Painting deck rails

Ranger1227

I need to paint my cedar deck rails. When the deck was built, we put in Epoch decking and cedar posts and rails. As my contractor instructed, I let the cedar be exposed for about 6-7 months in order to let the chemicals leech out before painting. He advised using Akzo Nobel by Sikkens. I did that. It eventually started peeling off.

I hired the College Painters one summer to paint it again, and they used a Benjamin Moore product. It is now peeling again.

I plan on spray painting it. My questions are these:

Any recommendations on paint/stain? Should I prime?

WHat paint sprayer do you recommend I buy? I have been looking at the Graco line at Home Depot.

jsheridan

Can you send some pics? How was the deck prepared prior to staining the first time? It's possible you had some mill glaze, which would prevent stain penetration. What Sikkens and Ben Moore products did you use? How was it applied the first time, brush or spray? In my experience, there are two schools of thought on cedar, it doesn't hold finish and it holds it great. I've seen more of it doesn't hold finish. Maybe some types hold better than others, don't know. I do know that with the experience your having, you don't want to be scraping peeling primer and two coats of finish. I, personally, would never put paint on a deck, ever, for no reason. Stain and paint fail differently and paint is far more difficult and expensive to deal with, just battled it last summer. The problem with spraying is that you must back brush the material into the grain, the pores, else the stain will not penetrate as effectively. Same with applying it with a roller, back brush. Can you get back with some further info?

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housepaintingny

I would strip the stain off first using Sherwin Williams stain remover. Then I would use Deck Brite from wolmans. It will clean, remove mill glazing, open the poors, and brighten. Then I would apply 1 coat of Sikkens Srd. I've always had good luck with sikkens on cedar, but the surface has to be prepared the right way. I would not use any deck cleaning products that contain bleach. Deck Brite is a per carbonate product.

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Ranger1227

Thanks for the responses. I will try to post some pics later. I used the Sikkens Akzo Nobel product which did not require separate priming. It has been many years since the initial application and I a am pretty sure that I used the non phosphate TSP solution to wash the railings prior to covering.

The second application was one couat of Sherwin Williams exterior stain, I believe. It is peeling down to the bare wood. My thoughts were to scrape off the loose paint using my power drill and a stripping attachment. Then, I would spray the railings. I really can't hand paint due to tennis elbow and rotator cuff issues.

jsheridan

Ranger, I can absolutely relate to tennis elbow and shoulder issues, it's got me as well. I brush and roll through pain on a regular basis.
Finish always peels down to the layer where the reason for the failure occurs. In your case, it's the wood and the first coat. Once stripped, you need a new plan of action. You know what they say about insanity. I like housepaintingny's (hpny) plan. I don't like using power tools for the stripping if using a non-solid stain. You could easily end up with a real non-uniform looking finish, and it's a much harder path. When staining, the depth of the sanding cut needs to be uniform. I think HPNY's plan, maybe in conjunction with a power wash, would be the way to go. You need to start from scratch, and his plan would cover the possibilities your finish failed. After you strip and wash, allow three good days of drying or till moisture content is 15-18%. And, however you apply the stain, it's imperative to back brush for maximum penetration. HPNY hit the nail on the head with all his recs. Good Luck.
PS No college, student, university, junior high, post graduate, painters.

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