Painting your deck can bring it new life, but when you are thinking about how to paint a deck, you must consider following all of the necessary steps. Deck painting is a process, but it is relatively simple. In fact, painting a deck is something that anyone can do.
You can do this over the course of a weekend because while there are several steps, the process is not particularly lengthy or difficult. Just make sure to follow all of the steps in order and you will have a deck that all of your neighbors are envious of.
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- Protect Everything that is Nearby
- Fully Inspect Your Deck and Make Any Necessary Repairs
- Take the Time to Clean Your Deck Thoroughly
- Strip Away All of the Old Paint and Prepare Your Deck for New Paint
- Do the Painting Process on Your Deck
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Protect Everything that is Nearby
You are going to be using cleansers, tools and other products, so you want to protect everything that is nearby so that it does not get damaged. A good quality plastic cover is generally sufficient for this.
Make sure that you cover all plants and any furniture and others items that you are unable to move from the area. You should move everything that is mobile, however, to protect these items and give yourself plenty of room to work.
Fully Inspect Your Deck and Make Any Necessary Repairs
Before you can paint your deck, you need to make sure that it is structurally sound. Start by doing a quick visual inspection of your deck to look for any areas that are in need of improvements. When you are inspecting your deck, look for and fix the following:
- Damaged or loose screws or nails
- Areas that have any mildew or mold
- Loose boards
- Broken or cracked boards
- Warped boards
- Any other structural problems
Image Credit: Rosies Helping Hands
Take the Time to Clean Your Deck Thoroughly
After you are sure that your deck is in good condition, you want to take the time to clean is completely. Start by choosing a cleanser that works for the material of your deck. Read the label on the back of the cleanser container to ensure that you use is properly throughout the process.
You can scrub at stains to remove them since fresh paint may not stick well to areas of the deck that are stained. Once clean, wait until your deck is thoroughly dry to continue on with the process since you cannot paint a wet deck.
Strip Away All of the Old Paint and Prepare Your Deck for New Paint
Before you can apply the fresh paint, you need to first remove all of the old paint so that you can start with a clean surface. You want to scrape away the paint that is loose and then sweep this away.
For the paint that is not loose, you can use a gentle sander to remove it and prepare the wood. Sanding the wood first is a good idea because it gives you a clean slate and it makes the paint more likely to take to the wood so that it lasts longer.
Do the Painting Process on Your Deck
Once you get all of the preparation work done, it is time to go in and actually put the paint in your deck. Make sure that the paint you choose works for the material of your deck. You usually need two to three thin coats to get the best results.
After you paint your deck and it dries thoroughly, you can put a sealant on top to ensure that your paint job lasts for as long as possible. If you use a sealer, make sure that you use about two thin coats and only apply it after the paint you use dries completely.
Now you know what goes into how to paint a deck. Use all of the steps in the order that they are listed here and you can be sure that everything will go as smoothly as possible. Just make sure that any products that you use are appropriate for the material of the deck that you have. This will ensure that the paint job lasts for a long time.
When you paint your deck, you will find that the process needs to be done about once every two to three years. However, when you do the job right, you can often get more mileage out of your work.
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