# outdoor Railing "Paint"



## wg_bent (May 4, 2007)

I just replaced the front porch railing on the house.  It's pressure treated.  total of 6 4x4's and railings.  Now to paint it.  Question is: What product?  I've heard that using a fence stain works better than paint since it expands and contracts with the wood better than paint, but I've never seen deck/fence stain that is as bright white as I'd like it to look.


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## elkimmeg (May 4, 2007)

Warren I have never heard of the sFence stain either   The key here is to make sure the Pressure treated material is dry

So don't be in a rush to paint it.  After drying a decent primer and decent brand paint and yess You may be doing it again next year

 This is the nature of the product It is not the best to hold paint


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## velvetfoot (May 4, 2007)

It's not totally relevant, but the railing and posts on the house we bought a year ago is plastic, and we like it just fine.  Not sure what's inside them though  .  The trim on the porch on our last house was not pt'd and the bottoms dissolved from rot pretty quickly.    On the trim subject, Azek is plastic that can be cut like wood, pretty much.  Last time I went to HD, it was a chore just to get some decent looking wood.  Synthetic building products are an answer, I guess.


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## GVA (May 5, 2007)

Yeah, like Elk said.......
A solid stain would be best though, however it is not very crisp.
Lowes had a porch and patio paint that is for,,,,,,,  Yep porches and patios.........  Though they are not supposed to be exposed to the elements.... 8-/ 
Yeah I'm still not sure how I got sucked into that line of crap......
If it is a vertical surface you stand a chance of not having to paint it every year.....  That is the balusters may retain the paint while the rail cap will peel...
Been there done that......................  Actually still doing it......... every year.......
And the PT wood, the old stuff,,, I was always told to let it dry out a year before treating/painting/staining...ETC.    The new stuff ACQ I've been told you don't have to wait, and can be treated right away.....
I still am not sure how I feel about that....  I would wait a year before doing anything anyway, but that's just the untrusting side of me.


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## Hogwildz (May 5, 2007)

I'm a natural wood preference person myself. If you paint it, it will peel, and it will be never ending maintenance. Not to mention, you are keeping the wood from breathing, in my opinion it wont last as long. Stain on the other hand, lets it breath better than paint, and actually soaks into the wood, hence the maintenance is a bit less.
You can also see if they make a white wash stain for decking/ fencing etc. It won't be brilliant white, but is a decent look.
I just like the look of natural wood, maybe with a light stain. And after a few years if it starts looking dingy, I can pressure wash it and make it look new again.
With paint, that ain't going to happen. But thats just me, If you really want to paint it, let it dry out real good. They also make some heavier stains that require no priming.
But its more solid like paint, and doesn't soak in as deep as a thinner or translucent stain. Every nick and scratch with paint, will show.
Good luck on your project.


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## restorer (May 5, 2007)

I really like marine surplus battleship grey. Paint four coats and have the boys out there scraping and painting instead of dating for a few years.  You have a hard time dynamiting that stuff off. Good for twenty years or 6 lbs. per sq.ft. of barnacles. Painting exposed wood has no good end unless you want to deal with it every two years.  I do door and tell the customer, refinish in two years. They think I'm crazy, but scuff sand and recoat is a day job. New door takes a week. There is no alternative.


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## HarryBack (May 5, 2007)

like Elk says....let it season a bit....months.....then paint or stain it. The reason stain is nice is that you dont have to chip stain off, whereas the paint, you'll be scraping. And yes, most stains are nowhere near as bright as a good brilliant white paint.


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## wg_bent (May 6, 2007)

So even since installing that thing last week the posts are beginning to split.    

What can you fill those cracks with?  The previous posts seemed to have body putty in the holes covering the lag bolts.  Wondering if that would work or is there an outdoor wood crack filler out there?


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## elkimmeg (May 6, 2007)

Warren ther is nothing to do till that PT wood dries out. Till it dries it will continue checking but once dry I wiukld use caulk some that is flexiable that will withstand  expansion
 and contraction. Again this is the nature of the wood you are working with I have done decks and hade to replace PT material post railings decking within a month as it checked twisted
amd bowed after it starts drying.


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## wg_bent (May 6, 2007)

Sigh... Yeah, I hear ya.


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## senorFrog (May 9, 2007)

Warren you don't have to use a conventional wood stain.  I.e. Cherry, Mahogony, Maple, Clear, etc.  You can use a pigmented paint-like stain.  Most of the major manufacturers have them.  I'm familiar with Cabots.  They have three types: semi-transparent, semi-solid and solid color.  The diff is the amount of pigment in them.  A solid color stain looks just like a paint.  With the solid you have to prime first.  The advantage to the stains (at least the semis) is they resist peeling.  

I would follow elks advice and let the wood dry out a bit.  Then lightly sand.  Use a random orbital for the flat areas.  Hit it with a leafblower to remove dust. Then stain, two coats.  Add some midewcide to the stain.  You can buy the plittle packets at the paint store.  Use a latex because it resists mildew better than oil based.  Mold/Mildew feed on the linseed oil in the oil based paints.

Cabot link - http://www.cabotstain.com/cabot/

Don't paint or it may peel every year.

PS - Re the cracks I would use probably ued one of these:

http://www.bondo-online.com/
http://www.minwax.com/products/woodmaint/wood-filler.cfm                           <----- MESSY
http://www.elmers.com/products/product/product_page.asp?pCode=E889         <----- Stainable
http://www.dap.com/product_details.aspx?product_id=66                                 <----- No need to sand this 
http://www.kpg-industrial.com/products/bolt_quick_dry/


The caulk would be the easiest.  Might not look the greatest, but if the cracks/holes aren't that big.  If you use the caulk keep a rag and a small bucket of water near to clean hands while applying.


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