# Threshold prep and paint?



## Guido (Jan 20, 2008)

Threshold prep and paint?
Hello I need help resurfacing my front door exterior wood threshold.
The wood has a few thin cracks running the length of the threshold and the paint has flaked off. The house is facing south so the threshold takes a beating from the sun several months in the year. 

Thanks for any guidance and product recommendations.


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

Well, I'd scrape the peeling paint off, prime with an exterior alkyd primer and then top coat with an exterior alkyd paint.

"Alkyd" basically means "oil based").


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## Guido (Jan 20, 2008)

Nestor thanks for the help.
Should I use any kind of wood filler in the cracks?


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

If this were a window frame, I'd be telling you to use a latex primer and paint, and to fill the cracks with an acrylic caulk (like Dynaflex 230).

The acrylic caulk allows moisture (but not liquid water) to pass through it, and that will aide in keeping the wood dry.

I'm going to tell you to use that same acrylic caulk on the cracks in your wood threshold before painting with the alkyd primer and paint. Neither the alkyd primer nor the paint will allow moisture to evaporate through them, but if it turns out the alkyd primer and paint peel off, it's because there's water getting into that threshold somewhere and making the wood wet.

In that case, an oil based paint simply won't stay on. Ideally, you want to have an oil based paint on that threshold because latex paints aren't hard and strong enough to stand up to people walking on them. However, if it turns out that the oil based paint peels off the threshold, then it's because water is getting into that wood, and a latex paint would stand a better chance of staying stuck to the wood. And, if it comes to that, then you'd want the acrylic caulk in the wood cracks to allow a pathway for the wood around that crack to dry out. That is, the acrylic caulk won't do any harm if the alkyd paint stays on, and it'll be advantageous if the alkyd paint peels off and you revert to a latex paint.

If it turns out that the alkyd paint peels off and you're not happy with the way the latex paint stands up, then it may be the only option would be to just use a deck stain and sealer on your threshold every year. In that case, the acrylic caulk in the wood cracks won't do any harm either.


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## Guido (Jan 20, 2008)

Nestor thank you very much for taking the time to explain that so I would understand.
I will pick up some Dap Dynaflex 230 and sandpaper today.


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