Painting/Staining Greenhouse Frame

[Jeff S]

I'm enlarging my 8x10 GH and want to coat the 2"x4" framing I will use. Does anyone have suggestions for the best way to do this for longevity and appearance. Color recommendations also welcome.

[Jeremiah Robinson]

Any kind of outdoor paint will work.  

Go for contrast - Ferrrari red baby!

[Phil Kabza]

You'll want to use a breathable paint that does not trap moisture. Most exterior latex paints meet this requirement. Low-odor/low-VOC formulations have fewer volatile constituents with the potential for outgassing that could affect plants or fish or the surface of plastic glazing.

Many exterior paints have anti-microbial additives that will reduce potential mildew growth on your wood; I don't know if these mildewcides are subject to leaching or might have any impact on plants or fish - it is worth getting more information from the paint manufacturer and then talking to local extension agents who advise commercial growers.

I would keep things white for light uniformity and to better see if you have any unwanted growies or critters on the framing.

[Jeff S]

White does make sense but I'm thinking going with a light beige for a contrasting look and can still see if it's not clean.

[kimlee kingston]

You can ask the person at the paint counter to put a few drops of some color into your paint. We use white exterior latex enamel for our greenhouse frames, dwc containers, and ask for 10-20 drops of royal blue. The guy at the paint counter at Lowe's really doesn't understand why we want this, says it won't show up (exactly !). Sure, 20 drops of any color in a gallon of paint doesn't sound like much.  It breaks up the white, just a bit.

We did the same thing with the garden picket fence, 20 drops of red. It looks white in bright morning daylight, and at dusk it is just a bit pink, but not much. Still clean, but a bit weathered. 

Jeff S said:

White does make sense but I'm thinking going with a light beige for a contrasting look and can still see if it's not clean.

[Jeff S]

That's a good suggestion. Good to know I'm not completely nuts about not using plain white.

kl kingston said:

You can ask the person at the paint counter to put a few drops of some color into your paint. We use white exterior latex enamel for our greenhouse frames, dwc containers, and ask for 10-20 drops of royal blue. The guy at the paint counter at Lowe's really doesn't why we want this, says it won't show up (exactly !). Sure, 20 drops of any color in a gallon of paint doesn't sound like much.  It breaks up the white, just a bit.

We did the same thing with the garden picket fence, 20 drops of red. It looks white in bright morning daylight, and at dusk it is just a bit pink, but not much. Still clean, but a bit weathered. 

Jeff S said:

White does make sense but I'm thinking going with a light beige for a contrasting look and can still see if it's not clean.