Treated Lumber Paint Or Stain
Using a brush apply at least two coats of latex paint to see best results.
Treated lumber paint or stain. A wood deck takes a lot of abuse from sun rain and snow. A water based stain is recommended for proper absorption into the wood. If you are absolutely set on painting or staining your pressure treated lumber here are a few suggestions. For a wood deck or fence i prefer the look and longevity of a semi transparent stain.
Stain runs between 20 and 35 per gallon while exterior paint suitable for decking ranges from 30 to as much as 60 per gallon. And an outdoor project s not finished until it s been stained sealed or painted. If you have bought premium pressure treated lumber it can be stained as soon as you get it. A standard water test will let you know.
Paints need to be acrylic based latex exterior use for cca treated wood exterior or interior use for acq treated wood. If the water beads up the wood is too wet and you need to wait before applying a finish. Painting wood evenly is not as hard as staining wood evenly. Allow the wood to dry completely and otherwise prepare the same ways you would when staining.
Pressure treated wood is ready to stain when it is no longer retaining the excess moisture from the treatment process. If you just bought the wood let it weather for at least 60 days to allow the chemicals to evaporate and. If the water soaks into the wood then it s dry and ready for stain or paint. It has already been prepared and all the moisture has been removed.
Best way to tell if the pressure treated lumber is dry is to test the dryness by sprinkling the wood s surface with water. You probably know that wood swells when it gets wet and shrinks when it dries. Disadvantages of painting pressure treated wood. While you can paint a pressure treated wood deck i don t recommend it.
Stain is more budget friendly. And the constant shrinkage and expansion of the wood causes paint to peel over time. So it s actually better for beginners to paint the wood. You have to prepare the surface of the wood with primer before you can paint it.
So it is way easier to get a smooth finish when you paint the pressure treated wood than if you were to stain it. Selecting the proper paint or stain is important when deciding to cover pressure treated wood.