I have rotting wood on my porch steps.And paint wont stick to it. Short of replacing it,what can i do?

Question

Is there a product on the market to penetrate rotting wood to give a good surface for paint to stick to?

Answer 1

try wood hardener, then sand  

Answer 2

It would probably be just as easy to replace the wood as it would be to put the effort of filling it with wood putty.  

Rotting wood has lost most if it's load bearing properties.

Answer 3

You do not want to leave rotting wood to continue rotting.  It will continue to deteriorate even though it may be sealed.

Secondly, it is a weakness in your structure.  One two-hundred-ten-ton obese person on your steps and you have a lawsuit on you!  What about a mailman or parcel delivery person with added weight?

The only thing you can do is to replace the rotted wood with new wood, and that may entail more than just the pieces you think you see is rotted!  Do you know carpentry?  If not, get advice from a carpenter about the state of your porch.  You may even have TERMITES !!!!!!!!!!

Answer 4

Get a lawyer because when someone gets hurt on those steps you will be sued.

Answer 5

Yes, you can get Bondo from a hardware store. You just slop it on there with a putty knife and then sand it after it dries. It's a lot stronger than wood putty, but I would only do it if you're putting it on something that doesn't need to bear weight.

Answer 6

for safety reasons you're better off replacing it

Answer 7

Clean really well, let dry, prime then paint.