A: In a few words, good preparation is the single most important step. Put your time into preparing the surface. If you are stripping the old finish, make sure the wood is completely clean and properly sanded, completely smooth, and perfectly uniform before applying primer, then make sure the primer is perfectly smooth before you paint. If you are going over an existing finish, first clean the surface by scrubbing with mineral spirits or TSP on fine nylon abrasive pads. The solvent will remove any surface grease or oil while the pad lightly abrades the surface. Putty any dings and sand to make sure the surface is flawless, before applying the primer. After that, use a good quality gloss paint, applied in a way that works for you. If you are very skilled with a brush, go that route. If not, many good exterior paints come in aerosol cans for easy application. Rust-Oleum Universal is a good example of a durable, exterior paint in a very easy to use aerosol.