How Do You Paint A Cedar Deck Railing?
Cedar makes a top choice for deck railings and other exterior applications due to its natural resistance to bugs and water. This resistance comes from the presence of tannins in the wood. These tannins, however, tend to bleed through paints applied to the wood, leaving stains similar to water stains on the paint surface. To provide the best protection from tannin stains, it is important to prime the deck railing with a professional quality alkyd primer. Latex top coats can be applied over the oil-based primer to make for easier clean up, but water-based latex primers pull the water-based tannins out of the wood and into the paint, so sealing them in the wood with an oil-based primer is essential. Fill any knots with an exterior-grade wood filler. Let the filler dry and sand it smooth with the surrounding surface. Lightly sand the entire deck railing with 150-grit sandpaper to remove any small imperfections and give the surface of the wood a uniform finish. Prime the deck railing using
