Do’s and Don’ts of Painting a Wooden Playhouse Like an Expert
What better way is there to make an immediate change to your child’s wooden playhouse than with a new paint job? When you are ready to paint your kids playhouse and you want to keep it looking exceptional for years to come, there are several things that you definitely need to do and other things you want to avoid.
The following is a list of Do’s and Don’ts on how to expertly paint your wooden playhouse so it will last for years into the future:
- Do prepare ahead of time your playhouse for painting. Prepare your playhouse by gently scraping any loose, dried or flaking old paint using a putty knife or sander while being careful not to damage the wood underneath.
- Do seal any cracks around windows or doors. If there are cracks where two wooden surfaces join together use caulk to seal the cracks. This will keep the moisture outside of the playhouse.
- Do use a high quality primer to paint all of the wooden playhouse surfaces. Using a primer helps to increase the adhesion of the paint to wooden surfaces as well as increasing the waterproof properties of the exposed wooden surfaces.
- Do use an exterior grade paint. Exterior grade paint is formulated to withstand the weathering that a wooden playhouse will experience in its lifetime. Interior grade paint will not stand up against rain and snow. If an interior grade paint is used on surfaces exposed to the outdoors, in a few months after painting the paint will begin to flake and come loose.
- Do paint over using the same type of paint used previously. If a water based paint (latex) was used last, then use a water paint this time to paint the playhouse. Use an oil-based paint to paint over a previously oil-based painted surface. If in doubt, use a water-based paint because it is easier to apply, fast-drying, helps prevent moisture problems, and the clean up is easier.
- Do paint from the top down. Start with the fascia board and gables first. Then move to painting the sides of the playhouse, followed by the windows and trim. The playhouse door is the last thing to be painted.
- Do plan your painting around the sun and weather. Try to work your painting around where the sun is not. In the morning, paint the west and south sides and in the afternoon, paint the east and north side in the afternoon.
- Don’t prime or paint over caulk that has not dried fully. Upon drying, the wet caulking will crack and peel along with the primer or paint that was just applied.
- Don’t paint over chipped or flaking old paint. Painting over dried or flaking paint with new paint will guarantee that the new paint will chip off faster in the near future.
- Don’t wait to paint new wood. New wood should be painted as soon as possible to prevent deterioration of the surface.
A good exterior painting job will extend the life of your wooden playhouse. With these tips, you will be ready to paint like a pro. Your kids will be extremely happy that their newly painted playhouse will last for many years into the future.
