Clean Wood Siding Before Painting

The paint will go on just fine but by painting dirty siding you seriously shorten your paint s lifespan.

Clean wood siding before painting.

Although paint manufacturers might lead you to believe that the world will end if you don t clean the siding before painting the reality is not quite that dire. Caulk after you stain or prime. It wasn t so long ago that trisodium phosphate tsp was a go to choice for tough cleaning jobs especially on exteriors. Clean the entire surface with soap and water or a pressure washer to remove any dirt and grime that s built up over time.

Prepare the surface with old buildings such as my 130 year old barn water blasting the loose paint is not a recommended practice. Before sanding scrape loose and flaking paint from the siding. Here are tips for battling mildew stains and ridding your home of the chalky dust. Preparing your home s exterior before you paint is essential.

Stain bonds well to unpainted weathered wood. Houses painted before 1978 may have paint that contains lead according to the centers for disease control cdc lead paint should be removed by contractors who are certified by the epa. There are ways to safely clean your house before painting using a pressure washer including using lower psi pressure washers widening the spray and standing at least two feet back. Potential of siding damage water injected under siding or dirt remaining on house.

Primer helps paint stick and improves the coverage so you can dramatically change the color of the old wood if. A brown gray or black stain on siding or. Diluted in water and applied often with a stiff scrub brush it can. Most of the time cleaning is straightforward but some circumstances like mold and mildew and chalky residue might require some special treatment.

Preparing exterior wood for painting isn t difficult but it does require some prep work to ensure that your new paint has a smooth stable surface to adhere to. Before painting apply primer to the old wood surface whether it is indoors or out. If you plan to paint. If you plan to paint or use a solid color stain set any nails that the carpenters missed below the surface and fill the nail holes with caulk.

Before weathered wood can be painted it will require extensive prep work to ensure that the paint stays on for more than just a couple of years. Make sure to brush the wood clean working from the top down. Considering how hard and expensive it is to paint house exteriors it s a. Give it an occasional cleaning to brighten up its appearance get rid of mildew and prevent discoloration.