How to Paint a Pergola

As part of our outdoor house painting project, we spent a good amount of time devoted to painting our attached pergola on the front of our home. Our pergola is made of pine and it was in desperate need of a new paint job! Once again, although this is time consuming, I saved much more money doing it myself.  I’ve included the video and DIY instructions below, which can also be applied towards a detached pergola. Read on to find out more details on how to paint a pergola!

What You Will Need to Paint a Pergola:

• Power washer or other tool to scrape off old paint
• Sander or sand paper
• Primer
• Paint and sprayer, brush
• Frog Tape
• Cardboard, old sheets, painter’s paper or plastic to cover unwanted paint areas

How to Paint a Pergola:

1. Prep work: Prepping wood for paint is an area you don’t want to skimp on. Use a power washer to remove all of the loose, flaking paint. If you choose to power wash, let the wood dry out for 24 hours. Once the wood has dried, use a sander and sand paper (in this case I used my Orbital sander and 100 grit sand paper) to sand the remaining loose paint off. Since I painted latex over latex, it wasn’t necessary to remove all the paint off.
2. Tape and cover: Tape and cover anything you do not want painted. I taped around the base of my columns and then added sheets of cardboard to cover the porch. I also covered anything I didn’t want overspray on.
3. Prime the pergola: Next, use a primer to seal up all of the raw wood. Using a primer first before painting not only seals, but it will also help create a smooth and even final coat. Allow time for the primer to dry.
4. Paint: Before painting, wipe down your surface to remove any dust or dirt. This creates a clean surface for new paint to stick to, and will allow for a smooth finish. We painted using Sherwin Williams Exterior Duration paint in Pure White with a satin finish. I also used the Graco Magnum x7 which made painting so much easier! I applied 3 coats of paint to get a good even coverage.

Happy Painting!