How to Paint a Porch Roof

Repainting a porch is a straightforward affair, although care should be taken to prepare the surface of the wood. Before painting, you should have enough paint and base to completely cover the area and have the old paint completely scraped off to avoid ugly bumps and bubbling paint.

• 1

  Scrape the current paint off of the porch using a metal spatula or paint scraper. Pay close attention to cracks and corners.

• 2

  Sand or buff any rough spots you have left after scraping the paint.

• 3

  Repair any structural damage to the porch. Fix the steps and shutters, make sure all the flooring is tight and nail down any loose boards as necessary.

• 4

  Decide on and purchase your paint, a base coat and a sealant. Buy a type of paint made specifically for exteriors to avoid paint fading and purchase enough to paint the entire porch. The sealant can be lacquer or a weatherproofing or protective oil such as orange oil.

• 5

  Pour a small amount (about 2 cups worth) of paint into the paint pan.

• 6

  Lay your drop cloth over the ground or floor of your porch. Exterior paint can be toxic, so unless you buy OVC (organic volatile compound) free paint, avoid letting it drip into your yard.

• 7

  Roll the paint roller in the paint then over the edge of the pan to take off the excess then roll it onto the walls of your porch. The first coat should be evenly covered, yet transparent enough to see a sort of shadow behind it. The paint roller should only be used on larger flat surfaces. Use the brush for small decorative parts.

• 8

  Wait for the first coat to dry before painting a second coat. If you do not allow it to dry completely the inner layers will be unable to dry. When that happens, rain can leak into the paint and create bubbles filled with water. These bubbles can mold or rot your wood walls.

• 9

  Use the small flat brush to paint detail work on your porch. It should be used to paint curved bars, windows and other places too narrow for the roller brush or that need a steady careful application.

• 10

  Wait for the paint to dry and apply a protective coat. Depending on the type it may take as long as a week for the paint to dry completely. Not all exterior paints will need a protective coat so this step is optional.