My deck appears to have been painted with just a single layer of paint, which is now peeling off. I like the look of the paint (when it's in better condition, of course), and am uninterested in staining, especially because I'll be adding some new balusters which may not necessarily match the existing wood. I'd like to clean, prime, and repaint the entire deck, and have a few questions:
- Do I need to actually strip the existing paint? Or can I just follow this cleaning method (power wash, scrub with bleach/water/TSP)?
- Because I don't particularly care about the discoloration of the underlying wood, is the above-mentioned chemical cleaning necessary? Or can I just pressure wash, wait to dry, then start priming?
- Should I prime/paint/stain the underside of the deck? While I want paint on the top, I'd be okay with staining the underside, if necessary.
- What kind of primer/paint should I use? This deck is in Illinois and experiences hot summers, cold winters, and plenty of moisture.