Painting an exterior is 90 percent prep work.
The process of painting an exterior wood structure includes cleaning, scraping, sanding, repairing holes, caulking the joints between the woodwork, priming and painting. The job is 90 percent prep work and 10 percent painting. If the prep work is done with care, the finish will be smooth and beautiful. If it's done poorly, the finish will show all of your mistakes. Exterior wood structures last the longest when the surface is sealed properly.
Instructions
Cleaning, Scraping and Sanding
1. Hook a spray nozzle to a spray hose, and spray the structure from top to bottom and from side to side to remove all grime. Keep the water stream pointing downward to prevent it from getting under the wood. Allow the siding to dry for 24 hours.
2. Go over the surface with a paint scraper to remove loose and peeling paint. Scrape until the only paint left is strongly bonded to the wood.
3. Go over the remaining paint and rough wood with 120-grit sanding paper until it is smooth. Feather the edges of the paint by going back and forth and up and down over them.
Repairing Holes
4. Clean loose debris from all holes, using a screwdriver. Vacuum if necessary to remove what the screwdriver couldn' get out.
5. Fill the holes with wood putty, using a putty knife blade to press it in. Press in the putty until the holes are flush with the surrounding surface. Fill all nail, knot and screw holes.
6. Allow the putty to dry for 24 hours, and then sand it smooth with 120-grit sandpaper.
Caulking Joints, Cracks and Seams
7. Load a tube of exterior caulk into a caulking gun, and cut the tip off with a utility knife.
8. Place the tip of the tube into the joint, crack or seam, and squeeze the trigger until caulk comes out. Move the gun along the gap, squirting a bead of caulk along its length.
9. Go back and run your finger over the caulk to squish it into the gap and smooth it out. Wipe your finger on a wet painter's rag. Caulk gaps around door and window trim, horizontal and vertical siding joints, windowsills, soffits, eaves and roof trim.
Priming and Painting
10. Pour a couple of inches of exterior stain-blocking wood primer into a handheld paint holder. Dip the bristles of a paintbrush in the primer, and paint all bare wood spots. If the entire structure is bare, then just paint the areas that can't be primed with a roller. Prime all trim and edges between the siding with the brush. These areas are often where the caulk was applied. Roll over all brush lines with a mini roller. You won't be able to get into the corners with the mini roller as much as you can with the paintbrush.
11. Pour a gallon of primer into a 5-gallon bucket, and place a metal paint roller screen inside the bucket so that it hangs from the inner rim.
12. Dip the roller into the bucket of primer and roll it up and down on the metal screen to load the nap fibers with primer. Walk to one side of the structure and roll up and down or side to side, depending on the style of siding. Squish the primer into rough wood surfaces. Paint a 4-square-foot section at a time. Overlap previously painted areas a few inches to ensure proper coverage.
13. Wait 24 hours for the primer to dry, and then lightly sand any rough areas with 120-grit sandpaper. Primer has a tendency to lift the wood grain. Go over the sanded areas with a tack cloth to remove all dust. Apply a coat of exterior finish paint over every surface that was primed. Wait 24 hours, and then apply a second coat.
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