How to Paint Porch Railings
Keeping your porch railings painted is just as important as keeping the rest of the house painted. Porch railings usually also have spindles in between them, and at least a support post on each end. For this job you will only need basic painting tools. The length of time it takes to paint the railings really depends on how big the porch is.
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Things You'll Need
- Drop cloths
- Paint pot
- Exterior latex paint
- 2 inch angled paint brush
- 4 inch roller pad
- 4 inch roller frame
- roller screen
Instructions
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Painting Porch Railings
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1
Place drop cloths underneath the railings on the porch floor. The drop cloths will keep paint drips off of the porch and eliminate unnecessary cleanup. Pour paint into the paint pot. Place the roller screen into the paint pot. The roller screen is used to roll off excess paint on the roller to help eliminate dripping.
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2
Start with the lower railing. Use your paint brush to paint the lower flat part of the railing in between the posts. Paint the edge of the railing also. Paint the underneath side of the upper railing with the paint brush. Use the 4 inch roller to quickly paint the spindle. After you have used the roller on the spindle go over it with the paint brush to make sure that the spindle is well covered.
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3
Continue to move across the railing using the previous pattern. Paint the flat portion of the railing with the paint brush and use the roller to paint each spindle. Use the roller to paint the top rail and smooth over it with the paint brush.
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4
Move to the opposite side of the porch rail. Paint the outer edge of the lower rail with the paint brush. Use the roller on the outside of the spindle. Go over the spindle with the paint brush. It is best to periodically move from one side of the rail to the other side. By alternating sides you can avoid having runs in the paint.
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5
Paint the larger support posts with the roller and go over it with the paint brush to make sure that the posts are covered well. Roll a portion of the post and use the brush to smooth it out. Continue this pattern on each post.
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Tips & Warnings
A very quick method of painting porch railings would be to spray them. To spray the railings you would need to use painters paper and tape to completely cover the porch area. It takes time to prepare for spraying, but the painting method is considerably faster and gives a much smoother finish.
If you paint all of one side of the porch railings before moving to the opposite side, you run the risk of having dried runs or drips in the paint. Once dried the drips will have to be scraped or sanded off.
