With all this March rain in San Francisco, I’ve had several people ask me if one can apply exterior paint over damp wood. As a San Francisco painting contractor, I like to wait until bare wood is dry before painting. A damp substrate is one of the leading causes of paint failure. There are ways to get around damp wood, and here are a couple of tips:
- On decking, use an emulsified decking stain (water/oil mixed); one that is recommended for use over “damp/dry” wood. Often these are oil stains with “water clean-up”.
- On siding, rag down excess moisture and use hair dryers or fans to dry out as much of the moisture as possible. Then apply an exterior water-based primer and finish paint. Be sure that the paint has enough time to dry before it rains again.
