By Paul Bianchina
Do you have one of those tired old decks or patios that's become more of an eyesore than a place to relax? Maybe you've checked into the cost of replacement, but with all the other household projects you have to worry about, you've decided that's going to have to wait awhile. There's one other alternative left to breathe a little new life into your old deck, improve its appearance and prolong its usefulness - painting.
Painting is not typically the best way of coating a deck or a patio, primarily because it requires regular maintenance to keep it looking nice, and the constant foot traffic and exposure to the elements wears it out relatively quickly. But it's certainly a good, short-term method to get a little more useful service from it.
Painting Decks
The real key to successfully painting a deck is preparation. Begin by replacing any boards that are severely cracked or rotted. Next, remove any loose fasteners - don't just pound them down, since they'll quickly work their way up again. Instead, protect the deck surface with a piece of wood and pry up any protruding nails with a hammer or pry bar. To avoid marring up the deck any further, you can refasten the boards through the old holes - use weatherproof deck screws or galvanized ring shank nails that are longer than the nails you just removed, so that they penetrate down into new wood. Also, fasten down any loose boards.
Clean the deck with a pressure washer, or with a stiff broom and a commercial deck cleaner. Remove all dust, dirt, old finish, etc. Allow the deck to dry completely, then sweep it carefully with a soft broom.
The next step is to prime the wood with two coats of good quality exterior wood primer, applied with a brush or a roller - don t use a paint sprayer, since this allows the primer to lay on the surface of the wood rather than penetrating into it. The first coat will soak rapidly into the dry wood - let it dry completely, then apply the second coat.
Once both coats are dry, dust off the deck again and apply one or two coats of the finish color. Use an oil-based porch and floor enamel with a semi-gloss sheen. Porch and floor enamels are specially formulated with extra pigments and hardeners to make them much more resistant to traffic, and the semi-gloss sheen is more resistant to water without being as shiny as a gloss enamel.
Painting Concrete Patios
Patios should be prepared by spraying with a pressure washer to wash away loose concrete. Again, the surface must be allowed to dry completely prior to painting. This is especially true if the concrete is cracked, since water from the pressure washing will remain in the cracks and cause the paint to fail.
Caulk small cracks closed using a sealant that is formulated specifically for concrete. Larger cracks may need to be sealed with an epoxy crack sealer, or filled with a foam backer rod prior to caulking.
For painting concrete, there are several good products on the market. Elastomeric coatings, which create a film that sticks well, is very flexible, and works well over concrete that is cracked. The coating fills and bridges the gaps well, and withstands movement in the concrete. Portland cement-based paints also work well, and have a high resistance to wear. There are also paints specially formulated for swimming pools that are, obviously, very water resistant.
For a coating that offers the maximum in adhesion and wear resistance, as well as excellent resistance to staining from a wide variety of liquids and chemicals, you might want to consider an epoxy paint. Two-part epoxy paints require careful mixing and application, and you should wear a respirator while applying them, even outside.
For any concrete painting application, talk with your paint dealer and have them recommend the product and application method that is best suited for your particular situation.
Maintenance
To maintain the surface, keep it clean by regular sweeping with a soft broom, or washing with a sponge mop; accumulations of dirt get ground into the surface and accelerate the wear. Avoid hosing it down with a hard spray from a garden hose, which can force water into the paint and break it down faster. Also, touch up any chipped or worn spots as quickly as possible, using a coat of primer then two coats of paint.
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