1st coat of paint on unfinished wood...?

[MyLittleRedCoop]

We have siding up (and openings/gaps/edges caulked) on 3 sides of our coop, and I am ready to start painting. And, of course... It's been raining all morning.
How long do I wait - after the rain finally stops - until I can start painting?
Siding is tongue and groove solid pine. It hasn't been sealed, primed or had any other treatment, so I know the rain has to have soaked in pretty good... I don't want to seal any moisture IN. So I want to make good and sure it's dry before I start. I just don't know how long that will take?
The directions on the can were not very specific for applying to fresh wood. It said that the paint was self-priming, when mixed with water and gave application suggestions, but no details about wood being wet.
Just using a livestock-safe, lead-free, latex "barn paint" from Fleet Farm...

 

[RonC]

I'd wait a couple of days depending on how much sun it gets.

 

[MyLittleRedCoop]

Thanks!
That's kind of what I was afraid was going to be the answer... But better to do it right the first time, than to have to do it all over again later from a job badly done.

 

[yo burrill]

Yep if you dont wait till it is dry the paint wont stick well.

 

[1muttsfan]

A cost of exterior primer will make your paint last longer and be less likely to peel

 

[MyLittleRedCoop]

A cost of exterior primer will make your paint last longer and be less likely to peel

Curious... The can says that the paint can be mixed with water to create a self-primer. Does this seem right? I would think that the thicker paint would be better at sticking to the wood...?

 

[RonC]

The thinner paint will soak into the pores and seal it better. Let it dry a few days to air out before adding chickens.

 

[Izzymoon]

I just put an extra coat on, as the primer. The first coat soaks into the wood and then the 2nd covers but might also soak in and the 3rd, you are set to go. Takes a little more effort, but buying primer and paint is expensive. They do make an all in one primer/paint now too. I put 2 coats on, and in spring I'll put another one on. Also be careful not to paint under 50 degrees, the paint gets super thick and doesn't really apply well

 

[MyLittleRedCoop]

The thinner paint will soak into the pores and seal it better. Let it dry a few days to air out before adding chickens.

Thanks RonC and Izzymoon! That's the other part of what I was wondering. So I'll wait until it's had a couple days to dry out, make a batch of primer out of the paint for a first coat, (it's self-priming) then be able to cover as needed for color. (Any shade of red is such a pain to get "full color" from...) Hopefully we have a few more dry 50+ days before winter moves in - preferably a few in a row!!

And, yeah... we're a long way from letting the girls in. They'll be wintering in their little coop til this one's fully ready for them to move in. Easier to get the work done without "help", and safer for them, too!

Thanks again for all the help!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Self priming paint holds up fairly well. A true primer would last a bit longer but not really worth it unless using an oil primer. One thing to note is you should prime first then caulk your gaps. 25 year or better caulking will only last a few years if the edges it's suppose to be adhering to are bare wood. Yeah, carpenters do it all the time as if they are doing painters a favor but in reality it just wont last as the poor bonding of caulk to raw wood can't hold up to the shrinking of new wood. It's the same with caulking trim to raw sheet rock- a waste of time and effort as it will have to be done again in few years or live with the gaps that will soon show up.

Almost forgot your rained on wood drying time question. A solid day of drying is sufficient but you'll still want to wait until late morning to start next day to dry the morning dew too. Start on the sunny side.