How To Paint A Porch Floor

Matt is a professional painter who owns and operates his own painting business concern, specializing in interior and exterior business firm painting.

A wrap-around porch floor I stained with solid stain. — A wrap-effectually porch flooring I stained with solid stain.

Painting a Woods Porch Flooring

If your front porch floor is fabricated of wood, it'due south important to keep the surface protected with either a couple coats of durable flooring paint, stain, or a sealer. Merely which ane's best? All of these coatings take pros and cons, only know that in one case you paint your wooden porch flooring, or use a solid stain similar to paint, yous will take to remove it should you lot make up one's mind to employ transparent stain, or a sealer, in the hereafter. Removing layers of quondam paint with stripper is very messy and difficult.

Front Porch Floor Paint vs Stain

Porch paint is a lot thicker than stain and forms a solid layer that hides surface imperfections in floor boards. Using paint on older porch floors is beneficial considering it will hide the cracks and wear improve than a transparent stain would.

Porch paint commonly has some gloss to it as well for better stain resistance and easier washing. The downside is the gloss tin can make the painted surface a little glace when wet, but there are premium paints available that contain sand for traction purposes. You can also add your own sand to save coin.

Outside floor paint and solid stain will peel and chip desperately if neglected long enough. If you don't stay on top of re-coating your porch when it's due for a paint chore, y'all will finish up having to practice a lot of sanding and scraping. With a colored sealer, you completely bypass having to do any scraping or sanding; all that's needed is a wash and another coat of sealer. But the downside of using sealer is it normally requires a re-coat every year, or ii. A sealer reveals the natural dazzler of the wood. Paint and solid stain practice not. Although solid stain doesn't mask it as much every bit paint.

Replace Cupped Floor Boards Earlier Painting

Porch floorboards and steps that are cupped and collecting water should definitely be replaced before painting them. Nothing makes pigment fail faster than pooling water. Rotting wood should also be replaced. The paint volition last a lot longer and exist easier to maintain if the wood you're painting is in good condition.

Prepping Your Porch Flooring for Paint

1. Remove furniture. The start step is removing everything from the porch. You lot won't be able to walk on the floor, or place annihilation heavy on the painted surface, for at to the lowest degree a solar day or ii. I would permit the paint to dry out for at least a few days before placing anything heavy on it, but follow the specs and recommendations for the pigment you lot employ.

ii. Wash the flooring. Using a pressure level washer is ideal, but not e'er necessary if the floor's in good status and y'all're only doing a routine re-glaze. Sometimes pressure level washing tin damage the wood and create more piece of work, just if your porch is peeling terribly and actually muddy a pressure launder will rapidly remove loose paint chips and surface crud. It's important to remove debris from between the floorboards too. E'er give the woods enough time to dry out before painting, specially if the wood'due south bare. This is really important. How long depends on your climate and humidity, but if the woods'south bare you might want to wait a week before painting.

Priming and Painting Your Porch

Earlier you prime and paint, make certain no rain is expected for twenty-four hours. I e'er plan my exterior painting projects with a forecast showing no rain for at least a few days following the job. I would also advise against painting your porch in humid conditions. The drier it is outside, the better for preventing potential issues with the paint non curing properly.

1. Prime if needed. Not all porch paints require primer, and whether or non you should employ primer also depends on the status of the woods you're painting. An erstwhile porch with peeling pigment would benefit from a specialized outside primer meant for that condition. The glue-like primer would improve the bond and hold everything together. Primer also helps with tannin-bleed issues that tin occur when painting over bare wood. This can get an effect when using a light paint color. You can as well spot prime tannin-bleed stains. The all-time primer to terminate tannin from leaking into your floor pigment is oil primer. Analyze the condition of your porch and determine what'southward best, and follow the specs for the paint you're using.

ii. Apply quality porch paint or stain. Exterior paint for firm siding and trim should not be used on porch floors. You will end up with chipping paint and a huge mess. High-quality porch paint is meant for utilize on floors and will concur upward longer. The product I've used several times successfully is the Porch and Floor Enamel from Sherwin Williams. I've used it on indoor wooden stairs, concrete floors and porches without any issues. The pigment comes in a satin stop that'southward fairly scuff resistant. I always apply two coats. I know Rustoleum, Valspar and Behr also have porch and floor paints.

Don't rule out stain either. I used Super Deck solid stain from Sherwin Williams on the front porch flooring featured in the outset of this article. Solid deck stains don't mask the natural texture of wood as much every bit paint does. Different paint, deck stain doesn't crave primer when used over bare wood, so that's a big time saver. You can normally apply them over paint too.

3. Don't forget to re-coat your porch. The benefit of porch paint is it holds upwards longer than a sealer, just you lot still demand to stay on top of maintenance and re-coating. Yous should re-coat your porch floor every three to 5 years. The longer yous fail repainting it, the more scraping and sanding you'll have to do. It'due south all-time to repaint before you lot first having issues with the finish. Keeping the floor clean is of import also.

This content is authentic and true to the all-time of the author's noesis and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.