Tips for Painting or Staining Your Pergola
A pergola is an excellent structure to use in a backyard or garden. A pergola can be used as a focal point and provides the perfect outdoor living space for enjoying time with family and friends over good food and drinks.
Installing a new pergola involves painting the structure before it is assembled, or at least preparing it by sanding down any rough spots on the wood that will come into contact with your paint.
The type of paint you choose should depend upon where you live. Some parts of the country may have more humidity or rain than others, so you need to know which kind of exterior paint you want for your new outdoor space.
If you live in a place with a lot of rain, for instance, you might want to use an exterior paint that is both weatherproof and mildew resistant.
Most paints available at any hardware shop will work just fine for this kind of painting project. Take the time to do some research on the type of wood used to build your structure so you can find the best paint to suit that material.
For example, if you have cedar planks then it's a good idea to use one that has something called a "cetol" additive which protects against UV rays and wood rot.
To help protect your new investment from things like sun damage and insects, you'll need to spend a little more on the paint and primer that goes into this project.
How do you prepare pergola for painting?
1. Make sure your surface is clean of any dirt or debris before you apply your new coat of paint.
2. Sand down rough spots or splinters so they don't get stuck in your new paint job later. If you have built a deck around your pergola, then you might already have some boards painted in pretty colors that will add a nice touch when matched up against the wood used in your pergola.
It's best not to use regular interior paints for the task, since these are not designed to stand up against the elements.
As you can see, painting a pergola is quite simple and well worth the time and money spent on getting this done before enjoying it in your backyard or garden space.
Again, don't forget to use sandpaper to sand down any rough spots before you paint. This will give your new paint job that much needed protection from splinters!
You may need to do 2 coats of paint, depending on the type of wood used for your project. I recommend using an exterior rated latex paint.
Make sure to clean off your wood really well before painting.
Is it better to stain or paint a pergola?
It really depends on your pergola. If you have a new wooden one that has been sanded, then it will be perfectly fine to use a water based stain.
But if you have an older structure made from pine or another softer wood, it's probably best to go with paint instead. You could always cover up the hue of the different types of wood by using a tan or cream color for the top coat of paint- and don't forget about painting any brackets as well!
When it comes down to it, protecting your pergola from the elements is far more important than what color you choose to paint it.
Just remember that when applying exterior paints - they require 2 coats in order to get the coverage needed for protection against the weather. If you are painting over darker colors, then you will need to apply 3 coats of paint total in order for your new color to show up properly.
Be sure to protect yourself with all the right safety gear before starting this project - including safety glasses and a respirator if needed.
For the best home gazebos and pergolas visit - PremierGazebos.ie