f you’ve been looking for a product to cover any cracks or holes that may be appearing on your wooden deck outside or across any concrete, you will have definitely seen Behr’s DeckOver advertised online at one point or another.
Covering 75 square feet with a single bucket and being completely slip resistant, after testing it myself for my front porch flooring, I agree with many other people that it is one of the best coatings out there when it comes to restoring the aesthetic and design of any wooden flooring or walls back to their former glory.
I will admit though that it definitely has some issues, one of which that many other people have reported is the mixture being far too thick.
If you find that the thickness is causing you some annoyance, we’ve got a few ways you can deal with it right here, along with explaining why it’s so thick in the first place.
You can thin out a bucket of Behr DeckOver paint by spreading it with smaller equipment and adding in a little bit of water to help even it out.
Using a spray should also be out of the equation because finding one big enough will prove to be very difficult.
Why Is Behr DeckOver So Thick?
Because this coating is supposed to conceal the smallest blemishes and damages that have appeared on a surface, including tiny splinters and cracks, it is produced in a way that makes it incredibly heavy and thick so that it covers every inch of the wood without looking washed out or faint.
This also means that you will only need to apply 2 coats at most to finish off a surface rather than going over it a few times to mask any imperfections, which should make the job quicker and easier than if you were using a much thinner coating from a different brand.
In fact, Behr themselves don’t recommend that anyone uses a honeycomb roller when spreading the coating since it can end up leaving it too thin in spots.
Instead, they say to always use a nap roller which will apply the DeckOver coating as thickly as possible over the surface.
What To Do If The Coating Is Too Thick
If you have applied the deck paint and you find that it’s come out too thick, this is a big problem as not only will it take far longer to dry than it should, but it will also form a film on the surface that doesn’t actually penetrate into the wood itself, which means it will be much more susceptible to peeling in the future.
Because of this, the coating is only going to cause more damage if it is too thick when applied, so the only viable solution is to use a paint stripper that will make removing the coating easy, and then restart the process.
Before applying the coating again, I tried cleaning the deck and brightening the wood beforehand, and it came out much shiner and more glossy once the second coating was added.
How To Make Behr DeckOver Thinner When Applying It
Use The Correct Sized Roller
While Behr does say on their website that a ¾ nap roller can work, many people who have tried it, me included, feel that it’s far too big and just causes the paint to come out too thick.
Thus, you will want to stick with either a ½ or ¼ nap roller which will still give you a sheen and smooth finish without there being any risk of the mixture smothering the surface and being too thick.
Try Using A Brush
I found a lot of success when using a brush rather than rollers, especially when applying the coating into the deeper crevices and cracks of the wood.
A 4-inch brush will be more than big enough to ensure that the paint is spread evenly without it coming out too thick, as long as you don’t smother the brush before you start to spread the coating.
This will take you a little longer than if you were using a roller instead, but since it can prevent you from having to rip the original layer off to apply another one, in the long term, it can save you a tremendous amount of time, so it’s always worth considering.
Mix With Water
An easy way you can make a DeckOver coating a lot thinner is by diluting it with some water. Simply pour the amount of coating you want to use into a separate container, and then mix in the water.
Make sure to begin small and then work your way up, starting with a tablespoon or a cup.
As you add more water, keep track of how much you’re adding so that you can recreate the thin mixture later on, and use a wooden spoon or scrap wood to test if the mixture is thin enough.
There’s no specific amount of water that you will need to add to the coating, so it’s all down to your own personal preference, and what you think would look the best over your wooden surfaces.
Can You Use Spray With Behr DeckOver?
While Behr does state that you can use a spray to apply the DeckOver coating, this isn’t really possible since you will struggle to find a sprayer that can support it with a 0.27-0.35 tip since it is so thick, and will just end up clogging the can, and since most sprays will only reach up to 0.17, it means it’s not a viable option.
Summary
Anyone who has had any experience using Behr DeckOver coating will tell you that, while the finish is flashy and very pristine, actually applying it can become a real pain, and a lot of this is due to how thick it is.
Don’t bother trying to use any spray if you’re attempting to thin it out, instead, add some water and always use the correct tools, otherwise, you run the risk of your floorboards taking too long to dry and peeling off in a few months, so it’s always worth preparing beforehand to make your life easier.
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