# Paint selection - Interior vs Exterior and "Barn Paint"



## Ambassador (Mar 30, 2012)

I went to HD today to get some mis-tint paint. They had several cans of interior eggshell/satin for 5-7 dollars in the white to cream color scheme. I was tempted to get one but I'm not sure the interior would hold up. The only exterior paint they had was a rusty red flat paint. So, is it okay to use interior paint or will I just be repainting in a year. Will red be too dark and make the hive too warm?

On my way out I noticed Behr had a Barn Paint in white and red which was "oil-latex." http://www.homedepot.com/buy/behr/1-gal-barn-red-barn-fence-paint-45646.html It says it is livestock safe. Anybody used this before?


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## hilreal (Aug 16, 2005)

Old timers say we waste our money painting hives and it is mostly for decorative purposes. They claim unpainted hives last jsut as long. I also buy left overs from big box stores. I take whatever I can get. Best quality paint available and don't fret too much over exterior/interior. I've also started using multiple colors partly for my enjoyment and perhaps it helps the bees distinquish their abode from their neighbors.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

I see that Grand Rapids has a Habitat for Humanity resale store that carries building materials.
http://www.habitatkent.org/ReStore.aspx
Call them, and see if they sell paint. My local Habitat store sells paint for $6/gallon or $25 for a 5 gallon pail. I find they usually have some exterior paints


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## Ddawg (Feb 17, 2012)

I Primed my hives with an exterior primer then Painted them with Barn & Fence Paint. it was the cheapest exterior paint at Walmart.


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## NasalSponge (Jul 22, 2008)

Like many this oldtimer paints his boxes with exterior latex that I purchase in the oops section of big box stores. I stay away from oil based because clean up is such a pain.


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## Ambassador (Mar 30, 2012)

NasalSponge said:


> Like many this oldtimer paints his boxes with exterior latex that I purchase in the oops section of big box stores. I stay away from oil based because clean up is such a pain.


Aside from the difficulty with clean up, is there anything wrong with using oil based on a hive?


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## NasalSponge (Jul 22, 2008)

No other than I would let them air out and dry much longer to reduce the outgassing.


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## brushmouth (Jan 17, 2010)

If you plan ahead, one will find exterior paint in the reduced price area.
If not then pay the price or go with the natural look.
Interior paint will not stand up, it is what it is......Interior Paint.


BM


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## millerwb (Oct 31, 2011)

I have Barn Paint on the chicken coop. Does not last long, only a couple of years. On my hives, I am using mistints that I get where ever I can find them. Have a few SW A-100 gallons and one Benj-Moore. The Benj-Moore is their top of the line and I think I paid $3 for it.


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## hilreal (Aug 16, 2005)

MAybe it depends on the quality of the interior paint you get. I have some that are 5+ years old that look just fine.


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## Mbeck (Apr 27, 2011)

I don't understand the cheap paint obsession! Okay maybe if it's an acceptable color and grade??
I just finished my third coat on 20 deeps with Cabots at $35.00 a gallon and more than 1/2 gallon left. That's easily less than $1.00 per box with a brush. I'm not sure you get this many boxes out of a gallon of paint. Equipment and bees are expensive and I hate to save $.75 per box only to have my stuff rot out faster,need repainting sooner or just look shabby. I wouldnt intentionally paint boxes to not match to save a couple bucks, it looks sloppy.


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## Mbeck (Apr 27, 2011)

Don't take me too serious I only have a couple of boxes older than three years!
Time will tell I come back to this thread and eat crow if I'm wrong!!!
The boxes that are older than three years came from another beekeeper and they don't match.
They are in great shape but they don't match and I want to throw them out every time I see them!!! Hehehe


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## hilreal (Aug 16, 2005)

Try leaving some unpainted. I think you will find they last just as long as the painted ones. Painting is more for beautification than preservation so use whatever color pleases you.


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## VanderLaan (Oct 13, 2011)

I painted my new hives with an acrylic barn paint that I bought from Menard's. Set the hives out in the pasture about two weeks before the bees arrived. Yesterday, I noticed that the covers had some blistering and peeling already. I would likely attribute the paint failure to my not priming the bare wood before painting it. I will probably start looking for mistints for the rest of my woodenware.


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## Katharina (May 2, 2011)

I use the Behr Barn paint for almost everything that has to stay outside exposed to the element. I do not prime, because it lasts longer then any of the other water based paints. I now even use it for my deck railings, which had to get painted every other year. Now I can go for 5 years without repainting. I'm also using this paint on my hives and just love it.


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## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

Nothing at all wrong with oil based paint. I like to use good paint, even if the color is an "oops" color. Good paint = less painting.


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## Slow Modem (Oct 6, 2011)

I would paint my boxes, but none of them came with the numbers printed on them. :lpf:


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## jaybees (Jun 7, 2010)

I use top quality paint from the local paint store-Ben Moore paint mistints $5 per gallon.
1 coat primer and 2 coats paint. Home depot wants $15 and Lowes $8 for mistints. Also, paint does preserve the wood, its not all about looks.


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## whiskers (Aug 28, 2011)

If you use oil base paint- when you finish, work some lubricating oil into the brush. The oil destroys the drying ability of the paint and the brush won't get hard. I store mine in an ammo box to keep the oil from making a mess. Next time you want to use the brush, rinse it out in some thinner and you are ready to go. Credit to a sign painter who showed me this.
Bill


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## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

Blistering is a result of the paint not adhering to the wood. This could be due to several things, incluing oil on the wood from equipmnent, even skin oils can cause poor adhesion.

Primer helps quite a bit. 

Woodenware that is not painted is far more likely to warp than when painted, and warping results in cracking and opened up joints, both leading to advanced rot. Unsealed joints are also more likely to rot due to water sitting in there, too.

Protecting the wood from water is the reason for painting, not appearance. Clear coatings work just as well so long as they stay on -- the pigments in paint protect the paint film from UV.

Peter


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## Katharina (May 2, 2011)

I have one of those sanding sponges from the hardware store. I slightly sand the surface to help with pain adherence. I also put more paint onto the joints and exposed wood grain ends. That should address the issues Peter listed. You never get perfect protection because wood is a living thing. It does expand and and contract during the season.


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## zippelk (Sep 1, 2010)

My favorite paint is from the local freecycle and craigslist. Post a request and/or just search the posts, you'll be amazed at what you get for free. Paint, for some reason, seems to be one of those things that folks either don't know what to do with when they have leftovers (it is one of the most common things left behind when someone moves) or they just don't want it because they are 'done' with that color. I just picked up 3qts of practically new, practically full exterior acrylic Lowes paint that somebody found in their basement when they moved in. Old owners didn't care to take it with them, new owners don't know what to do with it, and it probably would have been tossed otherwise. Nice light tan colors, and again, free. Perfect for painting those free boxes I just built out of free shipping crates from freecycle. Now, if only the sun would shine again so I can get to painting...


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