How to Paint a Chipped Front Porch

Power wash the porch to remove dirt and stains. Scrub hard-to-remove stains with a scrub brush and a mixture of water and trisodium phosphate. Allow the wood to dry.

Place drop cloths over the plants or ground along the outer edge of the porch, as well as any area on the porch where you don't want to drip or spill paint.

Inspect the porch for areas where the paint is chipping. Scrape away the flaking paint by sliding a putty knife along the wood at a low angle to pry the flaking paint off the wood. When using the putty knife, make sure you don't dig into the wood.

Fill any nicks or holes in the wood with wood putty.

Sand areas that you patched with wood putty and areas where you scraped away the chipped paint until they're smooth. Wipe dust off the wood with a dry rag.

Prime the wood, using long, smooth strokes. Apply the primer to any locations where the wood is bare or to the entire surface if you're painting the porch in a different color lighter than the existing color to prevent the old paint from bleeding through. Wipe away any excess primer that collects along the edges and allow the primer to dry.

Paint the wood, applying the paint with long, smooth strokes and wiping away any excess paint along the edges. Allow the paint to dry and add a second coat or touch up areas that need it.