exposure to sunlight need paint that will protect from UV rays. Taking these issues into mind, now you can obviously buy the most suitable of all paints. That’s all about paints and coatings. Now it is your time to choose.
Also, Now you have got a select list of colors to apply to your deck. Before you finalize a color, you may apply it to a trifle area to assess how it looks in reality. Many retailers offer some try-out colors before you purchase. So be sure and damn sure about the matching of the deck’s color with your home design.
- Best Deck Paint – Reviews and Buyer’s Guide
Conclusion
I do not suggest utilizing paints on horizontally set wooden decks which are vulnerable from the weather. You need to consistently use a stain in such conditions. A stain will help you to endure you with way more time as well as hinder from the weather. And its foot traffic is superior compared to any paint.
On the other hand, for decks used in washrooms or kitchens, where heavy moisture and water infiltration may take place, the better option is to go for waterproof paints.
Before you set off to paint or stain your deck, these are some of the factors to consider making an informed decision. You see that in a different condition, paints may work better than stains and vice-versa, but each of them shall have some benefits and drawbacks. So, in addition to using the best quality materials for your deck, it is always wise to hire a professional deck builder for installation, considering the climate and weather-changing nature in your area. These are the necessary factors that you need to consider before you decide, and hopefully, they’ll help you to get a perfect deck-stained or painted in your exhilarating dream house.
Voila! Now it is your turn to do it.
