Cedar deck railing – 27 years old – painted 3 times since it was installed with Cabot Solid Acrylic Deck Stain. The top surface of the 2 X 4’s, above and below the balusters, have areas where the paint has lifted and can be peeled off to the bare wood. What is the proper way of preparing the bare areas and then repainting the entire railing. Should I use a stain or paint as a finish? Thanks for your help.

 

I'd scrape and maybe finish up with 100 or 120 grit sandpaper.
Is that a hole in the middle pic?

 

It looks like a hole...........no, it's a piece of paint that lifted and the shadow made it look like a hole!!! After sanding, should I prime or apply 2 coats of finish? Can I use solid stain over the prime and existing finish or is a solid paint product better.

 

You can use primer under solid stain but it isn't necessary. I'll use an oil base primer under light colored solids stains if I expect tannin bleed to be an issue.

I just reread your original post, does the deck currently have solid stain or paint? It would probably be best to stick with the same type of finish it has on it. Paint generally lasts longer than stain but requires more prep when it's time to recoat. When painting any raw wood should be primed first.

Glad that isn't a hole

 

Tannin bleed is not an issue. The rail has solid stain that has been applied 3 times over the last 27 years. I will prime the areas that I sand to the bare wood and then finish the entire rail with paint or solid stain? Is it OK to apply solid stain over solid stain? Do you prefer a particular brand? Thanks for your expertise.

 

You can apply paint or solid stain over the existing stain. I would continue with the solid stain. I'm partial to SWP's coatings but a lot has to do with placement and hours of their stores in this area. The top of the line stains from most paint manufactures should preform well. B.Moore also has a good reputation. I'm not overly familiar with BM's coatings because they only have 2 stores in the region with shorter hours than the SWP stores [and there are twice as many]

Some areas have local paint manufactures that make good coatings tailor made for the area so it's always a good idea to ask locally. Friends/acquaintances should have some input on what coatings have worked well [or not] for them.