There are several types of treated wood. Until recently, wood treated with a compound that contained chromated copper arsenate(CCA) was the most popular type of pressurized treated wood. The skin absorbed the arsenic when you touched it, and consequently, the environmental protection agency (EPA) asked the manufacturers to phase out the product. Today, manufacturers slowly switch their product to wood treated with a copper-based preservative that contains no arsenic. When you paint treated wood, there are variables that you need to take into consideration before you start the process.
Instructions
1. See if the chemical is dry. Some of the wood comes to the home improvement store right after it's treated. You need to check the wood to see if it's dry. It needs to be in the open air, not stacked and stored, 4 weeks to 6 months before you start to paint it or the paint won't adhere properly. The old rule of thumb was to wait at least one season before you paint the wood. Sometimes it meant that the homeowner never completed the project.
2. Test the wood for dryness. You don't want the treated wood to dry to0 rapidly because it causes the wood to warp, splinter and crack. Even though it's treated to prevent wood rot, it doesn't mean that it isn't going to warp and weather. Drying too fast causes this to happen. Don't attempt to force it dry with fans or additional heat.
3. Apply an outside preservative while it dries. Use the type of clear preservative made for the treated wood. The manufacturer of the product normally recommends specific brands that work well. Make sure it's the type to use with fresh pressure treated wood. This slows the drying process but prevents the wood from shrinking, curling and cracking. As soon as you complete the project, apply the preservative. Not all people use a preservative on the outside of damp wood. Check the literature from the company that treats the wood to see if it's best for the product.
4. Wait the amount of time specified on the preservative sealer. Attempting to paint too quickly leaves the wood exposed to rot and causes the paint to peal. Check for damp, darker areas where the wood isn't exposed to the sun. An example would be the underside of a deck. If those areas appear dry, the wood is normally dry throughout.
5. Look for signs of mold, algae or mildew on the wood. You'll need to clean it with a pressure cleaner or steel wool, bleach and water solution if you find any. Allow this to dry. You don't have to wait as long because it doesn't have time to absorb the water that deeply.
6. Paint it with a coat or two of exterior primer. Use the appropriate type of primer. Most people recommend 100 percent acrylic primer and paint for treated wood. Oil-based primer tends to seal any remaining moisture into the wood and allows rotting. Acrylic paint cracks less frequently than oil. Paint it and allow it to dry thoroughly before you apply the second coat of primer.
7. Finish the painting with two coats of exterior latex acrylic paint if you used that type of primer. Make certain you allowed the primer to dry at least overnight or according to the paint manufacturer's directions. Paint the first coat of exterior latex acrylic and allow it to dry before you paint the last coat on the treated wood.
Tags: treated wood, before paint, before start, coat exterior, exterior latex, exterior latex acrylic, latex acrylic