[THEME MUSIC PLAYING] Hi. I'm Cole Schaefer,
professional painter, and welcome to Dunn-Edwards
Paints "How to Paint" video series. A wooden deck creates
an outdoor living space that can improve the
value of your house, but over time the
condition of a wooden deck deteriorates due to
the outside elements. But with the use of
some high-quality paint, your wooden deck
can be transformed into an attractive
area to enjoy again. In this video, we'll
share tips on how to properly prep and paint
an exterior wooden deck. So first you want to
look at your project and make sure you have
the skill, capability, and equipment to do it. Because painting an
exterior wood deck can be difficult, depending
on the scale and existing condition of your
deck, you may want to consider hiring a
professional painter to paint it. Now if you decide
to do it yourself, your project may include power
or hand washing, scraping, sanding, and priming. Be sure to consult Dunn-Edwards'
"Surface Preparation Safety" brochure
before you get started. So begin by clearing the deck
and removing any furniture and objects from the area. Cover any plants
in close proximity to your deck with
plastic sheeting to protect them from damage and
sweep your deck with a broom to remove any loose dirt. Now depending on the
condition of the deck. You may need to power wash
or hand wash your deck. Power washing is
faster, but you need to be careful when using
this type of equipment. You can rent a power washer
from your local equipment rental yard. Be sure to have the
rental yard staff explain how to use the power washer and
provide basic safety training. Now we're going to show
you some basic steps to hand wash your deck. You'll need a bucket, wire
brush, cleaner, and water. Pick an area to start. Pour some of the cleaning
solution on the deck and begin washing
the surface using the brush with slight pressure
to remove any loose paint or dirt. Use a light rinse to
remove any residue. Continue this process until
the entire deck is clean. After you're done,
you want to let the surfaces dry
for a period of time before beginning any prep work. Once dry, the next step
is to scrape and sand any remaining paint. Use a paint scraper
to quickly remove any peeling or flaking paint. [MUSIC PLAYING] Next, use 80- to
100-grit sandpaper to begin feathering or smoothing
out any rough paint edges. Now you need to
sand these areas. Again with a lighter 120-
or 150-grit sandpaper to feather or smooth out any
rough surfaces or sanding marks. [MUSIC PLAYING] After sanding,
pick up any debris, or if you have a leaf
blower, use it to quickly blow the deck clean. Now you're ready to start
masking your project. Use painter's tape
and plastic sheeting to protect the surrounding
areas from paint splatter. Place plastic sheeting
over the bottom half of your exterior wall of your
home to avoid paint splatter. Secure it to the wall
with painter's tape and cover all areas you
do not wish to paint. At this point, begin inspecting
the deck for any loose boards and fasten before
you begin painting. There's no sense in
forgoing the opportunity to make minor repairs before
you actually paint the deck. Check for any nail-head rust. Some deck stains will protect
against rust, but not all. Be sure to read the
product instructions, and you may need to
spot prime any nails with rust-inhibitor
primer before you paint. Now that all the
prep work is done, you're ready to start painting. But before you start,
here's a painting tip. Avoid painting in direct
sunlight if possible. Wait for a time of day
when the area to be painted is in the shade. Why? Heat from the sun will increase
the temperature of the surface. This surface temperature,
along with the ambient heat, will make the paint you're
trying to apply dry faster. And it will limit
the amount of time you have to create
a nice finish. Now you want to apply
a minimum of two coats of premium
exterior stain and when you're painting your deck
choose exterior stain that is manufactured
for high-traffic areas and is mildew resistant. The approach for
painting this deck is to paint from top to bottom. You start by painting the
ceiling first, the posts and rails second, and
the deck or floor last. You want to use a paint
roller to help apply the paint over a
large area faster, so you can keep a wet
edge and brush out the paint for a smooth finish. This is most important because
today's water-based paints dry quickly. With this ceiling,
pick a corner to start and plan to paint one
section at a time. For instance, paint the
ceiling joist and then this section of the ceiling. Then paint the next joist
and adjacent section. A good tip is to always
paint from corner to corner. Also don't try to paint
too big of an area at once, because it will be
difficult to keep a wet edge. Use your brush to
cut in the ceiling where there is contact
with any walls. Also cut in any corners
you can't reach, like along this corner
between this joist and the tongue-and-groove
ceiling. Once you've cut in these
areas, start rolling paint onto a beam. The wood on this deck
has a deep grain texture, so it will likely hide
any roller textures. Test a small area to start. If the paint doesn't
flow out, plan on using a brush to
feather out the paint so it dries to a smooth finish. Continue painting
each ceiling section until the entire
section is painted. Next it's time to paint
the posts and rails. Paint the first
post top to bottom. Cut in any corners. Use your roller to apply
paint quickly to the post, then use your brush
to feather out the paint for a smooth finish. Next paint the adjacent
rail section and work towards the next post. Start on the top rail by
cutting in any corners. Apply paint to the
rails using a roller and lay off for a smooth finish. Now once you've completed
painting all the posts and rails, it's time
to paint the floor. Now the trick here is not to
paint yourself into a corner. We're not kidding, either. This might seem obvious,
but it happens, so plan your escape route so you
finish painting in a section where you can walk off the deck. with the deck floor, plan to
paint a few boards at a time. Start by cutting in
any corners where the decking touches the walls. Then apply paint with
your roller cover and feather out with a brush. This deck floor is made
with smooth-milled lumber, so it will be
important to brush out the paint to a smooth finish. Keep repeating this
process until you've painted the entire deck floor. Well, there you have it. A great-looking new finish
that will protect your deck for years to come. Now for more information
on paint or painting, watch the other "How
to Paint" videos on DunnEdwards.com/videos. For Dunn-Edwards Paints,
I'm Cole Schaefer. Thanks for watching,
and happy painting.