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Painting
a sundeck
Due to the growing popularity of decks, there are now a
wide variety of Deck finishes - ranging from conventional
penetrating ones to new water based latex ones. In the
alkyd category, there are clears, semi transparent and
opaque finishes. In latex, semi transparent and opaque.
Many homeowners are starting to use the semi transparent
or opaque to maximize the protection and duration of their
deck coating. |
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Brushes and Rollers - Once the deck is clean and
thoroughly dry, start with a brush on the outside of the
deck, on tops of the railing and work your way down to the
deck, then in toward the house. Then switch to a roller
for the deck, starting at an outside edge and working
toward the house. Use even pressure on the roller on each
board to give uniform coverage and sheen.
Spraying is another way to coat decks - faster than
brush/roller, but you must be sure to protect scrubs etc.
from overspray. Spray equipment can be rented at many
paint stores, home centers or rental companies. Check with
a paint professional for tip size and pressure setting -
which will depend on the type of coating you use. Spray
railings first, unless the railings are to be a different
color than the deck. Then the deck should be coated first.
One trip for protecting plants or other objects from
overspray is to tape Kraft paper to the outside of the
railing, which will catch the overspray. When spraying the
deck itself, spray evenly over a six foot square area,
then go over that area with a _ inch nap roller to spread
coating evenly into deck. Continue this procedure in
sections until deck is covered. Be sure to use a large
shield (such as 4 ft square piece of cardboard) when
painting alongside the house to protect it from overspray. |
