Painting my front porch?

Question

My front porch railings haven't been painted in a few years. Now the white paint is chipped and looks terrible. It is made of wood and has the old-timey looking spindles, etc. Can someone tell me the proper steps to prepare it for painting so that when I paint, it will be easier and not such a hard job? Also, do you recommend using a primer so that the next paint job will last longer?

Answer 1

First of all I would not sand then power wash,the water would only loosen what you have sanded you would have to sand again.....power wash then scrape& sand,dust off any loose material,(caulk every crack,) even under the hand rail,find a good paint store,or lowes,home depot..buy a good exterior primer,prime, then look for any cracks you may have missed,caulk, then with good exterior paint finish coat, remember you get what you pay for,so buy the good paint...If the house is very old,I would noy burn the paint,some old paints contain lead, you dont want to be breathing the fumes.
and of coures replace any damaged wood before painting,it might take awhile ,so get a freind to help,one person on each side of the rails, you can look for each others paint runs this way, you can do it!!!!

Answer 2

Just take a 5 in 1 tool or putty knife and scrape off the loose paint. Sand with 60 grit sandpaper if the scraped paint edges are super thick. Go buy a gallon of "Rain Shield" or "envirosmart ceramic insulcoat." These are those paints you hear in the commercials "NEVER paint your house again!" They're full of crap but it is really good paint. It's thick but light and flows good so it's easier to work with than regular latex enamel paints. It's self priming and it's thickness fills in alot of the scraped and sanded edges really good. It will last a solid 5 years, more if you apply 2 coats. You'll have to look up on the internet if your local paint or hardware stores sell them. Those products are the 2 i use, there are others out there that are ceramic based that will work i'm sure.

Answer 3

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RE:
Painting my front porch?
My front porch railings haven't been painted in a few years. Now the white paint is chipped and looks terrible. It is made of wood and has the old-timey looking spindles, etc. Can someone tell me the proper steps to prepare it for painting so that when I paint, it will be easier and not such...

Answer 4

In order to get the new paint to stick you will need to remove all the lose paint. They have special scrapers for paint removal but with spindles you have a lot of hand work. I use a putty knife and string sandpaper to get in the tight areas. Then sand the surface smooth, especially the hand rail that people will slide their hand along. Before you paint it check it for tightness. open wood would allow water to get in and loosen joints. Add exterior glue if needed. If a spindle is very loose, you should remove it clean all the old glue off the spindle and out of the hole and re-glue it.

Then use an exterior primer and exterior paint. Because of the amount of work to repaint don't select the cheapest paint It will not last that long. Check with your building supply store for recommended paints for your area,

Answer 5

This may be a time when a professional would be wise. But if you are going to do it yourself you want the right equipment.
A heat gun helps melt the old layers of paint which can be removed with a wire brush and scraper. Sand to remove any bits of paint. Do prime the stripped wood and use a paint which is recommended for weathered surfaces.
Apply 2-4 coats allowing the paint to dry fully in between.

Answer 6

scrape, sand if needed, powerwash let it dry apply 1-2 coats of weather proof primer and finally apply 2-3 coats of exterior paint good luck if you have more questions feel free to email me