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Exterior paint durability
Our 1883 wood frame two-story house needs repainting (white). There are several coats of old paint, a lot of peeling and some bare spots. Our climate is mild in the summers, sometimes damp, with cold winters. Any recommendations for durable paint brands will be appreciated!
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tim P on -
Here's where I got the idea and plans: http://www.oceanmanorhouse.com/?page=paintremover
I've since bought a PaintShaver Pro & HEPA vac. Removing the old paint is going much faster now. I'll still need to use the IR stripper for the trim and last inch or so of each clapboard where the paintshaver doesn't reach..
Tim
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Permalink Reply by John Leeke on -
The paint industry does not want you to know what I am about to tell you.
The brand of paint has nothing to do with the success of a paint job, especially when it comes to long-term durability.
A good paint job is 80% preparation. An excellent paint job is 95% preparation. Brushing on the paint is the fun at the end of the project, like the frosting on the cake.
If 0% success is when all the paint falls off the next year (yes I've seen it happen), and 100% success is that it still protects the wood and looks good 25 years later (yes this is possible, I've been doing it for the past 40 years); if this is how you describe success, then...
40% of the success is in selecting an appropriate treatment, such as spot paint maintenance or full recoating, or complete paint removal, etc.
40% is timeliness of the treatment, say every 2 years, 10 years or 20 years.
10% is in the skill and knowledge of the worker, from the first time DIYer, to the contractor who has painted hundreds of buildings.
9% is correct selection of the product type, such as paint or stain, oil-based alkyd or waterborne acrylic.
ONLY 1% of success is in the selection of the specific product, which makes little difference. The brand make no difference at all !
This is so true, but why does it sound so CRAZY? Because the paint manufacturers and marketers have spent millions of dollars in marketing and advertising over the past 60 years to convince, brainwash, fool and trick us into believing that the BRAND makes a difference. The only difference that BRAND makes is how much in profits the manufacturers and marketers can report at the end of the quarter.
So how can you overcome the brainwashing? Think for yourself, instead of trusting what the paint manufacturers want you to believe. Yes, it's easy to believe in a BRAND, and difficult to THINK, but you can do it. You are off to a good start: You are here asking questions, you have assessed paint conditions and know your climate. Instead of buying a brand of paint, hire a knowledgeable painter, or learn about painting if you are a do-it-yourselfer. Painting is not rocket science, and you can learn to do it.
To find a knowledgeable painter, seek one who has painted at least a few- or even several-hundred houses. Five or ten houses, sixty or ninety houses are not enough to accumulate the knowledge that is needed.
If you are a do-it-yourselfer, you need to study and practice. Read the articles that are written by painters, the workers with the brushes in their hands, not the articles written by paint manufacturers. Read the Old-House Journal paint articles going back to the 1980s. Subscribe to a painter's journal such as Painting and Wallcovering Contractor, or study at their website:
http://www.paintstore.com/article.php?item=2464
Check out my past video shows of the barn painting project:
http://historichomeworks.com/hhw/video/rftf.htm
To practice, start around back. First paint ten 1'x1' squares. Yes, that's right, you are now "in training" so this means, get everything together, paint 1'x1', then clean your brushes and put everything away, figure out what went right and what went wrong, then the next day get it all out and do better the next time. You will begin to learn what you need to know.
Then paint ten 10'x10' sections. You will learn how to do good work and build up the muscles to scrape and brush with control. Then paint a 10' wide section from foundation up to the eaves. You will build stamina and develop endurance and learn how to work in high places without killing yourself.
By this time you probably have most of one side of the house painted, go ahead a finish it up with two or three more 10' wide sections. Now you know enough about painting to hire and supervise a good painter, or perhaps you will know enough to paint the rest of your house. Otherwise, it's a hit-or-miss affair. You might hit it just right. If you miss, call me in the morning and I'll help you out.
--John Leeke
by steam and heat he strips it neat
by brush and hand it looks right grand
www.HistoricHomeWorks.com
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Permalink Reply by john on -
I am using a paintshaver to get down to the bare wood then using a white solid color stain which i heard helps prevent paint peeling and cracking due to its breathability and thinner film.
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Permalink Reply by John Rodgers on -
see the article that John Leeke posted recently on this subject. There is no such thing as one brand being more durable than another...it is all in the prep work.
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Permalink Reply by mamacats on -
I was planning on using oil-based paint but have heard that soon (2009) oil-based products will no longer be available. I saw on one of the earlier posted they used an oil-based primer and two coats of latex. I was always taught that you can't use latex over oil. I would love to get an oil-based primer on for extra protection to begin with (current project is on new cedar, never painted) and then continue with latex if that will be all that is available in the future. Any thought or suggestions? I haven't decided between S-W or Lowe's Valspar. Anyone have experience with V? Yes I read the post about brand not making a difference, just wondering. Love this site!
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Permalink Reply by CoCo on -
Don't believe everything you read.
We had a stucco house that we used oil as a primer. We tinted the primer. Then came back with latex. No problems with the paint job. You may want to do additional research on painting never painted wood
Good luck
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Permalink Reply by Phil on -
The notion of not painting latex over oil does not include primers. Latex adheres very well to oil primers, plus oil primers are best for bare wood, so priming with oil is good for a scaped house with ample exposed bare wood. I still use oil paint for porch floors. Muralo makes an excellent oil floor paint, still available in gallons.
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Permalink Reply by John Rodgers on
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I have always used Valspar, but I have heard good things about Sherwin Williams.
On a side note, does anyone know about using oil based primers on certain types of woods for exterior use? I have been told several times that under no circumstances should oil based anything been put on cypress (most common wood used here in South Louisiana), because the wood needs to breathe and oil based products will limit this and make the wood break down (old growth cypress is virtually rot and insect proof under normal circumstances). I'm wondering if the same may hold true for cedar, redwood, or other types of wood...
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Permalink Reply by Phil on
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John -I live in PA and use oil primer on everything. 5 years ago I installed 30 bundles of eastern white cedar siding, which is also naturally rot resistant. I primed it twice with slightly thinned oil primer and then top coated with Valspar American Tradition. Not a single peel or flake off or deterioration has occurred so far. [The paint companies advise against thinning oil primers, but I followed Bill Rigby's advice from the Old OHJ site on that. It helps it to soak in.]
Does anyone know if there was an impact from the switch from linseed oil paints to alkyd oil paints?
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Permalink Reply by CoCo on
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John,
I will be removing the vinyl siding from my 100 yr old home. It has bee in place for over 15 years. I am hoping that the paint will fall off and the remaining will scrape easily.
What is the problems with thinning the primer. What did you do to thin it.
I am new to NC and have had a horrible time stripping the interior wood. Did not have this much trouble in another older home in VA.
Is the linseed more durable and therefore more difficult to remove? About the only thing I haven't tried yet is an infrared SPR. Keep asking hubby to make one
WE are trying to get back to natural trim. Painting the doors white..Not sure how to remove paint from doors other than have then send out and chemically stripped. Heat gun was very slow. Any suggestions
We are going to remove the trim and plane.Hubby just loves new toyw.
Is there any truth about oil paint being removed from the market. I won't be ready to paint until later next year.
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Permalink Reply by mamacats on
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I've searched and searched. The only Bill Rigby article I can find is "How Crazy People Paint a House" and it does not mention thinning primer. I'm new to this site and perhaps don't know where to look. Would you please offer more information on the process or where to find the information? Thanks so much.
You all have great advice.
Susi
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Permalink Reply by John Rodgers on
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phil was referring to the original OHJ website, prior to this current one being created a few months ago. That site was www.oldhousejournal, but I am not sure if it is still up or not...it's worth a shot.
Coco~ there is really no quick way of removing paint from a door or any wooden surface really. I am doing mine with a heat gun for the bulk, then a sander for the flat sections and a LOT of patiencefor the detailed trim areas. There are several chemical products that you could use at home that have had good reviews (such as strip-ease, for example), but I have not found one that I like and prefer to do it chemical-free, so I'm going this route.
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