Wood

Siding and Trim/Stained/To Be Painted

1. Surface Preparation:
   
• remove all loose or poorly adhering stain, and weathered wood fibers by scraping, or by careful hand wire brushing using a stiff metal wire brush going with the grain of the wood; wear eye protection, work gloves and a dust mask
• for wood shakes, use hand wire brushing with vertical strokes; note that with a steel wire brush on cedar, all bits of steel wire must be removed or discoloration can result
• treat any mildew with a 3:1 water:household bleach mixture, leaving it on for 20 minutes and adding more as it dries; wear eye and skin protection; rinse thoroughly
• remove dirt, chalk, dust, residual particles of stain, treated mildew, etc. by scrubbing with detergent and water, rinse thoroughly

2. Priming:
• after preparing, the surface, apply a quality stain blocking exterior latex or oil-based primer
• do not leave primer unpainted

3. Painting:
   • use top-of-the-line exterior 100% acrylic latex house paint in flat, satin, semi-gloss or gloss finish, depending on appearance desired
   • quality satin and semigloss finishes will resist mildew better than a flat
   • use quality oil-based primer and paint if surface has build-up of old oil-based stain
   • do not apply oil-based paint over latex stain

Back to Exterior Prep, Prime and Paint