The first step towards a perfect finish is preparation. Picking the proper paint is very crucial before painting. The secret to the perfect finish is a clean and clear surface. It should be bare and with no leftover paint. The cover has to be scrubbed and smoothly sanded once the previous paint is removed.

Prep before Painting

New deck or old, you should clean it before you paint it. There are many cleaning products available in the market. You can spray them on the deck using a garden hose dispenser and then scrub them with a scrubber or a solid brush and wash them off. You can use these items to clean:

  • The regular deck cleaners are great for removing the dust, strays, and any leftover paint.
  • You can also use wood surface brighteners to remove the stains and rigid patches.
  • To remove Mildew deposition, spray anti-fungal or anti-mildew cleaners.
  • Avoid using power blasters for cleansing as they might damage the wooden surface. Instead, you can use hand or broom scrubbers or a backyard hose.
  • Also, Sanding is essential to achieve the smoothest wooden surface. A little extra work at this stage helps the paint stay in its place for a long time. And you should avoid a harsh sander even if it shortens the entire process as it hurts the surface a lot.

Painting the Deck

You should do one last thing before dipping that brush in the bucket – tape over the surrounding part of the floor. Now comes the most fun and challenging part, the painting, for which you should consider the following things:

  • Always go for the roller when dealing with a new floor and fresh color. It is quick, solid, and provides an unvarying color. With the help of an extension stick, you can paint even while standing.
  • There are sponge-like absorbents called Staining pads which you can dip in the paint bucket and bring to the floor for staining.
  • The absorbent in the staining pad can absorb a large quantity of paint so that you don’t have to dip it frequently. You can use an extension stick to increase its length.
  • There are many places in and around the decking that are not so accessible. Roller and pad are efficient, but they won’t reach the smaller bits. Hence, you’ll need a brush to paint the sidings and the railings.
  • “If your house is located in the area where it rains heavily or is too humid, then your deck painting needs to be full-proof. You must cover all possible moisture entries, as it will destroy the wood planks in no time,” suggest painters in Cherry Hill, NJ. You should paint underneath the deck and the railings to secure all the surfaces.

Painting or staining brings back life and splendor to your outside area and patio. However, scraping, cleaning, and smoothening are the steps where the fate of the paint’s life is decided. Just make sure you give your best in these steps. However, finishing the painting work is quite tedious, and you might use some help from our professional painters at Pizzazz Painting in New Jersey. Contact us, and we would love to give a perfect finish to your decking!

Original Source: https://pizzazzpainting.com/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-painting-a-deck/