How to improve old pergola posts?

[Mica69]

Hi, I'm replacing old polycarbonate sheets to my back verandah/pergola, and I'm not sure what to do with the frame? I'm on a tight budget so looking for a cheap and easy solution. Firstly do I need to sand the posts? Can I just stain it without sanding? Or should I just paint it?  I've added photos.

Any advice is appreciated, Thank you 😊 

 

  

[Noyade]

Hi @Mica69 

I personally would paint.

Lets see what others think. 👍

Cheers!

[JacobZ]

Hi @Mica69,

A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

Similarly to @Noyade my suggestion would be to paint your pergola frame. The main reason for this is that your timber is treated pine, which isn't the greatest timber for staining.

Painting the structure with a nice clean colour will brighten it up, protect the frame and cover up any knots or imperfections in the timber.

The basic process for painting would be to sand it back with 80-grit sandpaper to remove any dirt or contaminants and prepare the surface for painting. Using a power sander will speed up this process greatly, so check out Tools 101: How To Use Power Sanders for some guidance.

Make sure you wait for the timber to dry before painting as any moisture in the timber will be locked in place once paint is applied.

Use 2-3 coats of exterior paint, following the manufacturer's guidance on time between coats.

Check out How To Paint Your Exteriors for some general guidance on painting outdoor structures.

Let me know what you think and if you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

[Mica69]

Thanks Noyade for your response... I recently painted my fence in a charcoal colour from bunnings, as my backyard is small I don't want to paint the posts the same colour. What colour do you think? 

[Mica69]

Thank you JacobZ for your response, it was very helpful as I now have decided to paint the posts! 

My back yard is small, I recently painted the backfence in charcoal and I want to paint the posts in a brown/reddish colour that suits my outdoor table. I've sent a photo... What colour paint would you recommend?

 

 

[JacobZ]

Hi @Mica69.

It's difficult to give colour recommendations based on photos as they can appear so different in person and with different lighting.

My suggestion is to head to your local Bunnings' paint section and grab a selection of colour cards. You can then take them home and place them on the structure to see what you like.

Check out the Dulux Brown Paint Colour Chart and Taubmans Brown & Black Paint Colours for some examples.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob