Have you considered staining the deck instead? There are lots of color options now, as well as more opaque varieties that give the look of paint without the upkeep.

I agree re: the opaque stain. My dad used it on his outdoor wood posts and wooden picnic tables and it looks great. He bought the Cabot brand and they have a good selection of colors you can use.

We used porch paint and it has held up remarkably well. We live in Southern Ontario...not as much snow as Boston but still quite a bit! That said, I was thinking about using marine paint next time it needs done as well. Have you tried specialty paint stores? Not just the big box places. I would think a local marina might be able to help too.

I would agree with the stain option. Because it is absorbed into the wood there is less concern with peeling over time. When it shows wear, a power wash and restaining is all that's needed. We have had it on the deck at the cottage for 20 years, and it has been redone twice.

I'm wondering if you can get the deck dry enough (especially lately) for a marine paint to properly grip and cure? (I live in NH, and it's damp all the time lately)

Our new deck is that plastic wood (made from recycled plastics and wood fibers) so no painting required ever, but our old one we used deck stain/sealer and refreshed it every few years.

Use wood stain instead of paint. Benjamin Moore's arbor coat is good, and you can get it in virtually any colour if you choose the solid/opaque stain. It will last much much longer than regular acrilic paint, and will likely be less expensive than marine paint.

The guy lives in Montana

and also is a female

Reading comprehension!

Marine based paint is, of the two, going to be the better wearing paint. Especially if you use one that has teflon in it. It is, however, a rather pricey option. The best distributor that I have found is Jamestown Distributors, an absolute wealth of resources. I would ask though have you considered an oil base enamel? It would be almost as tough and much much more affordable (by about 4x). Good luck!

Almost forgot- unless painting a raw unpainted surface- acrylic has a tendency to bubble off the base wood when wet, crack when dry and then allow water to further seperate the paint from the wood. It is also a bit too soft of a finish for a high traffic area.

I love marine paint. I have only used it for floors. It wears like IRON. Better than anything I have ever used. However, I have never used it on wood outside. I am going to use colored wood stain on our picnic table and the chicken coop.

I live in the mountains, and I used a Behr's "solid color weatherproofing wood stain" on our deck. I did everything right: I sanded off every last bit of the old stuff, use a pre-treater on the wood, and then put on three coats. After a long winter, the horizontal surfaces were all peeling and cracking.

So no, a stain doesn't always work.

So much for "delivers complete protection from the elements for up to 10 years on decks"!

Ice and snow do a number on wood, and I think you're smart to consider marine paint, or try the oil-based products as suggeted. Wish I had used another product.

i've actually been thinking of painting my kitchen floors with marine paint. does anyone know about application--is it more difficult than with a latex floor paint, and are the fumes bad?

thanks!

I painted my kitchen floor with oil-based porch and deck enamel. I'll bet money there was nothing "green" about it. I'm such an oil-based-paint addict, though.

Re: our deck, I, too, used a Behr product. It was recommended by our redwood dealer. It was a thick oil, a protectorant, not a paint. I wouldn't use it again. I know I used it correctly; however, within a year, it looked bad.

P.S. Is marine varnish slippery? Slippery when wet?

For the person that had a problem with their Behr stain: you didn't actually follow the instructions. "Over-application of stain will lead to surface failure including peeling and cracking. Avoid applying stain too heavily. Do not apply more than two coats."

I'm not shilling for Behr - or any other stain - but to complain about the quality of the product when you didn't follow the directions is a little unfair.