Porch floor paint choice

17 years ago

I am about to install Garapa (Brazilian hardwood) T&G flooring on our new porch and would like to know if anyone could recommend the best way to color and preserve the wood. I am not interested in trying to keep the original color of the garapa but would like to try and match the color of my shutters and front door (slate grey color). I have looked at Cabots decking stain and spoke to them. They suggested I use their oil base primer, prime all 6 sides of boards during istallation, and then apply ONLY one coat of their soild color acrylic deck stain. Should last 3-4 years they say. I also considered using an "above water line" marine primer and paint (although it is about 3-4 times the cost of Cabots). I have found no information indicating that marine paint would be a good choice but I figure if it can handle being in and around salt water, it should stand up pretty well to my porch. Any suggestions on paint type and proper application would be much appreciated.

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Comments (4)

prinesurf
16 years ago
Hello
Don't mean to hijack your thread but I was wondering the same about options for Garapa, but I would like to add, how can Garapa be stained a deeper IPE type color? Could the woodzotic do the trick?
john_hyatt
16 years ago
Garapa is some really good stuff,and its good to use it takes the strain off of ipe. My projects out with garapa are doing real good.

Paint on outside decking is usually a bad idea X 10 with T&G material, same is true with puting finish on all sides before install bad idea.

Lasting 3/4 years depends on the define of Last. If pealing/lifting,really tough refinish is not in the define the numbers might get up there.

It is possible to change the color of a light/yellow/golden material like Garapa to a darker shade,where as its not really possible to change the color of dark red/brown ipe to a lighter color. To get a darker shade on Garapa I have used a 3 part twp cedartone natural/2 part twp dark oak mixture. Looks pretty good. I havent tried the Ken's woodzotic stuff but many Folks are raving bout it.The Ken Mon is on a roll.

If a person wanted to match the color of the decking to some detail on the house with paint there is no need to go with exotic high price finish. Normal house paint from a pro paint store is going to have the same effect>> looks good the first few moons,first weather exchange time for a recoat, two years the whole thing has to be striped off and start over again.T&G decking installed exposed to the weather is counting on the same gap to vent the rain as face fastened material care needs to be used not to clog up that gap with finish.Keep in mind out side decking is not the same as inside T&G flooring.

J.
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theporchguy
16 years ago
dbinsouthjersey,
A porchman from North Jersey, I've been using 5/4 x4 TG Hardwood mahogany for porches for many, many years. It is equivilent to what you are using. In this case I have been taught to finish my floors in oil paint (any color you want] by thinning my BM Oil Paint by 1/3 thinner and applying it to all six sides before installation.
After installation, one or two coats of the same oil (unthinned) and a beautiful finish is the result.

I learned this method from Old Man Mr Norton of Norton Paints many years ago and have been satisfied with the results.

john-hyatt has a different point of view. Have I been doing my finishing wrong all these years?
I emailed him for his explanation.

Good Luck

All the best,

The PorchGuy

Here is a link that might be useful: My Album
john_hyatt
16 years ago
Its a funny deal with you porch,you dont know what a 18' span means,you tell folks to put plywood over an older deck with carpet but yet you have been puting down T&G decking,an advanced know how kinda thing, for a lot of years.

Anyway I dont recomend pre finish at all.The decking has got to be able to breathe prefinish,should it survive the handling/install,will hinder this. It also will further trap moisture that works its way into the wood from the top. That many coats of paint like your talking about would have to be very cearfully applied so the gaps in the T&G material are not cloged up. Paint will crack and peal exposed flat to the sun its fine for a virtical surface but thats totat diferent. The more coats the worst it gets.

Your right about the old T&G porches they were all painted and they all cracked and pealed,of course they had radical fall to the outside and were installed at a 90% from the house so the rain was runing with the joint not against it.

Hey Man,if your satisfied and the Wallet is happy down the road I never argue with sucess.But I would never prefinish a T&G project X 100 all sides.

Cross Ventalation provides the protection I think you are going for and is a must for a T&G install. I put down construstion adhesive on the joist not for the hold down power but to protect the dry decking from all the water gasing off the wet pt frame in the first few important weeks. I also cut a 1/2'' slot in the T every 3' or so, the screw goes thru the G not the T and the decking is milled with an extra 1/8'' in the G.The install is not jamed up just snuged in.

I really dont know what you have been doing all these years,far as deck finish goes and T&G install goes thats what I do. J.