Can you apply thompsons water seal over paint

Water-sealed wood has been sealed with a chemical substance that prevents water from soaking in. This is an especially important feature on bare exterior wood that is going to be exposed to the elements. Paint can be applied to water sealers, but the drying time of the sealer itself is the most important part of this task. For best results, prime the water-sealed wood first. Use either a latex-based or an oil-based primer as your first coat of paint before applying the finishing coat.

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Can you put sealer over paint?
Does water sealer go on before or after paint?
Can you paint wood that has been treated with Thompson's water Seal?
What is the best way to seal painted wood?

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Step 1

Refer to the specific drying times of your brand of water sealant. Commonly, allow one full week of drying before applying an oil-based paint, and wait 45 days before applying a latex-based paint. These are not hard and fast rules, and every water seal manufacturer has its own formula and its own restrictions.

Step 2

Apply primer to the water-sealed wood with a brush or a roller. Brush or roll the paint in the direction of the wood grain. Adhere to the painting guidelines for your particular paint for using either an oil-based primer or a latex-based primer. Allow the primer to dry fully before painting. Most latex-based primers will dry in about four hours, while most oil-based primers must dry overnight.

Step 3

Paint a finish coat over the primer with a roller or a brush. Follow the grain pattern of the wood as you paint. Let the paint dry completely, and add a second coat if you want a deeper or darker color.

Tip

Oil-based primers have long been considered the gold standard for undercoatings. However, modern latex primers now rival the best oil-based primers for protection and durability. The main difference between the two primers is during clean-up. Oil-based primers will need chemical solvents to be removed from brushes and rollers. Latex primers will wash up in soap and water. An oil-based primer might give slightly better protection over a sealer, but the cleaning hassle afterward might not be worth the trouble.

When my porch was built, it was going to be exposed a while before painting, so the builder put a coat of Thompson’s water seal on it to protect it. That was in December. It was then covered with plywood until somewhere around May and has been uncovered since. Will the Thompson’s affect the adhesion of paint? If so, what should I do?

Replies

Qtrmeg | Jun 15, 2004 09:04pm | #1
It would be helpful if you said what your deckboards are, and what the exposure is, (southern, etc). Also how the Thompson's was applied.
No one can give you a good answer until they know that, even if they think they can.

Quickstep | Jun 15, 2004 09:14pm | #2
The floor is T&G fir, it's a covered porch with a due west exposure. The TWS was applied with a brush.

BillHartmann | Jun 15, 2004 09:27pm | #3
My guess is that if water will still bead up on it so will any finish that you try to apply.
One good thing about Thompson's is that it does not last long.

YesMaam27577 | Jun 15, 2004 10:36pm | #4
One good thing about Thompson's is that it does not last long.
Agreed -- in fact, when I saw the title of the thread, I figured that I'd just reply to let the TWS sit for six months, because I don't think it would last more tha about four.
Then I saw that the original poster noted that it's been six months already..........
Unless you're the lead dog, the view just never changes.

Qtrmeg | Jun 15, 2004 10:46pm | #5
Ben Moore Porch and Floor paint.
Alkyd base, but perhaps someone knows something else that would work.
I'd sand it and thin the first coat a bit, and spend some time getting that first coat on well. Then two full coats.
You could Lapoxy the first coat, but I see peeling in the future.

PeterJ | Jun 15, 2004 11:00pm | #6
It's my understanding that Thompsons is primarly wax dissolved in thinner, that's why it beads. That would suggest an oil base primer before anything else, which wouldn't be a bad idea on wood, anyway.
PJ

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Quickstep | Jun 16, 2004 02:07am | #7
If it is wax dissoled in thinner, A wash with Naphtha should help remoe it.

DanH | Jun 16, 2004 02:11am | #8
Yeah, but could, with a small spark, remove the deck as well.

user-3146 | Jun 16, 2004 02:40am | #9
I've used Tompsons as a sealer both indoors and outdoors and never had a problem. I've always covered it with polyurethane--Clear in kitchens and bathrooms and on outside porch floors (including fir) with polyurethane based paints. So yeah it works great, but I would not trust anything Alklid or latex based.
Jason

Piffin | Jun 16, 2004 02:45am | #10
Not sure what you mean by polyurethene based paints, since there are oil based poly and water based poly both.
And painter worth his salt will be doing some sanding prep no matter what the condition of the old Thompsons or other seal anyway.

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SamT | Jun 16, 2004 03:49am | #11
Thompson's web site was no help, but this guy waits a week.
Arguing with a Breaktimer is like mud-wrestling a pig -- Sooner or later you find out the pig loves it. Andy Engel
TDFPUB70 | May 07, 2020 01:09am | #12
This product, per the SDS, contains Paraffin wax. This means you will have to strip or sand all treated surfaces before you apply any primer or finish. While good quality oil based primers will be compatible with the Coconut Oil Diethanolamide, they will not tolerate wax well. Anything you attempt to coat the deck with, will have poor adhesion if you do not properly prepare the deck. Thompson's will not wear away in four months... Unless in was not properly applied. If properly applied it is supposed to last for up to 10 years. Fortunately TWS is easily stripped using acetone.

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Can you put sealer over paint?

You may want to use Paint Sealer after the surface is painted and fully dry to protect the new layer of paint from moisture damage. >> How long do I wait after I paint my surface before I can apply Paint Sealer? You will want to wait 3-4 days after painting before applying Paint Sealer on top.

Does water sealer go on before or after paint?

Rainguard: CG, great question. Sealing your wood yard furniture before you paint is best, since Wood Sealer is a deep penetrating waterproofer and also a great primer to paint over. Be sure to apply a very heavy “flood coat” to your bare wood so the sealer can really soak into the surface.

Can you paint wood that has been treated with Thompson's water Seal?

Paint can be applied to water sealers, but the drying time of the sealer itself is the most important part of this task. For best results, prime the water-sealed wood first. Use either a latex-based or an oil-based primer as your first coat of paint before applying the finishing coat.

What is the best way to seal painted wood?

Solvent-based polyurethanes are more effective at sealing wood because they produce a stronger film. This product is a good choice when working with oil-based paints.