Directions for Painting a Deck

A good paint job can extend the life of your deck by protecting it from rain and other elements. Because paint is smoother than raw lumber, it also makes cleaning the deck easier. You can spend as much as $1,000 to pay professionals to paint your deck, in 2011 prices, or you can do it yourself. Set aside a full weekend for this project. You won't spend the whole time actually painting but you'll need to leave the deck alone to dry.

Sun hat and sunblock
Paint scraper
Sandpaper
Dropcloths
Paint
Paint roller
Paint tray

Instructions

- 1
  Put on a sun hat and spread sunblock on exposed areas of skin. It's easy to get a sunburn while working outside.
- 2
  Lay down dropcloths over anything you want to protect. You can leave dirt and lawn uncovered, but concrete and personal possessions need coverage.
- 3
  Scrape loose paint off the deck using your paint scraper. Scrape in long, even strokes. You don't have to remove all the paint -- just the paint that's easy to remove.
- 4
  Sand smooth any borders between remaining paint and raw wood.
- 5
  Pour paint to fill your tray 1/4 to 1/3 full. Dip in your roller and use the textured part of the tray to spread paint evenly.
- 6
  Paint the deck in even strokes, running parallel to the length of the deck boards. Allow to dry.
- 7
  Apply a second, and third, coat as necessary. Allow to dry in between coats.

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