Paint or stain pine bridge
by
Sherrie S
+11
My bridge I believe is pine. It is old but in excellent shape except for the bleached out color. What would be the best product to make it attractive again? Is there prep work besides cleaning it well?
14 answers
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Sherrie, if you could post a picture of it then that would help the best. You could go with painting it or perhaps something like the Sikkens product which is more like stain.
![Dan's of Central Florida, Inc.]()
Dan's of Central Florida, Inc.
on Feb 10, 2012
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Hi Dan. You helped me before so I am so happy to see your post. I will post a picture tomorrow.
![Sherrie S]()
Sherrie S
on Feb 10, 2012
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Always happy to help there Sherrie. :) Looking forward to seeing photo and seeing what we can come up with.
![Dan's of Central Florida, Inc.]()
Dan's of Central Florida, Inc.
on Feb 10, 2012
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Dan, now I have been told the bridge is probably cedar, not pine. I don't know if you can tell from a pic but I will send one tomorrow.
![Sherrie S]()
Sherrie S
on Feb 10, 2012
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Yes, stain, no paint, which would peel. Sikkens is a great product. Follow their advice and seal it all the way around. Sikkens is a 'building' type stain that can also peel if trapped moisture tries to evaporate out , so seal it under and around and do it every year for lower maintenance. Best, Charles
![Peace Painting Co., Inc.]()
Peace Painting Co., Inc.
on Feb 10, 2012
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Pictures of POOR uncared for bridge. I really like it so I want to do what is right. Thank you for your help - the bridge thanks you, too.
![Sherrie S]()
Sherrie S
on Feb 11, 2012
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I've done some decks that were in similar shape. We used the Sikkens on them and they looked great afterwards (they were done in a brownish-red type color) so Sikkens does get my vote here.
![Dan's of Central Florida, Inc.]()
Dan's of Central Florida, Inc.
on Feb 12, 2012
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Peace, you don't mean all the way around like UNDER the bridge. That would be impossible as it was placed there be a big machine and nobody can move it. I'll go to Lowes or HD for Sikkens. Thank you Peace & Dan.
![Sherrie S]()
Sherrie S
on Feb 12, 2012
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Sherrie, the big box stores don't carry Sikkens. Since you cannot stain under the deck, I would use a different stain because the Sikkens will peel on deck top surfaces this way. It works great on vertical surfaces (the pickets) and on surface not directly exposed to the weather (overhangs). I know, too many details /-: Any other good stain can do well for a year or two. It's a beautiful bridge and will look really nice stained. Thanks, Charles
![Peace Painting Co., Inc.]()
Peace Painting Co., Inc.
on Feb 12, 2012
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Peace, glad I asked and even more happy you answered. A year or two is fine with me. This poor bridge has had nothing done for well over 15 years but cleaning on occasion. Now I want it to look better.
![Sherrie S]()
Sherrie S
on Feb 12, 2012
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That's great. That means the wood is good (old growth) and with the care, it should last a good time longer.
![Peace Painting Co., Inc.]()
Peace Painting Co., Inc.
on Feb 12, 2012
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@Peace and Sherrie..love the bridge. And A stain will make it gorgeous. We used Sikkens on our deck hubs put together over 3 years ago. We were not able to get underneath, and it has not peeled or anything. We have given it a quick second coat the second year, not last year, but probably will this year , just because. However hubs doesn't want to because he doesn't want it to get any darker and we have a gallon left over. The darker it gets tho the more I can see dust and mud tracks on it! When it was light, not so much! Just a side note, my neighbor had a mh aluminum railing that was falling down, bent in the middle, really looking trashy. So i implored hubs to please offer to make this woman a deck so I would not have to watch trash city over there. He did, she paid for the materials, he worked 3 whole HOT days. Then told her about Sikkens. So it would look nice like ours. Well she went and got some cheap stuff and within one season it was all worn off, starting to look grey. So I shut my eyes and mouth . But a couple of days ago as we were talking about it, hubs saying he didnt want to go any darker, BUT here's a gallon of sikkens..he took it over to HER and asked if she wanted to buy some of it for her deck , and he would put some on to show her how nice it would look. Wood all splintered, grey, baddd. Well, as he was putting some on, out comes the 9 yr old girl, "I like to paint"..ok, here's a brush, Then the boys came out, "we can help", here's more brushes; he told them how to do it, and they went right at it. Just the railings tho, but that's ok, that 's all I can see from here. Hubs had to stop, and then they stopped, so if it will get finished..who knows. But this is a real Tom Sawyer story!!! And everyone wins! haha Especially me! Anyway I love the bridge and your whole area!! Do let us know what you decide!
![Bernice H]()
Bernice H
on May 27, 2012
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Sherrie at the far end of the bridge, there are ....gazing balls? Do you have any trouble keeping them looking nice? My glass stuff got very water spotted from sprinklers.
![Bernice H]()
Bernice H
on May 27, 2012
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Oh, oh another project NOT done. Bridge will absolutely be next. I started other things around the bridge. I must get that bridge done very, very soon. Bernice H, those are real cheap things that look like little gazing balls but you fill the top part & they actually water plants. My sprinklers put out a lot of ugly iron so I use a product called Goof Off rust stain remover and they look great. I've had them for a number of years.
![Sherrie S]()
Sherrie S
on May 27, 2012
Dan's of Central Florida, Inc.
on Feb 10, 2012
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