A Done with That® Project by Koper, America’s #1 Connected ContractorTM, Free Augmented Article©
Wood siding on a house is durable and attractive, but it does need a certain amount of care. When the time comes to re¬paint your house, doing the job right will ensure a long-lasting, beautiful result in which you can take pride.
Painting the wood siding on your house is a three-step process in¬volving surface preparation, prim¬ing and painting. Paying careful attention to each step guarantees a paint job that will protect the exterior of the house, look good and last a long time.
Surface preparation is the most important step in the paint¬ing process. First, wash the surface with a solution of water and household detergent or trisodium phosphate. Paint will bond better
to a clean, smooth surface than to one covered with dirt or blistered, peeling paint. A better bond means that the paint job will last longer, saving you time and money in the future.
Then, scrape and sand the sid¬ing to remove paint that has be¬come chipped, flaked, blistered or otherwise damaged. This is also a good time to check for split, cracked, loose or rotten boards. Split or cracked boards can be filled with putty; loose boards can be refastened with nails; rotten boards must be replaced. Smooth any rough spots with sandpaper.
Once preparation is complete, the next step is to apply primer to new wood and to those areas you have scraped or sanded. Primer creates a better bonding surface than bare wood. It also seals po¬rous surfaces, enabling paint to be applied more evenly.
The final step is applying the paint. Exterior-grade paint comes in latex, or water base, and alkyd, or oil base. Latex paints are easy to apply and clean up; they also dry quickly. Alkyd paints hide brush marks and cover problem surfaces well, but are harder to clean up and cost more than latex paints.
To calculate the amount of primer and paint you will need, determine the square footage of siding covering the house. Multi¬ply the height of each siding sec¬tion by its width to determine the square -footage; then, add the to¬tals for all the sides. Divide this number by the number of square feet that one gallon of paint will cover — this number can be found on the paint can label. Buy enough primer for one coat, and enough paint for two coats.
KEYS TO SUCCESS
Dry, warm days are best for paint¬ing siding, but you must wait until the dew has dried on the siding be¬fore you can start to paint.
The color of paint can vary from one lot to the next. It is best to buy all the paint you need at one time and from the same lot to reduce the chance of color variations be-tween lots.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
Tools
1. Hammer
2. Awl
3. Shave hook
4. Crosscut saw
5. Garden hose
6. Caulking gun
7. Sanding block and
sandpaper
8. Center punch
9. Scrub brush
10. Wire brush
11. Artist’s paintbrush
12. Sash brush
13. Wide paintbrush
14. Safety goggles
15. Work gloves
Materials
Mildew-resistant waterproof sealer
Primer Paint
Cleaning solution
Drop cloth
Putty
Chemical mildew remover
PLANNING
Calculate how much paint and primer you will need.
Select a dry, warm day Remove light fixtures, shutters and
house numbers.
STEP-BY-STEP
1. Wash the siding.
2. Scrape and sand the surface.
3. Replace any rotten siding and caulk joints.
4. Apply one coat of primer.
5. Apply two coats of paint
Shortcuts to clean siding
A power sprayer (right), available for rent at many paint and hardware stores, reduces the amount of time needed to wash dirt and paint chips off the house. It generates an intense stream of water or cleaning solution.
For lighter jobs, try using a hose brush attachment (lower right) that fits on the end of your garden hose to scrub and rinse at the same time. An¬other option is a garden sprayer (lower left) which can be used with a cleaning solution.
Preparing the Surface for Paint
1. Protect plants, windows and walk-ways with drop cloths. Tie back bushes and trim branches that touch the siding or might get in your way.
2. Wash the siding with a brush and a solution of water and household detergent, or trisodium phosphate. Wear gloves and safety goggles.
3. Use a garden hose to rinse the siding. Start from the top and work down, holding the hose 12 inches from the siding.
4. After the siding has dried, scrape off blistered or peeling paint with a shave hook. Work the shave hook in the direction of the grain of the wood.
5. When scraping near joints, be careful not to loosen the siding or gouge the surface. Remove splinters and other loose pieces of wood.
6. Scrub the surface vigorously with a wire brush to remove leftover particles of paint. Work the brush in the direction of the wood grain.
7. Use a hammer and center punch to sink protruding nail heads below the surface of the siding. Fill the holes with putty and sand smooth.
8. Touch up exposed nail heads with a dab of corrosion-preventing primer. This keeps rust from discoloring the paint in the future.
9. Caulk the nail holes and siding joints with a caulking gun. Scrap off the excess with a putty knife and smooth the surface.
10. Sand to smooth filled areas and to feather the edges of intact paint. Use medium-grit sandpaper and a sanding block for best results.
11. Remove mold or algae by ap¬plying a solution of water and chlorine bleach, or a chemical mildew remover, with a wide paintbrush.
12. Use a scrub brush to work the solution well into the wood grain. This will ensure that the solu¬tion penetrates the infected areas.
Replacing Rotten Boards
1. Test pieces of siding for rot by poking them with an awl or knife blade. Soft places indicate rotten wood; solid wood is hard.
2. Pry the rotten board loose and place a block underneath it to protect neighboring boards. Saw off the rotten piece.
3. Cut a piece of wood to replace the old board. Use the same type of wood as in the original piece. Nail the new board into place.
Smoothing uneven surfaces
• Scraping peeled and blistered paint down to bare wood creates an irregular surface that cannot be smoothed simply by applying new paint.
• By filling low spots with exte¬rior-grade surfacing compound, however, you can easily smooth out these rough spots. Simply use a broad knife or joint knife to spread the compound across the uneven area. Once the com¬pound has dried, sand it smooth.
TIPS
The resins contained in wood knots often prevent paint from ad¬hering properly. If you find knots in new wood siding, seal them with knot sealer before painting.
Bare wood, whether new boards or areas that have been scraped clean, needs to be protected. If you cannot finish a painting job before bad weather starts, you can help protect the surface by applying a coat of primer to the wood.
Painting Horizontal Siding
Paint bare wood with a coat of primer. If possible, the primer should be tinted to approximate the color of the exterior paint.
Use a piece of cardboard, masking tape or scrap plywood to protect the trim as you paint around windows, doors and other obstacles.
Starting at the top of a wall, paint the entire lengths of several boards. Continue the same way with the next section of boards.
Paint the window trim only after you have finished with the siding. Use a sash brush and mask the siding if it is a different color from the trim.
Be sure to cover the edges and ends of exposed boards thoroughly with paint. If necessary, give these areas an extra coat.
Apply a second coat of paint to the siding. This provides added protection for the siding and gives a smoother, more even appearance.
Waterproofing new wood
If your house is in a damp climate, you should consider treating the siding with waterproof sealer before painting. It will help prevent water from penetrating the wood and rotting it. Be sure to use a sealer that is compatible with the paint you have chosen. Many brands of sealer contain ingredients that kill mildew or inhibit its growth.
Follow the instructions on the label, taking special care to coat the ends of the siding where it is most susceptible to water damage.
CAUTION
If the paint on your house was applied before 1980, it may contain high levels of lead. Hire a professional to strip the paint, or follow the special precautions outlined by your local health authorities for removing lead paint.
Painting Vertical Siding
Prepare the siding for painting by applying an exterior-grade primer. If possible, the color of the primer and paint should match.
Apply primer to the ends of the boards, protecting them against possible water damage. Coat the ends even if the siding is factory sealed.
Apply paint with a wide brush, starting from the top of the house. Use even, vertical strokes and follow the grain of the wood.
Paint an area about 3 feet square at a time. This will help prevent lap marks from occurring.
Be sure to paint the edges and joints between the pieces of siding to help seal them against moisture.
TIPS
Allow newly painted siding to dry completely before touching up any areas you might have missed.
To protect your paint job during later projects, tie rags to the upper end of the ladder before leaning it against the house.
At night, insects are attracted to lights and may get stuck in wet paint. To prevent this, turn off lights near the siding until the paint dries.
Maximizing the use of color
Most homes are painted with two or three contrasting colors: body, trim and accent color.
The body color is the domi¬nant one, so it should be picked first. This color should comple¬ment the colors of existing house features, such as the roof and walkways.
Trim color is used on win¬dows, door frames and porch rail¬ings. Accent color may be ap¬plied to doors and shutters. Both trim and accent colors highlight the features of a house.
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