I also posted this on the deck and porch forum, but have always gotten good advice here, so figured a post on this one couldn't hurt.

Our front porch is covered, but the wooden steps leading to it are fully exposed to rain and snow. I have scraped, sanded, primed and painted the stairs twice in the last three years and cannot get paint to stay on them.

I THINK what is happening is the ground below the stairs is damp and water condenses on the undersides of the stairs in the winter and works its way up until it works the paint loose. Both sides of the stairs are open with lattice, so there is good air circulation, but I cannot think of any other reason why good paint just won't stay on the stairs.

I can get under the stairs, but could not do a good job painting the undersides because there is not much room and there is stuff in the way.

So, my choices are:

- get under the stairs and do as good a job as I can painting the undersides, then scrape, sand, prime and paint the top and cross my fingers and hope for the best.

- cover the stairs completely with something (not sure what - I don't like the look of outdoor carpet, but I don't like constantly flaking paint either).

- live with flaking paint.

Any ideas?

THANKS