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.

Clean wood siding before painting.

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. Stain bonds well to unpainted weathered wood. Work a paint scraper from every direction keeping the blade flat against the wood so you don t create gouge marks. Most of the time cleaning is straightforward but some circumstances like mold and mildew and chalky residue might require some special treatment.

Before painting apply primer to the old wood surface whether it is indoors or out. Considering how hard and expensive it is to paint house exteriors it s a. A brown gray or black stain on siding or. 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.

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. Preparing your home s exterior before you paint is essential. 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. Potential of siding damage water injected under siding or dirt remaining on house.

Prepare the surface with old buildings such as my 130 year old barn water blasting the loose paint is not a recommended practice. Give it an occasional cleaning to brighten up its appearance get rid of mildew and prevent discoloration. You want the absolute best adhesion surface for your paint. It wasn t so long ago that trisodium phosphate tsp was a go to choice for tough cleaning jobs especially on exteriors.

Primer helps paint stick and improves the coverage so you can dramatically change the color of the old wood if. Here are tips for battling mildew stains and ridding your home of the chalky dust. Caulk after you stain or prime. Clean wood siding your home s exterior really takes a beating.

Diluted in water and applied often with a stiff scrub brush it can. The paint will go on just fine but by painting dirty siding you seriously shorten your paint s lifespan. If you plan to paint. Make sure to brush the wood clean working from the top down.