Paint for the inside of a wooden container?

robin 435 · April 2018

Hello
I've made a plant container out of pre-treated wooden planks which I'm now planning to fill with soil.

Before doing so I'd like to give the inside an extra waterproof coat, since although the wood has already been treated, previous experience has shown that they still tend to rot and fall apart after a few years!

What would you recommend as a good paint for the job? I don't think regular fence paint like ducksback is ideal since that relies on water running away and won't work well if you have damp soil in constant contact with the wood. I've got some left over dulux weathershield and some regular black high-voc paint in the garage would either of these be a good choice? I presume that these paints once dry will not poison the soil/plants either?

Thanks for your advice :-)

Blue Onion · April 2018

Paint the inside, then line it with thick plastic. I typically have an old thick-weight plastic shower curtain kicking around the garage for such projects (why clean them, when you can buy a new one for $6 from Hell-mart every six months).. but compost bags, etc. also work well. Just staple it to the edges near the top, just above the soil line.. and make sure to poke through where you drilled the drainage holes. I cut an x in the plastic, and sort of push it down through, so the water has minimal contact with the wood.

Obelixx · April 2018

"Paint" with cheap oil such as rapeseed for extra water-proofing and then line the sides with black plastic, folding it over to make a eat edge and then stapling it just below soil level or at soil level if you're adding a mulch that will hide the plastic. If you put it in the bottom too you'll need to pierce it between the slats to let water escape.

Paint for the inside of a wooden container?

Posts