Painting Framework


J

Joe G

Member
Never gave much thought to painting the 1x4s or the underside of my frameork. Do the wood components need to be painted for preservation or would the paint just be for eye appeal. I thought about using poly urethane (stink factor outweighs the benefit), oil based enamel (also stinky) or applying 1 or 2 coats of water based primer followed by a coat of color (time consuming). Also I wonder how much primer the untreated wood would soak up.

Would appreciate knowing what some of you have done, if anything to your frame work.

Thanks
Joe:)
 
Mine isn't painted and after almost 30 years it is in fine condition. If I were to apply paint it would probably be for eye appeal only for what little can be seen unless you're laying on the floor looking up. To save time and effort I also would use a self priming paint which is available in oil and latex base. You can have a base tinted to whatever color you like. As far as how much it will cover the labels on the cans have that information but my experience with most paints on new work is it doesn't stretch quite that far depending on the density of the surface you are applying it on.
 
All of the wood tables on my layout are Pressure Treated(cheaper than pine or spruce).
I've never had any problems w/mine either & I have dampness in my trainroom on damp mornings. If you do paint them, use Latex. My tables have curtains.
 
On my last layout the dampness caused expansion of the wood, but I had made allowance in the benchwork to overcome that problem at a hinged entry gate. As the gate closed it pulled the benchwork together to keep track alignment.
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I have no idea of paint would have stopped that. Although it's a walk in type, I'm seriously considering painting the benchwork of the new layout, probably with mistinted paint from Wal Mart (great place for good buys). I now keep the room heated year round with a dehumifider running during summer months.

Cheers
Willis
 
Woodwork indoors doesn't need painting except if your train room is prone to dampness or temperature swings in which case it may help is stopping the wood from expanding & contracting.It does help the layout to look good if the framework is painted. Use Acrylic or Latex paint. A couple of coats should be sufficient.
On the subject of dampness & room temperature. if your train room is subject to temperature swings a dehumidifier may help in keeping moisture out of the air & in doing so help with wood expansion & contraction. If using a dehumidifier it helps if you keep windows & doors closed.
 
One coat of black Rustoleum made the legs and cross members almost disapear under my layout. It looks a lot neater than a later expansion I never got around to doing.
 
Thanks for all your input. My basement, which is the home to our forced hot air unit and required duct work, tends to be cooler and moister in the summer when my wife has thw thermostat set to perma frost.

Good humidifier along with a couple of coats of latex seems to be the direction to go. Willis is correct onsearching out gallons of mistakenly tinted gallons at Lowes or HD.

Joe
 
I have painted the framework and undersides of my baseboards using cheap primer and white gloss paint from a DIY store. This has lasted a number of years and has protected the layout during periods of storage in our attic and also garden shed. If it is painted, then you know it is better protected. A lot will depend on the conditions under which the layout is kept and of other treatments that the wood has received. A side benefit of the white paint is that the wiring can be seen better during inspections.
 
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