Painting a Pressure-Treated Wood

Of course, you can stain or paint wood treated with pressure; however, for a long-lasting, beautiful finish, you must first determine the wood's moisture content prior to choosing the right primer and paint. Follow this blog for in-depth how-to guidelines.

How to Paint a Pressure-Treated Wood?

Pressure-treated wood takes time to dry before you can paint on them, which takes longer than kiln-dried lumber. If you purchased it at the hardware store, it's likely that it's not dry enough to paint. If the water dries up onto the floor, the lumber will require the time needed to air dry. Pressure-treated lumber may take weeks or up to months to dry. When the wood has absorbed water on its surface, it's ready for painting.

It's crucial to choose the right type of primer and paint on pressure-treated wood. Our experts suggest priming using the latex primer along with an exterior latex paint compatible with it, commonly referred to by the name water-based. We suggest you stay clear of oil-based paint.

Preparation

• Make sure the area is cleaned by washing it using soap and water to take away dirt and dust.
• If your deck is damaged, you should make use of a commercial deck, wood cleaner, or a power washer, if needed. The wood should dry before painting it.

Paint

• When the wood is dry, then brush, roll, or spray the primer.
• Allow the primer to set according to the time determined by the company that made it. After that, apply exterior latex paint. Apply at minimum two coats.
• Recoat the coating according to the time frame that is provided by the manufacturer, usually a couple of hours.

Congratulations, you've done it!

Can You Stain Pressure-Treated Lumber?

You sure can! In certain situations, a stain is the best choice since it absorbs into wood and is much easier to apply. However, it is not the most appealing choice of colors, and it isn't able to fill tiny cracks in the wood the way paint can. No matter which option you pick, you should follow the same steps above to stain a pressure-treated wood. For stain, we suggest applying an oil-based semi-transparent exterior stain.

Need Professional Help?

The steps above could be more labor-intensive than you initially thought. If this is the issue, please get in touch with us!