How to Paint an Old Deck
- 1). Clean the deck with a pressure washer. Pressure washers are the quickest and most effective way to clean dirt, mildew, and other grime from a deck. Home supply stores, such as Lowes or Home Depot, rent different types of pressure washers. Rent a pressure washer for half a day. Read the instructions. Pressure washers have different, color-coded tips, that produce different amounts of water pressure and a tip that allows you to apply cleaning detergent.
- 2). Repair cracks and loose boards. Fill small cracks with wood filler. Apply the wood filler with a putty knife and allow it to harden. Sand it until it is level with the surface. Hammer loose nails back in place and, if the nail holes have expanded, fill them with caulk. Fill any long cracks with caulk. Replace rotten boards.
- 3). Scrape off loose and flaking paint. Use a paint scraper or putty knife to knock off the old paint that is flaking or peeling.
- 4). Determine if the old paint is latex or oil-based. Buy a can of Goof Off. Put some Goof Off on a clean rag and rub an area with the rag. If a lot of the color comes off on the rag, then the old paint is latex. If very little color comes off, then the old paint is oil-based. Use oil-based paint on the deck if the old paint is oil-based and latex paint in the old paint is latex. The sheen is also important. Semi-gloss has a high level of water resistance.
- 5). Prime all bare wood. It is important to prime all the areas where bare wood is exposed. The new paint won't adhere well to wood that is not primed. The new paint eventually flakes and peels.
- 6). Paint the deck. Map out a strategic plan to avoid walking over painted areas or getting trapped into a corner. If there is a railing, do the railing first all the way around before doing the deck surface itself. Paint the railing with a good quality paint brush and a small roller. Start at one corner of the deck and work on one section at a time. Cut in the all the edges with a brush. Pour the paint into a paint tray. Place the roller on an extension pole and roll the cut in section working, rolling with the grain. Repeat the procedure, one section at a time, until you have finished painting the deck. Do the steps last. Allow the paint to dry for at least four hours and then apply a second coat.
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