Hi all, I purchased a home with a greenhouse which is lovely but needs some work. I have a few questions if anyone has time or interest to help!
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How are these things typically finished? It looks like there is some varnish or stain which has come off, but I am not familiar enough with the tecniques to know what was used.
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Is it a good idea to try and duplicate what was done before, or should I go in another direction, like paint or something?
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How the heck am I supposed to reach the top of the greenhouse? Not only to fix the finish but also there is some leaf buildup that must be removed.
I'm attaching a few photos in case that helps. Thanks all!
by rainbow_creampuff
3 Comments
I’m coming from more of a carpentry point of view but looking at the finish it’s probably a spar finish or potentially polyurethane. I’ve had some success putting on a new coat without removing the old coat with the caveat that the gaps in the old finish will turn darker than the parts where the finish remains. If you use a light colored spar urethane you may be able to get away without too much discoloration of the unfinished areas but I’d test it first. Also spar urethane isn’t cheap but it’s necessary as it’s water and uv resistant and will need to be reapplied every 1-3 years. The other option is paint which is (1) cheaper, (2) easier to apply, (3) ensures an even color, and (4) is more forgiving. It also needs to be occasionally reapplied but not as often. However once you paint it’s really really hard to go back to that natural wood look.
If it were me I’d try a small can of spar on the outside and see if it looks good. If it does then buy a bucket, cry over the price, then refinish the outside. If it doesn’t work I’d still do the spar inside to keep it natural on the inside. I’d say it boils down to your cost appetite and personal preference though.
As for cleaning just get a ladder and a power washer.
Great looking greenhouse nonetheless
You’re going to want to treat it like a deck stain. Either power wash it then stain, or softwash it then stain it. Softwash will probably be best with the windows .
Use a stiff brush on a pole ( ideally one you can extend ) and get some outdoor cleaner. You could pressure wash first but be very mindful of the seals and panels. Anyways, scrub the wood with the cleaner solution from top to bottom. When you’re up top, use a ladder and a piece of plywood to bridge the gap over the panels to the roofing members. This will let you climb on the roof as long as it is supported and not resting on the panels. Do your leaves and junk then, and then continue to scrub it down. Rinse and give it a few days to dry out in warm weather. Use this time to reapply any silicone or caulking that may need a tune-up.
For stain vs paint, a solid stain will probably be your best bet. Since there is no foot traffic, a high quality solid stain should last quite a while if properly applied and you follow the cleaning method.
If you decide to paint it, use an outdoor approved primer prior to the paint. 2 coats each.