The better to paint the porch and how to do it right

Paint the porch immediately after construction or repair work. And the point is not only that the porch is the entrance to the house and the overall impression of the facade depends on how it looks. In addition, the porch material needs protection, because most often the steps to the house are made of wood, and the wood can suffer from drying out or increased humidity and lose its attractive appearance.

Content:

• The main reasons for coloring wood
• The better to color
• Water emulsion
• Oil
• Alkyd
• Selection tips
• How to paint
• Professional Tips

The main reasons for coloring wood

Wooden surfaces need additional protection. The use of impregnation, stains or varnishes will provide the following:

1. Prevent moisture from entering the wood structure. The water-repellent layer formed by the dyes will help to avoid such troubles as the appearance of rot or fungus, which violate the strength of the material and often cause its premature destruction.
2. Mechanical protection. Painted surfaces are more resistant to chips and cracks. Cracks not only spoil the appearance, but also make the tree more vulnerable to the influence of external conditions.
3. Scaring away wood-boring insects, which can greatly disrupt the strength of the wood structure.

In addition, applying the paintwork will help to either emphasize the beauty of the wood, or to hide the flaws of the old board.

The better to color

Among paints and varnishes for wood, experienced craftsmen recommend giving preference to the following types of dyes.

Water emulsion

They dry quickly, are odorless and do not contain toxic substances. The use of aqueous emulsion compositions provides high protection against atmospheric changes, insects and fungi. A slight drawback - almost do not give strength to wooden surfaces. Well suited to decorate the porch in the country or in a private house, but in places with high traffic they are not recommended. For example, you should not paint the porch of a store or office with them - the steps will quickly lose their attractive appearance.

Oil

Oil-based dyes are used to paint the wooden porch, much more often than others and provide high protection against abrasion and environmental influences. The minus of oil paints is their pungent smell and the fact that they quickly lose their bright original color.

Alkyd

In addition to the base and pigment, alkyd resins are added to increase strength. If it is necessary to paint a porch, on which many people will walk and whose risk of damage to the painted surface is increased, then you should choose alkyd mixtures. The disadvantage of these compositions is the long drying time and the fact that the choice of colors is not very large. Despite the high strength, alkyd dyes are rarely used due to prolonged drying and the inconvenience created in connection with this (the porch of the house is constantly used, because you need to get into the house).

Selection tips

When deciding what is the best way to paint a wooden porch, consider the following:

1. Does moisture get on it during precipitation or snowmelt.
2. How the sun's rays act on painted surfaces: whether they fall directly or not due to shading.
3. The impact of the wind: which side it blows more often.
4. Patency: how many people will use the porch.
5. Seasonal temperature fluctuations.
6. Where the porch goes: to a busy street or to the garden.

Taking into account all these factors, it is recommended to choose a paint and varnish agent.

But it is not necessary to use color dyes. If the wood is new and the boards have a beautiful texture, then the use of transparent or tinted varnishes will emphasize the unique beauty of the wood.

How to paint

To make the wooden porch on the street look beautiful for a long time and be reliably protected from destruction, it is not enough just to choose a coloring composition, you need to apply it correctly. But how to paint wooden surfaces? To do this, you only need to follow the recommended steps:

1. Cleaning up. All trash and traces of old paint are carefully removed. When removing dust and dirt, special attention should be paid to the gaps between the boards, because it is there that all the dirt accumulates.
2. Grinding. All small scratches, chips or protruding knots are cleaned with sandpaper.
3. Alignment. Large cracks or dents are smoothed out using wood putty.
4. Re-clean. After grinding and leveling, various debris remained, therefore it is recommended to wash the boards and leave them to dry.
5. Impregnation. The film of paint will protect from environmental influences, but it is better to take care of such an additional protective method as impregnation. Impregnation can be produced only from fungi or only from fire, and there are complex products. But impregnation of wood will contribute to the long service of the porch. You can apply the impregnation with a roller or brush, making sure that all areas are evenly stained.
6. Padding. Another important stage, neglect of which affects the quality of finishing work. The use of the primer will not only provide more complete adhesion to the substrate, but will also save a little: the primer is much cheaper than paint, and after applying it, the dye consumption is reduced.
7. After the soil has dried, you can start painting.

If all the recommendations have been met, then the porch will delight for many years with a beautiful appearance.

Professional Tips

Each work has its own tricks, and they are there when painting the porch. Experienced craftsmen share their experience:

1. Painting always begins with small decorative details. First, the small elements and the joints of the boards are painted with a brush, and then the porch is painted with a roller.
2. The dye will lie more evenly if applied along the wood fibers.
3. Applying varnish on top of the paint will significantly extend the life of the coating. The varnish is applied immediately after the dye has dried.
4. When choosing coatings, pay attention to the name of the manufacturer. You may have to overpay for the brand, but it will guarantee that a quality product is purchased. The desire to save may result in additional costs: a cheap paint bought will lose its appearance in a season or begin to peel off, and it will be necessary to re-finish it.

The wooden porch is not just the entrance to the house, but also a decorative element, and in its appearance the first impression of the people living in the house is created. A well and beautifully painted porch is the dream of every owner, and you need to make very little effort to make the dream come true for many years.