i'm going to paint my house exterior. which sander do i need?

[vash]

i had my house painted before. it didnt last. the trim is in excellent shape. the main walls, not so much. i plan to clean everything, but only paint the main walls. i'll choose a color that matches pretty easily.

i decided i would do it myself. save some coin. i can take my time. do a wall at a time, not trying to break any paint records.

SANDER..which one? my house is wood siding. big unobtainium 12" wide planks with weird shingle-ly grooves at the ends. palm orbital sander? i dont want to take it down to bare wood, but i do have a lot to knock down. i once had an old timer carpenter tell me the name of the wood cut, but i have forgotten it. i might have to get some milled to replace a few bad sections.

..or, i could replace my garage door and salvage the good pieces from there.

i dont need to sand super smooth right? never done something like this before.

i just learned about TSP wash. wtf?

[onewhippedpuppy]

Why are you sanding? If your paint is in good shape but faded, just paint over it. Usually if it is peeling you would either scrape or pressure wash it, pressure washing being by far the fastest route. I worked as a painter for a summer, typical approach was to pressure wash to clean the walls and remove the loose stuff, prime any bare wood, then paint everything with an airless sprayer.

[futuresoptions]

Hey Clif, is it in bad enough shape that you could use a pressure washer to get the loose stuff off first and then hit it with the palm sander?

[masraum]

I thought people usually just scrap any places where the paint is loose or flaking and then paint over the old paint.

Sanding a house sounds like a ton of work

[1990C4S]

1. Wash.
2. Scrape and prime loose paint.
3. Paint.
4. Possibly paint again.

[vash]

There are some bad spots. Some boards need to be pulled and replaced. I may need to do some patching.

How long does a great paint job last? I want that!


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[Aragorn]

I have painted a few houses over summer breaks and this is what I was told to do by the boss. Get a kit to test for lead based paint. If it comes back reading lead stop. If not Start by using a scraper with a good sharp blade to knock the bubbles and paint lifts off. If that has taken the paint down to the wood, feather the paint edges with sandpaper and prime the bare spots. Some people like to clean the paint first (removes paint and grime), some like to clean after sanding. Don't power-wash. A power-washer can do more damage then help. Caulk the seams and putty the holes and use either a brush or exterior paint sprayer (rent a professional one) to lay down a nice even layer of paint. Mask if you want or use a piece of cardboard to prevent over-spray. Most of the time the finish turned out fine and still looks good today.

Here is a more in-depth article:

The $500 Makeover | How to Paint Your House's Exterior | This Old House

[rusnak]

I just repainted the old cabana by our pool. I used a pressure washer, then hand scraper and wire brush. I primered the wood first, which sort of glued the bad wood back together. A second coat of primer, then Valspar exterior paint. The wood is totally solid now. The new paint is elastic, so it won't crack. It's not elastomeric paint, but that would be the closest thing.

Also, Olympic makes a paint called Rescue. It's so heavy it'll run. But it's ideal for decking.

[futuresoptions]

Depends on the quality of the paint that you purchase. If I was concerned about that, I would just go over the wood siding with metal. Like the kind you get from Mueller inc. It has a 30yr warranty just on the color fading alone and I believe you could see a drop in your insurance as well...

[craigster59]

I had to remove 25 year old Textured coating sprayed over cedar siding on one of my houses. This saved me a TON of time and labor, although you will still have to sand the dished grooves.

Paintshaver® Pro Paint Stripping/Lead Paint Removal Tools



Edit: I sold it to a guy at work who does painting on the side. Saw him the other day and he still has it, not using it much anymore (He moved to Lancaster/ Palmdale where most of his work is stucco). I can ask if he's interested in selling it.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

I worked as a painter for a summer, typical approach was to pressure wash to clean the walls and remove the loose stuff, prime any bare wood, then paint everything with an airless sprayer.

I was a house painter for 5 years.
I thought I'd never finish that darned house!

[RWebb]

a lot depends on where you live - I use bleach here (after talking to a top notch paint shop), then pressure wash as we have mold, mold, mold

in Wyoming no mold could grow but snow crystals abraded the paint(!) not to mention sun

an angle grinder is perfect to address spots that need sanding after you scrape

I use Benjie Moore - their 2nd from the top line or the top line - Behr (Home Despot house brand) has gotten good reviews from Cons. Reports) - any top line paint should be good

use a quality primer on any bare wood also - cracks mean there is expansion, so use one of the new-fangled elastomerics there

mine has lasted 10 years and will last many more with just some spot touchup

where is dispo?

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Aragorn

I have painted a few houses over summer breaks and this is what I was told to do by the boss. Get a kit to test for lead based paint. If it comes back reading lead stop.

Don't fall for that nonsense. You can paint over lead based paint until the end of time and it won't hurt anything. If you need to scrape it, lay down tarps to collect the chips. Anything else is the result of too many lawyers and the occasional moron that let their child eat paint chips.

I'll cast another vote for the Home Depot Behr stuff. I hate HD, but it's damn good paint for the money. Don't cheap out on the paint, your longevity comes from prep work and using good paint. Endurance from Sherwin Williams is expensive but supposedly wears like iron.

[craigster59]

If you are a AAA member, you get a 25% discount at Dunn Edwards, close to contractor pricing.

[Aragorn]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Don't fall for that nonsense. You can paint over lead based paint until the end of time and it won't hurt anything. If you need to scrape it, lay down tarps to collect the chips. Anything else is the result of too many lawyers and the occasional moron that let their child eat paint chips.

That's pretty harsh...

If I remember correctly Vash lives in California. Lead and lead contamination is a whole different ballgame out there. Check the laws before you start working. Around here I need a permit from the city before I paint any structure. I would rather know the penalties for contamination before I start scrapping. If you are allowed to scrape lead based paint in Cali with just a drop-cloth to catch the flakes then go for it.

[1990C4S]

This is a very nice scraper:

Carbide Scrapers - Lee Valley Tools

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Don't fall for that nonsense. You can paint over lead based paint until the end of time and it won't hurt anything. If you need to scrape it, lay down tarps to collect the chips. Anything else is the result of too many lawyers and the occasional moron that let their child eat paint chips.

I'll cast another vote for the Home Depot Behr stuff. I hate HD, but it's damn good paint for the money. Don't cheap out on the paint, your longevity comes from prep work and using good paint. Endurance from Sherwin Williams is expensive but supposedly wears like iron.

Lead | US EPA

Locate Certified Renovation and Lead Dust Sampling Technician Firms | Lead | US EPA

The new EPA RRP requirements apply to you if your project disturbs:
6 square feet of interior lead paint surface AND/OR
20 square feet of exterior lead paint surface

So what are the next steps?
We've simplified this complicated process into 4 easy steps to make sure you're protected:

1.Get signed up with our easy online registration for an approved EPA course
2.Submit an application to EPA to get your company registered
3.Make it through the 8 hours of training and pass the 25 question quiz in class
4.Receive approval from EPA and you are good to go!

I'm certified to the instructor level for OSHA HAZWOPER CFR 1910.120 and if you got caught throwing down a tarp to collect lead paint chips and then threw them in the trash as regular landfill, you could stand to looose everything you own.
Could you get away with it? yes, most of the time.
But that one time would be really bad. Like way down here next to bad on the good/bad scale.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Aragorn

That's pretty harsh...

If I remember correctly Vash lives in California. Lead and lead contamination is a whole different ballgame out there. Check the laws before you start working. Around here I need a permit from the city before I paint any structure. I would rather know the penalties for contamination before I start scrapping. If you are allowed to scrape lead based paint in Cali with just a drop-cloth to catch the flakes then go for it.

Sorry, not intended to be directed at you. Just more nanny state stupidity.

[rusnak]

Well, getting away from the lead debate for a second.

I've been thinking about this some more, and if your wood is really bad, you should focus on making weather tight repairs first. Don't forget the windows. The wood really should be as clean as possible before priming. I used Valspar "Duramax" and had great results. It was sort of a satin color.

I also used an airless Wagner paint gun because the siding was the sort that a roller wouldn't cover everything. The airless gun required the paint to be thinned out a bit or it would clog. It also does not have the type of adjustable fan tip that a pro gun has. I would probably look into renting a professional sprayer.

Also, I would recommend looking into elastomeric paint since your wood is old, not new. And it may move around a bit, which is why your old paint didn't last.

[GWN7]

Proper preparation is the key. Power wash, then scrub with TSP & a long handled brush. Then rinse well. This gets rid of all the loose dirt and any grease on the surface. Repair damaged areas. Reset any loose nails. Use a vibrating sander to take the edge off the old paint. Spot prime areas that need it. Calk with a paintable calk. Repair/replace any flashing. Then paint.