Peeling Deck Rail

Dave R

While doing some work for a customer, she asked me to also take a look at her deck railings. She said they have to re-paint them about every two years because the paint peels off. While looking at it, I could see where the paint was lifting up in areas about 3" square along the length of the rail. The worst areas are where the top rail is nailed to the post.

The house was built in 1965, so if they strip and paint it every two years, it's been painted at least 20 times. The owner says this is no exageration and that they always use professional painters who have stripped, primed and painted with oil. (they have tried many different brands).

I also noticed that there was sap oosing from the end grain which was a surprise since the wood is 43 years old.

Any ideas on how to approach this? She is a good elderly customer and I would like to help end this two year cycle. I thought about trying SW Duration since I have used it sucessfully on deck and porch railings before but the oosing sap worries me. Is there anything that will seal the wood better?

I know this sounds like a DIYS question but I promise it's not. I just don't run into this that much.
thanks

We Fix Houses

I have used the RotDoctor CPES many times with restoration wood putty or just as a primer. The attached even refers to the "sap" you describe. There's a lot of helpful lit to read also on their website. Delivery is out of SC so you'll receive it in a day or two.

http://rotdoctor.com/products/cpes.html

A lot of folks use the Abitron products too.

http://www.abatron.com/cms/buildinga...iquidwood.html


Addl - I've used Duration, Zin OB primer, Kilz, leaving end grain in urethane overnight, etc over the years. Just repeating the same will get the same results. Need to change the system. I did not know of these until I learned of them on these const forums a couple of years ago.

Steve

Chris G

What type of wood is it?

3" squares sounds like latex was put over top of old oil. The latex cures and shrinks, and rips the oil away with it.

Perhaps they didn't remove all the old paint but merely sanded and scraped it. My mom is 80, she's pretty sharp, but her memory has a way of traveling in odd directions.

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Dave R

Thanks for the info. I think I will give the CPES product a try. How can I resist not trying a product whose warning is---
WARNING: This product is inherently unsafe. It cannot be made safe. That's why it works so well. We recommend the use of a respirator capable of filtering organic solvent fumes and vinyl gloves during application. ----

As for the type of wood, I think it is southern yellow pine, but not sure.
I will strip everything down and start from scratch. Mabe it will last more than two years. This lady is in her 80s, and if I accidently breath in some of this CPES, neither one of us may be around in two years to see.

slickshift

Hard to say w/o an inspection, but I'd bet dollars to donuts there's moisture pushing that paint off...well, the oil primer actually

Might be coming in because of a number of reasons, low deck (no evap), poor runoff, collecting at the posts, all six sides never done....

I'd scrape/sand it all off and put an acrylic solid stain (or hybrid Sikkens Rubol) on there

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Originally Posted by ModernStyle I have never used this crap before and I pray to the paint gods that I never have to use it again, I would rather use Behr