The Best Paint for Outdoor Wood Decks

If you are like most homeowners, you can’t wait until the foul weather is gone, and spring has arrived. It means spending more time outdoors at your home. Of course, this also means that you will need to get all of those outdoor areas around the house ready for spring and summer. One of the areas that you will certainly need to pay attention to is your wooden deck.

The deck tends to get quite a bit of action, and this means it will likely need to be repainted more often than you would typically do house painting. Consider the traffic it endures through much of the year from people and pets. Some leaves and branches might fall onto it and scuff it, as well as the weather, which can take a toll. Take a good look at your deck. You might find that deck painting is one of the first orders of business you should take care of this spring.

With wood decks, painting is about more than mere aesthetics. Sure, you want to have a deck that looks great and that you are proud of when you have guests visit. However, the deck painting also needs to help protect the wood of the deck. This means that you can’t use just any paint that you might have around the house.

You Need the Right Kind of Paint

You must select high-quality paint that will be able to last and that will hold up well to the type of activity that the deck receives. Namely, you need a paint that can handle foot traffic and anything that the weather might bring your way. Poor quality paint will end up chipping and bubbling, and you will likely need to repaint the deck in a year. It might also simply start to wear down in the high traffic areas throughout the summer. If this happens it means more deck painting for you the following spring. Wouldn’t it be easier to choose a high-quality paint in the first place?

When you are choosing the right paint for your deck, you need to consider the types of experiences that the deck goes through. For example, does it get a lot of foot traffic, as mentioned earlier? Is it fully exposed to the elements or is it partially or entirely contained and covered? Is the deck subject to a lot of direct sunlight over the year? Do you get rain only, or are you contending with snow and ice in the winter months? Understanding what your deck goes through will help to make it easier for you to choose the right type of paint.

You will find that quality stain and 100% acrylic paints can do an excellent job of providing your deck with the protective coverage that it truly needs. When you are choosing the paint or stain, you will want to make sure that it is specifically for exterior painting. This can help to ensure that it will not crack and start peeling when the temperature changes. Also, it is possible to find paint that includes non-slip texture, which might be a good idea to use around areas that get a lot of foot traffic. It can also help to ensure that the deck is not extremely slippery in case it starts to rain.

Quality outdoor deck paint will also help to protect the wood underneath and it will be resistant to mildew.

You never want to skimp when you are choosing from the exterior painting options. Take the time to research the various choices and brands and find the solution that will be best suited to your deck. Good paint or stain means that you will not need to reapply it in a year. Although you might end up spending more on the painting supplies for deck painting now, you will find that it can help you save money in the long run.

What Colors Should You Choose?

Now that you know why it is so important to choose quality exterior painting supplies for your outdoor wood deck, it’s time to think about the colors that you will be using. There is no one single color that is going to look great on all different decks, of course. This is because all homes are different. Therefore, you will want to look at the overall design and color scheme of your home when you are choosing a stain or a paint that might work well with the space that you have.

If you are choosing a stain for your deck, it will help to bring out the natural look and beauty of the wood. This might be an excellent option to consider if you like to see the natural wood grain. Of course, you can also choose to opt for paint. There are countless paint colors available, and this means you can create your deck in just about any color that you want. You might want to choose a color that matches the trim on your home, for example. You might want to have a color that matches other elements of your home.

Typically, people will paint their deck in a neutral color. This helps it to match well with the rest of the home so that it feels like an extension of the house. Going with a very bright color is certainly possible, but it will make the deck stand out from the rest of the home substantially, and it might not fit as well as you would like. Some of the popular colors that you might want to consider are dark gray, green, brown, blue, or even black. These are just some of the many options, though. You can find a wide range of different shades and styles, and even red, such as a mahogany or terra cotta color, can work well depending on the look you are trying to achieve.

One of the tips that you will want to remember is that darker paints will generally stay cleaner longer. If you have a white deck, you are going to be just as nervous about it as would be with a white carpet. It is going to get dirty faster, and this means you will have to spend more time cleaning it.

It is imperative to take time to think about the color that you are going to be using for the deck painting. You don’t want to choose a color that’s too bold that you think you are going to like only to have to strip the paint and redo it in another color next year.

Why You Should Hire the Professionals

Could you take care of the deck painting on your own? While you could probably paint the deck yourself if you needed to, you may find that working with professionals is a much better option. Just as if you had to hire exterior house painters, you would want to make sure you are working with true professionals. Take the time to research the company and make sure they have experience painting decks. Ideally, they will have some images on their site of work they have done in the past.

When you contact a professional, they should be able to provide you with an estimate of how much it will all cost. Often, they can provide you with guidance on the best type of paint to use, and they can even offer some suggestions on the colors. They will know what the paint is going to look like when it is applied and dried and can give you some insight as to what colors might not work well.

Another one of the benefits of working with a professional is that they are going to be much faster when it comes to doing the job. They aren’t going to be distracted by other things that are happening in the house. When you hire them for the job, they will show up, set up, and get the painting done faster and more efficiently than you would be able to do on your own.

Get Your Deck in Order

You want to have a beautiful deck that’s ready for all of your outdoor gatherings with family and friends. A new paint job on the deck can provide the space with a facelift that makes it a place you will love to be.

Once you have researched the paint and the colors that you want to use, it’s time to either paint yourself or hire a pro.

The sooner you get the deck in shape, the sooner you will be able to start using it for entertaining. You will be happy with the way it looks, and you will love spending time out there whether you are having a refreshing glass of iced tea, enjoying a barbecue, or just watching the stars and telling stories with your loved ones.