Advice on repainting a deck?

[LaraMN]

I haven't yet achieved full-throttle home improvement mania, so I decided to repaint our deck.
It's already got some kind of ugly brown paint (not stain) on it, and I want to paint the railings white and the floor gray-ish.

#1: Can I just use a pressure washer to remove the loose paint, or do I have to sand it?

#2: What brand/type of paint would be advisable to use?

#3: What else should I be aware of in this endeavor that I might not be? Apply minimal standards of expectation regarding my knowledge; I don't know anything about repainting decks.

[Bennyboy]

1. Do not use a pressure washer......

It really just ruins the deck and removes the soft wood while leaving the hard wood. So it grooves the deck and causes splinters.

Use a good deck wash and a deck washing broom. then hose it off with a spray nozzle. That kind of pressure is okay.

Then sand the areas down that are loose and then paint. Be sure to use a slip resistant compound (fine sand or silicate) on the areas that will recieve foot traffic.

[LaraMN]

3. Thank you!

Very good info!!!

:thumbsup:

[MANative]

2. From personal (in)experience, I learned...

there's a big difference between paint and stain. Make sure you know which is already there, and try to stick to the same thing. Don't do it in super hot or humid weather - everything will peel within a year. Don't pick a dark color - it'll burn your feetsies when you step on it barefoot! Sand really well, and fill cracks with appropriate wood filler.

I made every one of those mistakes, much to my chagrin! Had to do it all over again this year. :(

Good luck!

[LaraMN]

4. Awesome! Thanks for the advice!

I will ascertain for absolutely certain that it is paint, not stain, on the deck.

[montanto]

5. Just

Scrape off loose peely paint. Put down a good primer. Paint a light color so it doesn't absorb so much heat, and paint in sand or anti-skid on steps to avoid slipping. As a rule, the more expensive the paint the better. Whatever you can afford.

You can paint over stain, but its harder to stain over paint, though I have done it, but it works better with a light primer and a darker stain color. Still, you don't get the wood grain back.