How to paint exterior railing

We had a recent inquiry on a paint job for painting some exterior railing. Though it was quite a large job that we do not recommend doing alone, we thought this was the perfect opportunity to create a blog if you have exterior railing you want to update yourself on your patio or deck! Painting an exterior railing can seem easy from the looks, however once you really get to painting it is when you find out, this might be more than i bargained for! There is a trick to painting,to getting all corners and nocks of that rail! Below is our advice we can share while getting the job done yourself!

1. Wash the surface! This is pretty much the first step on every paint job. This first step plays an important role in our last steps because if you skip washing the surface your end result could turn out with an unsmooth surface or chip easily due to leftover residue.
2. Sand the surface! Sanding the surface will make sure the old paint is brushed off and that the new paint will have an adequate surface to stick to! If your surface is already smooth or new metal railing and does not need sanding go ahead and skip to step three!
3. Prime! Once your railing is dust free, use a brush of your choice and apply prime. We recommend using an oil based product. They are the most durable! A Lot of people prefer to skip the priming step, however we highly recommend it!
4. Paint your railing! After the primer is dry use a medium sized paint brush -some prefer spraying on paint, so this is completely up to you- to paint the railing. Also product of choice. Darker colors seem the best fit for outside railing in my opinion so dirt and outside mess dont show too easily.
5. Allow paint to dry before recoating or retouching. Then you can proceed to touch up areas that need extra attention! I always say it's a good idea to label any leftover paint and keep it stored properly, that way through the years you can fix any needed touch up areas! Trying to rematch an old paint color can sometimes be a pain!

I hope you have found this blog useful in your DIY projects! If you have any questions or would like us to come give you a quote please reach out to us at honeydopainting9@gmail.com or give us a call at (209) 699-1790!