# Pressure treated wood



## skilldpainter (Jan 11, 2015)

So we did a job that a General used pressure treated wood for the posts per customers request, that we painted white, (swiss coffee). 
I'm well aware more now than 10 yrs ago or more that bleed through is going to occur. I say this because I had not payed much attention in my early years of painting that bleed through will show, more so because I had never painted pressure treated wood white. 
We applied a shellac based primer, wait...
first we applied 2 coats of some high end water based primer allowing a 24 hr dry time, bleed through, used shellac based primer and still bleed through, etc.
No paint or stain even if dark will prevent it, that I'm aware of.
My question is if I skim the pressure treated wood with bondo It will stop or at least hold out the bleed through for longer than 6 months?


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## journeymanPainter (Feb 26, 2014)

I doubt it. If the General knew the wood was to be painted, why did he buy pressure treated?


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## skilldpainter (Jan 11, 2015)

Thank you for your reply.
I assume he thought came across the same issue in the past as i did, where when painting the treated wood, only dark color was used.
But besides that I know as well as you do the customer is always right.
This customer wants what she wants and now I am just wanting to help out the General.
Im curious though, what raises your doubts?
Bondo is an excellent product, though I don't like to use only when necessary.


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## woodcoyote (Dec 30, 2012)

Pressure treated wood and shellac? I'm assuming this is an outside project? I definitely wouldn't use shellac on anything exterior. 

Try an exterior rated high-build bonding primer. Problem solved.


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

We prime and paint PT a lot. I like to use BM 047 oil primer.

I also ask how fresh the wood is, it need to bleed out for 6 months. If you have a moisture meter give it a test. 10% or less moisture.


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## TKbrush (Dec 30, 2014)

I would think a paint stain could be a good option, for future application.


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## 804 Paint (Jan 31, 2014)

Once the moisture content is where it should be, I wonder if two coats of Mad Dog primer would do the trick. It forms an elastomeric layer over the substrate and is supposed to block tannin and rust with two coats. I've pulled the dry skin off of the can after use and think it would work pretty well. I will have to go back to the house I painted (whole-house prime) to see how the wood that was replaced looks, though none of it was PT. 


Sent from my iPhone using PaintTalk.com


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## Andyman (Feb 21, 2009)

There's a lot wrong here. 
1. Pressure treated is not really paint grade. 
2. The customer is not always right. The general and you are the professionals. 
3. PT needs to weather and dry prior to coating. 
4. Bondo is for repairing dents and dings. What does this have to do with stain blocking?

I'm thinking the wood is green and not ready for coating but now it has 6 coats of primer on it so I'm not sure what you should do.


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

Shellac primer like BIN is only for spot priming on exterior surfaces as it creates it's own vapor barrier. Will definitely create problems down the road.


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## Lambrecht (Feb 8, 2010)

Zinnser Coverstain, then Aqua Lock, then topcoat. Let each coat dry 24hrs before next coat.


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## DrakeB (Jun 6, 2011)

There's a Ben Moore Fresh Start for exterior wood (094) that has pretty good stain/tannin blocking... but I'm a bit wary of recommending anything at all for pressure treated lumber.


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## stelzerpaintinginc. (May 9, 2012)

Prime with long oil, let it dry for at least 24 hours, check for tannin. If any, spot-prime again, then a quality 100% acrylic top-coat.

I hope these posts aren't subjected to the weather too much. The shellac used in previous coatings is a ticking time-bomb and weather will speed up the fuse.


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## Pete Martin the Painter (Nov 8, 2012)

Lambrecht said:


> Zinnser Coverstain, then Aqua Lock, then topcoat. Let each coat dry 24hrs before next coat.


Just wondering what is the purpose using Coverstain and Aqua Lock...not criticizing...trying to learn.


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## DrakeB (Jun 6, 2011)

Pete the Painter said:


> Just wondering what is the purpose using Coverstain and Aqua Lock...not criticizing...trying to learn.


I'm wondering the same thing, especially Aqua Lock on treated lumber. I'd be worried that it's going to keep all the moisture from the lumber in and cause trouble even faster. I thought Aqua Lock (kinda like the BIN one) was only meant for spot priming for exterior applications?


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## PremierPaintingMa (Nov 30, 2014)

skilldpainter!
Just use BM Fresh Start fast dry tinted oil primer let it dry for 24 hour than use ARBORCOAT Solid Deck and Siding Stain (640) you shouldn't have any problem after that.


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## Pete Martin the Painter (Nov 8, 2012)

Woodford said:


> I'm wondering the same thing, especially Aqua Lock on treated lumber. I'd be worried that it's going to keep all the moisture from the lumber in and cause trouble even faster. I thought Aqua Lock (kinda like the BIN one) was only meant for spot priming for exterior applications?



I have never used it, but you seem to be right, it's description for exterior is spot prime only:

"Aqua Lock Plus is a multipurpose, 100% acrylic, water-based primer/sealer for outstanding everyday stain blocking on a variety of surfaces. It adheres to interior and exterior (spot prime) surfaces and can be top-coated with latex or oil-based coatings."


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## Lambrecht (Feb 8, 2010)

Pete the Painter said:


> Just wondering what is the purpose using Coverstain and Aqua Lock...not criticizing...trying to learn.


Use the coverstain as your oil primer, most likely you will have tannin bleed through, spot prime the tannin with aqua lock then top coat. My experience with aqua lock (which I use a lot) is that when using over water damage, tannin, grease stains, etc. that when it is dry it may look like the stain has bled through the primer by having some of the underlying stain color on the surface but it will be sealed and not bleed through the topcoat. You do not want to apply two coats of an oil primer for the possibility of it growing mold/mildew between coats.


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## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

Solid acrylic stain for primer. :thumbsup:


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## JoeAntilla (Mar 14, 2014)

Tell the GC to wrap the posts in Mira tec.


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## skilldpainter (Jan 11, 2015)

I appreciate all the tips.....
I may have come across it before, but what is Mira Tech.
This is a shot in the dark but how about epoxy?
Tomorrow I go and see how the last prime of oil based that the GC put on.
Geez think up to about 7-8 coats now


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## JoeAntilla (Mar 14, 2014)

http://www.miratectrim.com


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## JoeAntilla (Mar 14, 2014)

Unfortunately I think it was a bad move to paint the treated wood so early. I've always been told to let it dry out for a year before finishing it. I've always been cautious to follow substrate guidelines because I've been taught that once I paint something it's as if I bought it. Meaning that I put the ok on the substrate and went ahead and finished it. Something's require time to cure, like concrete. Wrapping the posts are what a lot of good GC's do. Some wrap in the miratec, the posts on my house are wrapped in cedar trim. If take a pic, but they're covered in snow. Sounds like the GC is at least acting helpful and absorbing some of the blame, good luck tomorrow!


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## JoeAntilla (Mar 14, 2014)

Epoxy won't do any better stain blocking for you than what you've already tried, it's a dead end road.


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## skilldpainter (Jan 11, 2015)

My cousin mentioned same steps as with a quick dry primer (oil) thin coats
the 24 hr recoat. 
I think the epoxy will work, not now though, but if a certain epoxy was put on which can resist gas and other chemical , that would prove effective for bleed.
the general got impatient and started putting the last coat yesterday now wants to hold off a week from today and see if any bleed through is presentbefore putting the top coat..

Thank you fellas


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## Ccmpainting (Nov 10, 2020)

skilldpainter said:


> So we did a job that a General used pressure treated wood for the posts per customers request, that we painted white, (swiss coffee).
> I'm well aware more now than 10 yrs ago or more that bleed through is going to occur. I say this because I had not payed much attention in my early years of painting that bleed through will show, more so because I had never painted pressure treated wood white.
> We applied a shellac based primer, wait...
> first we applied 2 coats of some high end water based primer allowing a 24 hr dry time, bleed through, used shellac based primer and still bleed through, etc.
> ...


Never Paint pressure treated. Use a solid color stain oil primer and then latex solid color stain topcoat.


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