How to Paint Over a Stained Porch Railing

Thanks to stain-blocking base coats, or primers, it's just as easy to paint over previously stained wood as it is to paint over wood containing an unsightly accidental stain. These stain-blocking primers form a protective barrier that will prevent an unsightly stain from bleeding through the repainted object, just as easily as it blocks the dark color of most wood stains from bleeding through lighter-colored paint. Primer can even be tinted so you get complete coverage more easily with the final paint color.

Household degreaser cleaner
Vinyl spackling compound
150- to 200-grit sandpaper
Primer
Paintbrush
Paint
Clear protective topcoat

Instructions

- 1
  Clean the surface of the railing with a household degreaser cleaner. Purchase these at hardware, home improvement or grocery stores.
- 2
  Fill in any nail holes, dents or scratches in the railing with vinyl spackling compound.
- 3
  Sand lightly any patched areas as well as any high or rough spots on the railing. Use 150- to 200-grit sandpaper. Remove the shine from the wooden railing and sand rough spots only as much as needed to smooth the surface.
- 4
  Apply at least one coat of a good quality stain-killing primer, available at home improvement stores. The store can tint your primer to match your paint color. This may enable you to apply only one coat of both primer and topcoat.
- 5
  Apply at least one coat of the final paint color after the primer has dried for the manufacturer's recommended length of time. Use a paintbrush to brush the paint on the railing. Follow the grain of the wood using long strokes.

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