What color should I paint my deck?

[Harriet Vane]

We are repainting our deck. The former owners had dark cream railings and a dark brown floor. We will stick with the dark cream for the railings. I am not sure about the floor. I think two-toned might look ugly. It's hard to know, because the deck was quite weathered when we bought the house, so we don't have a clear idea of what two-toned really looked like. I am trying to decided whether to go with cream for the whole deck or get a dark brown for the deck floor.

 

Will the lighter cream be more high maintenance? I am not the world's best housekeeper. Dh suggested I might have to mop the deck sometimes--it's just not going to happen, folks. Though I could see myself hosing it off sometimes.

 

For context, we live on a wooded property. Tons of leaves. Tons of wildlife.

 

Which would you do--two-toned cream+brown or just cream for the whole thing? Why? And please comment on cleaning factors.

 

Thanks!!!

 

Edited to add: The house is dark cream stucco (or very light vanilla beige). The cream railings match the cream stucco.

Edited October 29, 2016 by Harriet Vane

[StephanieZ]

Deck paint (on any horizontal surface) scratches, in my experience. No way to prevent it. 

 

SO, I'd go with "wood colored" paint on the horizontal surfaces, so that the scratches are less noticeable. I'd try to get a color as close to the soon-to-be-exposed wood as possible. So, it'd probably be a brownish grayish color. :) 

[zoobie]

Mopping a deck? :rofl:

 

I've never seen a painted deck in good shape. Can it be stripped and stained?

[Angie in VA]

Deck paint (on any horizontal surface) scratches, in my experience. No way to prevent it. 

 

SO, I'd go with "wood colored" paint on the horizontal surfaces, so that the scratches are less noticeable. I'd try to get a color as close to the soon-to-be-exposed wood as possible. So, it'd probably be a brownish grayish color. :)

 

Exactly my first thought: a color of wood. Now, there will be myriad choices. I don't envy you this process. 

[wonderchica]

Are there really people who mop their deck??

 

My deck is light gray, goes with but doesn't match the house. It was painted like that when we moved in. I like it.

[Carol in Cal.]

I'd paint the floor of it a light to medium local dirt type color so I wouldn't have to clean it as often.  Mocha would be a good shade around here; YMMV with the local dirt.  And I'd paint the uprights a darker shade of the same color, but the top railings would be cream colored so that they wouldn't heat up as much in the sun and you could lean on them with bare arms.

[gardenmom5]

I wouldn't do cream for the 'floor' of the deck.  it shows dirt like crazy - and you're outside. it would do darker than the house and rails - but not necessarily dark brown. 

two-tone would show off the rails and make the deck 'pop'.  if everything is the same color - it just blends and disappears.

 

is it a brown that's supposed to pick up on the brown in the trees?   and are they deciduous or evergreen?

[Harriet Vane]

Mopping a deck? :rofl:

 

I've never seen a painted deck in good shape. Can it be stripped and stained?

 

 

No. Dh and ds are putting on primer as we speak. It's an older deck. We figure it might have five years of life in it. We're trying to spruce it up without breaking the bank.

 

FTR, we hate paint on outdoor structures. It's just a royal pain. When the deck dies someday, we will put in a deck au naturel and leave it.

[wonderchica]

I'd paint the floor of it a light to medium local dirt type color so I wouldn't have to clean it as often. Mocha would be a good shade around here; YMMV with the local dirt. And I'd paint the uprights a darker shade of the same color, but the top railings would be cream colored so that they wouldn't heat up as much in the sun and you could lean on them with bare arms.

Now this makes sense! My gray goes with the house (a greenish/grayish exterior), but we also have gray/light brown sandy dirt. I just sweep it occasionally. It really doesn't look dirty, probably because the soil isn't far off in color! Must be why my Nannie had a red clay colored deck lol

[Plink]

Don't paint your deck cream.  You may love it for 10 days, but you will then spend years regretting your decision.  Pick a wood or dirt color.

 

 

Honestly, I don't paint my decks anymore - all that cracking and peeling gets tedious.

 

Instead, we seal them with Tung oil, or the like.  Personally, I love a product called Superdeck.  It is basically a stain, but you can get it in semi-transparent or even solid, so it looks more like paint.  It goes on in one coat, never drips, never peels, contains oil so you don't need to poly over it, beads water, and is just all around amazing.  

 

It sounds like you've already primed, so go ahead and paint this time, but when you get that new deck 5 years from now, seriously take a look at sealing it rather than painting it.

 

 

Edited October 29, 2016 by Plink

[Jenrae]

Years ago I painted our previous deck two toned and loved it! The floor was a terracotta color and the railing was a tan color to match the house. It looked great and lasted several years.

 

If I was doing it today, I would paint the flooring a charcoal color or brownish color. It would show less dirt and dust. I learned to use a bucket of soapy water and a long handled brush and followed up with the hose if it needed a quick cleaning.

 

Take a look at Pintrest to decide which look you like the most! Just type in painted decks and you will see a great variety of decks.

[Harriet Vane]

Okay--we will skip the cream floor and go with two-toned. The railings will be cream and the floor will be dark taupe. 

 

Thanks!!