Painting Treated Wood

If you have recently built a deck or other outdoor addition, then chances are treated wood was used in some shape or fashion. This type of wood is most often used due to it being better able to withstand the stress and wear and tear that comes with being outside. Due to this ability and process painting treated wood can often present some challenges, which can easily be overcome if you follow these instructions.

1. Ensure the wood is ready. Before you start painting treated wood, you need to ensure that it is actually ready to paint. This means that you need to check to make sure that the wood is dry, and has been treated with the appropriate preservatives. This should have been done at the lumber yard prior to you purchasing it. If not, you will have to do a bit of work yourself. These instructions make the assumption that the wood is ready for you to work on.
2. Apply the primer. Typically, the best type of primer to use on treated wood is an acrylic primer, since oil based primers can also act as a sealant and trap any residual moisture in the wood. This residual moisture can lead to mold and rot if you are not careful. Apply two coats (at minimum) of the primer to the wood, allowing enough time to pass between each application for the primer to dry completely.
3. Paint the wood. Once again, you should use acrylic paint to paint the treated wood. The reason for this is that acrylic paint will crack less frequently. So paint the wood carefully, starting at one side or corner of the structure, and working your way across to the other side. While you can use rollers to cover more ground, it may be a better idea to use either a paint sprayer or a regular brush so that you can get into all the nooks and crannies.
4. Check your work. Allow the paint to dry, and then take a good long look at the work you just accomplished. Make note of any areas that you may have missed, and rectify the situation.
5. Apply another coat. Once the paint has completely dried, and then reapply another coat of the paint. Make sure that you utilize the same method as described in step three.
6. Double check the painting. After you have allowed the paint to dry again, check to make sure that your work is satisfactory. In addition, you will also want to look at the color and general appearance of the work you have done as well. Repeat steps three through six until the wood looks the way that you want it to.

After you have finished painting the treated wood, all you really need to do is clean everything up. Well, that and keeping track of the type of paint you used so that you can do repair work later on if necessary. It can often be difficult to match paints if you don't know exactly what kind you have before hand.