Painting Wood Trailer Deck

My wood trailer deck is pretty weathered. The previous owner painted it battleship gray, but now less than 10% of the paint remains, and that can be chipped off with ease.

On wood this old, is there any point in painting it? Would staining be a waste of time and effort?

I have now painted the frame of the trailer, replaced the wiring, etc. etc, and the weak link is the condition of the deck.

What kind of paint would I use? Something that will last the summer will be fine, as the deck will likely be replaced next winter anyway.

Hi Tim, any outdoor porch paint would work fine. Buy a bag of that white sand you get for kiddie sandboxes, mix in a handful or two and you will get a non-slip surface. Probably don't have to worry about the old wood you have, but if you replace it with new, be sure not to paint the underside like I have seen some do. It will seal in the moisture and make it rot very quickly. David.

I've seen guys soak wooden truck bodies and side boards in used motor oil. Kind of like tar on telephone poles.

On my 1st trailer I used tompsons water seal each year, and really soaked it. But guess what happened? It rotted from the bottom up in just 3 years. When I replaced the deck I used treated lumber, and do nothing to it. 5 years later now and it is just fine.

Hi Tim, Used motor oil works very well for me on bare wood. I always have plenty of it around.If you can get most of the paint off it might work for you.Just paint it on heavy let it soak in the sun. It stains the wood a nice color and the messy engines dont show as much.It takes about a week (for me)to soak in.Just an idea for you, have fun. Ken

Wood likes oil. Any seal will seal in dampness. Tung oil,used motor oil,OIL.works. linseed,stains(oil base)oil. Hope this helps,seems to work for me.Jim!