I have a wrap-around porch with cedar deck boards.
The previous owner painted the deck boards with a latex paint.
Most of the paint is in good shape, but there is a high-traffic sun-and-rain-exposed section, about 200 square feet, that is peeling very badly.
I don't have the time and energy to strip this down completely to bare new wood, so I am trying to come up with an alternate plan. I don't want to power-sand or use a chemical stripper. I don't have the energy to handle the resulting mess.
Here are some options I've come up with:
1) Use a handheld scraper to remove the large blisters, wipe with a damp cloth to remove dust and dirt, and apply a self-priming latex as I go. This allows me to tackle the job a little bit at a time, since the latex dries fast and cleans up easily.2) Use a handheld scraper to remove the large blisters, wipe with a damp cloth to remove dust and dirt, and apply a clear penetrating water-based sealant to soak into the areas of exposed wood. This allows me to tackle the job a little bit at a time. When I'm finally finished scraping and applying sealant, go back to the beginning and start applying a latex topcoat over the sealant (where it was applied over the blisters I scraped off) and the previous latex topcoat (where it wasn't blistering and didn't get scraped off).
3) Use a handheld scraper to remove the large blisters, wipe with a cloth dampened in mineral spirits to remove dust and dirt, and apply a clear penetrating oil-based sealant to soak into the areas of exposed wood. When I'm finally finished scraping and applying sealant, go back to the beginning and start applying an oil-based primer over the sealant (where it was applied over the blisters I scraped off) and the previous latex topcoat (where it wasn't blistering and didn't get scraped off). When I'm finished with that, go back and put a latex topcoat over the primer.4) Blast the area with a pressure washer to remove blistering paint. Wait till it dries, then start applying a self-priming latex as in option 1, or a water-based sealant as in option 2.
I could start right away and start making progress. I realize that from a paint integrity point of view, this approach leaves a bit to be desired. But, in the future, if I get more peeling, I can just spot-treat in the same manner.
I would like to use Option 2, because it is almost as easy as Option 1, and it seems like it would yield a better result. The only problem is, I haven't been able to find a water-based sealant that explicitly says on the label that it can be painted over. Does anyone know of such a product?
I'd rather not do Option 3, because of the hassle of working with solvent-based products, especially when working incrementally which results in many clean-up cycles. I have a gallon of clear oil-based sealant (Do It Best Waterproofing Sealer #770779) that is absolutely amazing at penetrating into the wood, and the label explicitly says it can be overcoated with an oil-based primer once it dries. This gallon of sealant was left over from the previous owner and is probably 10 years old. Despite much searching, I have not been able to locate any similar product available today which which explicitly allows over-painting.
As for Option 4, I could borrow or rent or buy a pressure washer, but cedar is a very soft wood and I'm concerned about damage, and I'm not sure it would work as well as physically scraping with a handheld scraper.
Are there any readers out there who have dealt with a similar situation? Please share any war stories or success stories you may have.
Thanks.