How to paint a deck? Thorough preparation is essential to achieving attractive results that will last for years when painting your deck. Also remember that if you notice signs of wear and tear, such as paint that is chipped or peeling, your deck can and should be refinished. Learn how to properly paint a deck by following these steps.

Applying a high-quality primer to all sides of the decking boards before installation is recommended if you’re thinking about painting them when building a new deck. Even though it can be a hassle, individually priming each side of the decking boards will go a long way toward keeping the moisture from your deck’s foundation at bay and preserving the stability of the boards. Otherwise, changes in soil moisture and humidity might cause decking boards to expand and contract, stressing out your paint job and causing the paint to peel and chip.

A domino effect of deterioration that is difficult, if not impossible, to stop can be started by skipping one or two of these maintenance procedures. The only option is to replace individual deck boards once the wood starts to cup, bow, split, or show a raised grain.

What You’ll Need

How to Paint a Deck? Step-by-step Guide

Here is the easy step-by-step guide on how to paint a deck:

Calculating and Purchasing the Paint You Need

Add the length and width together to find the area of your deck. To figure out how much paint to purchase for this project, use our paint calculator. Follow the advice of the paint calculator when purchasing paint. Check to see if the paint is still in good condition if you already have some on hand. Well-maintained acrylic latex paint can last between two and 10 years.

Washing the Deck

If the deck cleaner is a concentrate, follow the instructions on the bottle’s packaging when mixing it with water in the bucket. Many cleaners simply screw onto the hose’s end. Spray the deck cleaner on and let it soak into the surface.

Pressuring Wash the Deck

To remove any debris that the deck cleaner has loosened, give the deck a thorough power wash. Connect the pressure washer’s hose. A wide spray tip should be attached to the spray gun’s end. To prevent gouging the deck, keep the spray gun’s tip at least 18 inches away from the surface. Make sure to clean in between the boards. Allow the deck to dry for a minimum of two complete days in a warm, dry environment.

Applying Primer to the Deck

Priming a deck’s unfinished wood before painting it is essential, not optional. The brushwork should come first. Brush into the primer and ram it firmly between the deck boards. Prime every seam between boards as you work your way down the length of the deck. Additionally, prime the sides of the deck boards and any other spaces that the roller cannot access.

Hang the screen inside the 5-gallon bucket after adding the primer to it. Lightly press the roller into the primer several times while using the telescoping rod attached to a roller with a roller cover. It should spread out on the screen. Place the roller on the deck and work backwards, priming the deck boards. Allow it to air dry for four hours.

Applying Paint to the Deck

Similar to how you applied the primer, paint the deck. The deck should receive two to three coats, with a minimum of two days in between each coat.

Painted Decks Vs. Sealed Decks

Applying penetrating stains and sealers is one way to protect the wood while displaying the wood’s natural grain. However, painting the deck is the best option for decks with dingy wood or decks that need to be brightened up. A deck that has seen better days can be brought back to life with paint.

The thick, durable coat that paint leaves behind penetrates the underlying cellular structure of the wood. Additionally, because paint can be mixed to create any color you like, it is a very versatile design element that can be matched to your house or yard in a variety of ways.

You are essentially stuck with this choice once you paint your deck. It is challenging to remove all the paint from a deck’s many layers if you later decide you want the appearance of the natural grain back. Even if you are successful in removing the paint, you risk causing too much damage to the wood.

Find Out How Much Paint to Buy

When buying paint, it’s better to err on the side of caution and purchase more than you need. If further touch-ups are required, leftover paint can be used. However, you don’t want to accumulate a lot of large cans that never get opened. To determine how much you’ll need, take these actions.

1. To calculate the square foot of the deck’s surface, multiply the length by the width of the deck. A 10-by-20-foot deck, for instance, has a surface area of 200 square feet. In most cases, deck steps will also be painted (if applicable), so measure those as well and add them to the total.
2. If you intend to use two coats of paint, double the total. That would be 400 square feet in the example from above.
3. Divide your number by the estimated coverage, which you can find on the paint can. Many paints have a 350 square foot coverage area. By dividing 400 by 350, still using the aforementioned example, you can calculate that 1.14 gallons would be required to coat the deck’s surface twice. Since exterior paint is frequently sold by the gallon, the user should buy 2 gallons of paint just to be on the safe side.
4. Keep the primer in mind. Use the same method to calculate a single coat of a separate primer if the paint is not a paint/primer combo product.

When to Paint a Deck

You must consider the weather when painting a deck, which is one of the drawbacks. If it starts to rain while you are painting, you may encounter issues like running paint, streaks, slow drying times, partial coverage, and an uneven finish once the paint has dried. Check the weather in advance and schedule the job’s completion for a nice, sunny day within a window of at least 24 hours without rain to avoid these problems. This should allow enough time for the paint and primer to dry.

The temperature and humidity levels should also be considered. The ideal painting temperature for a deck is typically between 50 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Try to finish outdoor painting projects on days when the humidity is low to help speed up drying time because paint also dries slowly in high humidity.

Working Safely

Ventilation is your top safety concern when painting inside, but when painting outside, you have the benefit of open air, so you won’t have to worry about setting up fans to remove paint fumes. Closed-toe shoes, long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, gloves, safety glasses, and a mask are still required. When using a paintbrush and roller to paint outdoors, a mask is not required, but if you decide to use a paint sprayer, a mask is crucial. (Inhaling paint chips and sawdust while you are constructing the deck can also be avoided.)

Suggested reading: One of the best ways to quickly improve the appearance and ambiance of a space where you probably spend a lot of time is by updating your kitchen cabinets. So, how much does it cost to paint kitchen cabinets?

The Best Time of Day to Paint a Deck

The best time of day to paint the deck is actually when it is in the shade because this prevents the paint from drying out too quickly. It may feel great to start working when the sun is directly overhead, but this is actually not the best time of day. Start painting early in the morning while it’s still cool because if the paint dries too quickly, it may look uneven and patchy. Next, let the deck dry completely in the afternoon during the hottest part of the day for the best finish.

FAQs

Many people enjoy relaxing on decks during the warmer months, so it makes sense to protect the deck in order to preserve its beauty and increase its lifespan. A few inquiries are to be expected from those considering painting or sealing the deck in the backyard.

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