Refinishing Wood Adirondak Chairs - a Seattle Saga
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These chairs had more life left in them, but they were down bad.
When we got these chairs four years ago we stained them. We stored them outside after their first season (who has space for four Adirondack chairs?
Then, a year later, we got a garden shed and a paint sprayer, and suddenly painting the chairs with the sprayer seemed like a great idea! Dear reader, it was not a good idea. Without primer, the water-based paint began peeling within days of application.
Fast forward and I couldn’t handle it anymore! But these are solid wood chairs, and I knew I could get them into a better shape to carry us through another (hopefully) two years.
I chatted with the pro at the Lowe’s paint counter and she recommended a primer to prep the chairs. Given that they had existing paint and stain, are stored outside, and we want to extend their use as long as possible, a primer will help more than a top coat.
I went with the Valspar Duramax exterior paint and primer because it is highly resistant to peeling/cracking and is resistant to mildew and mold buildup. In the Northwest these are very real issues I am thrilled to take steps to prevent.
I pressure washed, sanded and filled holes on the chairs to bring them back to life as best I could. Priming was definitely the right move, and the sprayer made the task so much easier. The paint went on beautifully and the color has weathered well this summer.