Bubbling paint is the last thing that you want to see on a deck that you worked hard to paint it, giving it the level of personality and creativity that reflects what you and your family appreciate.
The problem is, paint has trouble bonding to surfaces that aren’t prepped accordingly, and yes, that includes paints that are tailor-made for applying to wood surfaces. A Journeyman painter will be the first to tell you that surface prep is more than half of the entire paint job.
It doesn’t take much; a little bit of dirt here, some of the chemicals from the treated wood beneath, oil, grease, moisture, and a smooth, unsanded surface will give paint fits when it comes to bonding to the surface.
Paint bonds with the material that you are painting at the molecular level, so the things that you cannot see are the ones to undermine your handiwork.
Proper Surface Prep on a Deck
Acrylic latex is one of the better paints for wood surfaces, especially outdoors. Not only does it last a long time, but it also covers the ugly features that you want to go away. However, before you apply any kind of paint, you have to prep your surface.
You don’t need to concern yourself with any kind of primer, as you will apply two coats of acrylic latex before it’s all said and done. Before you break out the paintbrushes and roller handles, there are a few tools that you will need to get started.
- Pressure washer or a scrub brush
- Mild soap and water
- Sander with very fine grit sanding discs
- (optional) sandpaper
To properly surface prep your deck so that bubbles are never an issue shortly, you need to clean it thoroughly. Whether you decide to go over it with a pressure washer or by scrubbing every square inch of it with a scrub brush and some mild soap and water, the choice is yours.
If you happen to have a pressure washer and decide that you want to use it on the deck, take your time but be careful to never freeze it in place. Keep your nozzle pointed at a 45° angle and between 8” and 10” off of the deck.
Keep moving. As nice as pressure washing can be in eliminating dirt, oil, grease, and other debris, it will also eat straight through your wood and scar it up noticeably.
When you’ve covered every square inch of surface, either with the pressure washer or by scrubbing it on your hands and knees, be sure that there is no soap residue remaining, and if there is, rinse it off thoroughly.
Give it a day to dry. You never want to apply paint on newly treated wood or wood that has recently been wet. Once the deck is dry, now it’s time to apply the sander.
As with the pressure washer, you have to be very careful here. You want to open up the pores of the wood so you are going to use lightning-quick motions, barely sanding it. The last thing that you want to do is dig down and scar the deck up.
The reason that you should go with very fine grit is that you don’t want to be able to see your sanding motions through the paint and large grit sandpaper will leave clues as to its passage that will be revealed when it’s painted.
Last but not least, use a blower, compressed air, or a paintbrush to get any residual dust off of the deck. Don’t bother with a broom. Not only is it too big to do the job, but its bristles are also nowhere near fine enough to catch all the grains of sawdust that will accumulate on the deck.
Additional Tips for Avoiding Bubbles in Your Deck Paint
Paints are rated to handle certain temperatures and residential paints, so long as they are cured, can more than hold their own against UV damage and heat. However, in the process of applying it, well before it cures, outdoor paints are a bit more vulnerable.
Avoidable Environments For Deck Paint
There are two types of environments that you want to avoid when painting an outside deck. The first is a humid, wet day. Even if it’s not raining outside, if you can taste the water vapor in the air, don’t bother breaking out the paintbrush.
The second is a hot day. This is especially true if a portion or all of your deck spends a good deal of time in direct sunlight. The surface may reach a temperature that will cause your wet paint to bubble long before it cures.
You may not even see it, because you have to paint yourself off of your deck and won’t get a close-up look again until it’s cured.
Best Kind Of Weather For Deck Paint
The best time to go outside and paint your deck is on a mild, warm, and relatively dry day. You will get much more out of your paint and avoid any bonding issues between the paint and a hot surface.
Last, but not least, never paint your deck immediately after its been constructed. Odds are, you used pressure-treated (green) wood and that means there is still a good deal of moisture within the wood.
You need to allow the deck time to dry up before you start slapping paint on it. If you can go outside and sprinkle a little water on the deck and the wood absorbs it rather than beading the water up, your deck is ready.
The main goal is to just be patient. The right window will open up for you to lay down some paint. You don’t need to rush it as your deck isn’t going to rot away in a few weeks without paint on it.
Final Thoughts
Paint bubbles up on a deck when the surface is not adequately prepped and when the environmental conditions aren’t conducive for a fresh coat of paint on wood. Make sure that you take the time to prep the surface, wait for your treated wood to dry, and be patient.
Patience is a virtue, as the saying goes and your deck will thank you for it.
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