How to Prepare a Porch Floor for Paint
As anyone who has attempted a porch floor paint job before can attest, this procedure is made much easier and cleaner by taking a few proper precautions before you begin. Your porch floor will likely be dirty and not readily able to accept paint in its current state, even if it hasn't been used very much. They key to having a good looking paint job that will last for a long time as well is to make sure that you take the necessary steps to prepare your porch floor for the paint before you begin actually painting it.
Tools and Materials
- Power washer
- Paint scraper
- Palm sander
- Exterior primer
- Sample boards
- Paint brushes and paint mixtures
Step 1 -- Wash the Porch Floor
Begin by clearing off any large debris or items from the porch. Take a close look for anything that you're able to remove by hand. It can be very frustrating when you're in the middle of a paint job and you notice a small item that you forgot to remove from your porch floor, as you'll have to completely clean up and stop the job in order to remove it.
Next, use your power washer to thoroughly wash off the porch itself. This is a good way to get rid of any small plants, dirt, grime or other items that may have collected on the wood of the porch floor so that it will more readily accept the paint that you apply.
Step 2 -- Scrape the Paint
Next, scrape off the old paint with your paint scraper. Some of the old paint may have come off already while you were power washing, but it's important to eliminate all of the paint chips from the wood before you begin. Collect the paint chips in a proper location and dispose of them safely.
Step 3 -- Sand the Wood
Once the paint is removed, thoroughly sand down the wood of the porch floor with your palm sander. Exposing the next layer of wood that is underneath the surface that the old paint was on will make the porch floor better able to be painted.
Step 4 -- Coat With Primer
Exterior primer is the final step toward preparing the wood of the porch floor itself. Coat the wood of the floor with a layer of exterior primer. Be sure to allow the primer to dry completely before you begin paint. Most primers will dry overnight. You may also apply a second coat of primer after the first one has dried, if you wish.
Step 5 -- Test the Paint Color
Finally, it's always important to be sure that the color you're planning on using for your paint job will look good on your porch. Use a sample board to test out the color of the paint. Be sure to let it dry so that you'll see what the paint will look like when it's done. If you're completely satisfied, you're now ready to begin painting your porch.
