Priming Exterior Siding | |
Most manufacturing representatives, such as the California Redwood Association (CRA), recommend back-priming new siding before you install it. But advice for which type of primer to use can vary. CRA, for example, recommends that you use a stain-blocking latex primer for a prime coat on their air-seasoned or unseasoned siding; for kiln-dried siding, they recommend using an oil or alkyd resin base primer, no matter the choice of the topcoat. But, regardless of which primer you use, they recommend using a latex product as the top or finish coat of paint. Sound confusing? It needn't be: just ask the siding supplier or a trusted paint dealer (one who sells to professional painters) to help you select the right primer and finish paint for your project. When finishing new wood with stains or bleaching oils, just apply two coats of the stain or follow the directions given by the manufacturer. When choosing remodeling materials, consider immediate and future finishing requirements. New windows, for example, are available with vinyl or prefinished aluminum cladding, so they will not need paint or stain for many years. The same is true of soffits, trim boards, and siding. Remember that pre-painted products have the finish applied in a factory, under optimum conditions, with temperature and moisture levels under strict control. These conditions (plus the manufacturers' warranties) ensure against premature failure of the paint or stain finish. Remember, prefinished materials let you "nail the paint on" as you install the product, so you avoid the mess, waste, and poor conditions that may adversely affect a painting job that is done at the building site. When repainting a house over old paint, you may use the old paint coat as a primer coat, assuming the paint is intact and not peeled. Then, just clean (power wash) the old paint surface and sand lightly as required. If you must remove peeled paint over small surfaces, spot prime the repair areas. If the old paint is removed completely, or over a wide area, it is best to prime the entire building, or one side of the house if peeling is limited to only one side. written by Gary Branson Reprinted with permission. Copyright HouseNet, Inc. |