My experience has shown that, for exterior painting projects, oil-based paints have greater durability and a higher absorption rate. This is especially true for weathered wood and rusty metal. While oil-based paints have a few attributes that might be considered troublesome – these can be mitigated.
A brief table of content
the story of Sisyphus
Have you ever closed your eyes and thought of your idea of heaven on earth? Maybe a house right on the beach, or a bungalow in the middle of a forest of giant Sequoias.
When I close my eyes and conjure up my idea of heaven I see a beautiful farm, with a three rail white wooden fence encircling lush green pastures – complete with beautiful horses quietly grazing.
I have the farm; I have the horses; I’m working on the beautiful part. As for the three rail white wooden fence? In this I am Sisyphus and painting that three rail white wooden fence has become my boulder.
What does this have to do with paint? More than you can possibly imagine.
Let’s assume that, like me, you’ve spent some time painting the interior of your home. And let’s assume that you, like me, always used latex paint. This makes sense. Latex paint is easy to clean up, dries fast, has low fumes and works well for the interior of your home.
Now let’s assume, that you, like me, applied this same interior logic to the exterior, specifically the aforementioned three rail white wooden fence. Note that this fence is comprised of new boards and old boards and a few pretty worn out boards.
Now comes the very first spring at your new barn. Off you go, with your dreams overcoming your good sense, to paint that three rail fence a bright, high gloss white. You’ve already done all the prep work. Scrapped the old paint and replaced old board with new. With all the prep work done, and with a sense of awe that you’ve actually done all the prep work, you are ready to paint.
If only… Oh if only…
It takes you all summer but the fence is painted and it looks glorious! You’re tired but beaming with pride. Your plans and your vision for barn beautification are starting off on a positive, right foot.
You can now check repair and paint the three rail wooden fence off your list. Great idea, you tell yourself, starting with something relatively easy but with a huge beautification pay-out. Pat yourself on the back. Good job! Time to move to the next project.
Fast forward to the next spring. As you drive up the long drive you notice that the fence looks a bit…grungy? You get out of the car and, sure enough, some of the new paint is peeling. OMG! The new paint is peeling!
Undaunted, you begin again. Scrapping off any and all of the peeling paint. You have to admit that you are a bit troubled by how easily the paint comes off both the old and the new rails. Hmmm…
You are now have two years of hard work, and expense invested and, like a gambler, the payout is so beautiful that you are committed to the cause and willing to accept the risk. As I’ve said before. We pretty but we slow…
This, the third spring, and you are already looking for trouble, and finding it. This is when your brain sends up the flair. Maybe we should go with oil-based paint? The more you think about it the more it makes sense. In some places the wood is old and getting a bit geriatric and damp. You reason that, while the latex paint seems to sit on top of the wood, the oil-based paint would permeate the wood. Does that make sense? Why yes I believe it does.
But, wait one gosh darn minute. Latex has always worked in the past. Why doesn’t it work now? I seem to be talking to myself, so I reply, ‘Could the difference be an exterior versus an interior environment?’ In an exterior environment, oil-based paint is more durable. And, yes it can be laden with a bit too much foul-smelling effluvia ($20 word folks) but this shouldn’t matter much. given that all the work that you’ll be doing is outside. You know, where fumes can escape.
But what about the clean-up, the mess from oil-based paints? Have to admit this was one of my big hang ups. (If you knew how much I love my Purdy paint brushes you’d understand.) And yet, here again, you’re painting a three rail wooden fence, not an interior wall. You don’t need expensive brushes to do this job. Buy some nice cheap brushes, or better still, cheaper paint rollers and toss it all at the end of the day. For more on this topic see Rules of the Road below.
So, with newfound optimism, you start again. Once again you scrape and you replace any bad boards. With all your prep work done, let the oil-based magic commence. You start applying your high gloss, oil-based paint. Honestly, other than the effluvium and the mess the outcome seems to be exactly the same. Same hard work. Same beautiful outcome. You are starting to question your decision.
Rules of the Road:
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Petulant Oil-Based Paint. Unlike the well-behaved latex paint, oil-based paint can be a bit petulant.
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Oil-based paint does not ‘keep’ once you open the lid. Even if you hammer that paint lid back down so tight that no air can possibly get to the paint, it still seems to go bad very quickly – as in days, not months.
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A Word on Clean Up. First, and forget at your own peril, oil-based paint cannot be cleaned with soap and water. You need a cleaning solvent. The one that I use is Klean Strip Brush Cleaner, any comparable product would work just as well. And, lesson learned the hard way, this stuff really can eat thru plastic.
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Old Wood / Still Good. When replacing board fencing you should consider saving the old boards for re-use. Assuming that the wood rot is primarily on the ends of the boards. You can cut off the bad ends and have an, albeit shorter, but good piece of wood. Completely up to you. I’m using the old wood that I salvage to rebuild my indoor arena. Yet another project that I can’t wait to tell you about.
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A Quick Note on High Gloss Paint. I have made the decision to not only use oil-based paint but to also ensure that I have the highest sheen that is available. This serves to only increase the longevity and durability of the paint and it looks pretty!
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Supply List:
- Anvil 2.5 Inch Edge Scrapper
- Behr White Oil-Based Interior / Exterior paint
- Klean Strip Brush Cleaner
- Linzer 4 Inch Metal Paint Roller Framer
- Unbranded 4 Inch High Capacity Paint rollers
- Unbranded Mini Plastic Paint trays
- Wooster 2 Inch Angle Sash Brush
Now for a quick overview of what you, or uhm, I, Sisyphus, has learned in my efforts to keep painting that same three rail white wooden fence, over and over and over again.
Rules of the Road:
-
-
Petulant Oil-Based Paint. Unlike the well-behaved latex paint, oil-based paint can be a bit petulant.
-
Oil-based paint does not ‘keep’ once you open the lid. Even if you hammer that paint lid back down so tight that no air can possibly get to the paint, it still seems to go bad very quickly – as in days, not months.
-
-
A Word on Clean Up. First, and forget at your own peril, oil-based paint cannot be cleaned with soap and water. You need a cleaning solvent. The one that I use is Klean Strip Brush Cleaner, any comparable product would work just as well. And, lesson learned the hard way, this stuff really can eat thru plastic.
-
Old Wood / Still Good. When replacing board fencing you should consider saving the old boards for re-use. Assuming that the wood rot is primarily on the ends of the boards. You can cut off the bad ends and have an, albeit shorter, but good piece of wood. Completely up to you. I’m using the old wood that I salvage to rebuild my indoor arena. Yet another project that I can’t wait to tell you about.
-
A Quick Note on High Gloss Paint. I have made the decision to not only use oil-based paint but to also ensure that I have the highest sheen that is available. This serves to only increase the longevity and durability of the paint and it looks pretty!
-
Supply List:
- Anvil 2.5 Inch Edge Scrapper
- Behr White Oil-Based Interior / Exterior paint
- Klean Strip Brush Cleaner
- Linzer 4 Inch Metal Paint Roller Framer
- Unbranded 4 Inch High Capacity Paint rollers
- Unbranded Mini Plastic Paint trays
- Wooster 2 Inch Angle Sash Brush