If you decide to paint your wooden siding, here are the steps you should follow.
For anyone with wooden siding on your property, you understand the aesthetic appeal it offers when you take good care of it. Also, just like how you notice when it looks good, you also notice when your siding is not looking its best, such as when the weather wears it down. The best solution to restore your siding to the way it was is by giving it a paint job. If you decide to paint your wooden siding, here are the steps you should follow.
Evaluate
Take a look at your house’s surface and see if your siding is experiencing any problems, such as rotting wood or peeling paint. If there are any existing problems on these surfaces, you have to deal with them before you can begin the painting process.
You might have flaking paint, which is what happens when water accumulates under a painted surface. Detect the sources of moisture you have and see if you can address them. You might need help from a professional, depending on the severity or complexity of the issue.
Get Rid of Loose Paint
Put drop cloths on the ground so you can collect loose paint chips. With the help of a paint scraper, get flaking and peeling paint off of your siding. After that, sand down the surface. The type of sander that’s best for you will depend on the area you’re trying to sand, so a professional could provide some insight as to what sander would be best.
Sanding should start using a rough abrasive, and you should end sanding with something finer. Be mindful when smoothing out edges between any scraped places and painted ones. This is what is known as feathering, and it’s what happens when paint accentuates whatever edges and ridges that you leave.
Get Your Wood Prepared and Primed
For whatever little issues your surface has, you can use an exterior spackling compound. If there are bigger issues, you should go with a polyester resin filler. A plastic squeegee should be used to apply the filler after you’ve mixed it together. Once it’s applied, use a hand sander to sand out your newly-cured filler. This smooths out the surface.
If you have peeling or flaking paint near joints, you should get a screwdriver so you can scrape out whatever failed caulk is there. After that, clear out the joints using a stiff brush and let the remaining moisture dry.
Using a power washer for cleaning is also advised, and you should remove any pieces of hardware before the painting process begins. For hardware, you can’t remove, cover it up instead. You’ll also want to cover other areas near the painting site, such as shrubs and pathways.
The Painting Process
Apply paint to your wooden siding with either a roller or brush. Going from top to bottom is best, and make sure to account for the weather while painting. Painting in direct sunshine is not advised. You should also be painting surfaces evenly, and the surfaces need to dry evenly as well.
Finish Up
After you’ve finished painting, see if you’ve missed any areas or if there are drips/spills anywhere. Once you’re done, clean off all of the materials you used, and put them back where you got them. If you took down any hardware or other items, you can put them all back where they belong as well.
Contact Albaugh & Sons
Since 2003, Albaugh & Sons, LLC has been dedicated to meeting the fencing, decking, and home remodeling needs of homeowners throughout the greater Frederick area. All of our team members are experienced, well-trained, and committed to exceeding the expectations of every customer.
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