I spent a few weekends in September stripping the paint from my deck. It's now stripped to the wood. Due to some unforeseen timing issues, I wasn't able to get the new paint down before fall arrived. I'm in Seattle, so getting a full 24 hours of non-rain is tough, let alone a couple of days to let the wood properly dry. Humidity is generally in the 60-90 range.
I have some tarps I could put over the deck to keep it dry for a few weeks. My question is: will the tarp approach work? Should I just wait for spring? Any other ideas?
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The paint is Olympic Rescue It. The min temp is 50, but I am more concerned with the wood. How dry does it need to be? If there is any moisture on the wood, will it shorten the paint's life?
Best Answer
I have made temp tarp roofs over several work sites when building a deck in winter. (Vancouver, BC here, so similar winters).
You should use a new tarp, have a slope for drainage and make sure it is tight and secure.
If any leaks or drips get on the wood it takes longer to dry out in the winter (when it's wet out in general).
I have never painted a deck though, only stains.
The most critical reason for using a tarp roof was keeping plywood dry when we were doing a waterproof vinyl membrane. Most other times they weren't crucial and just for keeping work site relatively dry.