Matt Weber
Home Improvement & Repairs magazine based in Birmingham, Alabama.
Find more at www.homeimprovementandrepairs.com.
Working on outdoor home projects is more enjoyable in mild weather, and fall is a prime time in Alabama to apply a new coat of paint where needed around the home.
Fresh paint can be among the most striking improvements you can make to your home’s curb appeal. However, the various materials of a home’s construction often require different preparation techniques to ensure a new long-lasting topcoat.
Prep for Wood Surfaces
From trim, casings and handrails to staircases, decks and fences, wood is one of the most common materials to require repainting. If the existing house paint has no lead content, remove any loose paint from the wood surface by scraping or by wire-brushing, working in the same direction as the grain of the wood. (Note: When using a steel brush on cedar, remove all bits of steel wire to avoid discoloration.) Feather-sand the rough edges of the remaining paint. Refresh the surface of any exposed wood by sanding with medium-grit (#120) paper. If gloss or semigloss paint will be used, follow by sanding with fine-grit (#220). Dull any existing glossy paint by sanding with a fine abrasive sanding pad.
Use detergent and water to remove any loose dirt or sand. Treat any mildew with 3:1 water-bleach mixture and then rinse thoroughly.
Prime all areas where the old paint has come off. For best results, prime the entire job using quality exterior stain-blocking latex or oil-based wood primer before painting..
Prep for Brick
If a white powdery substance (called “efflorescence”) is present on the brick surface, scrub it off with a wire brush. To remove heavy staining, mix a heavily diluted solution of water and muriatic acid (while wearing goggles and gloves), mop it onto the wall, and scrub thoroughly with a stiff-bristled brush. Rinse with plenty of clean water.
Pro tip: Eliminate or seal off any source of water from behind the brick, because moisture contributes to efflorescence.
Treat any mildew with a household bleach mixture, leaving it on for 20 minutes and adding more as it dries. Scrub away dirt with detergent and water. Rinse thoroughly.
Scrape out and widen any cracks, brush out the dust, then seal with 100-percent acrylic or siliconized acrylic caulk. Check the mortar joints carefully and repair or re-point them as needed before painting.
Priming brick is not essential but will maximize sheen uniformity and minimize efflorescence and mildew.
Prep for Aluminum Surfaces
Treat any mildew with bleach then remove dirt, chalk, treated mildew, etc. by scrubbing with detergent and water, and rinse thoroughly. Chalking on weathered aluminum siding can be a problem with paint adhesion and may even linger on the surface after pressure-washing.
Priming is generally not necessary if chalk can be removed. For areas where chalk is stubborn and cannot all be removed, apply a solvent-based exterior primer recommended for aluminum siding.
Pro tip: For excessively chalky surfaces, consider using a paint additive such as EmulsaBond. This is a stir-in acrylic bonding additive which improves adhesion of water-based paints and stains to chalky, dusty, or hard-to-coat surfaces like masonry, wood, and aluminum siding.
Prep for Vinyl Surfaces
For vinyl siding or PVC trim, treat any mildew with a bleach solution. Clean off any dirt or chalk with detergent and water, or power-wash, then rinse thoroughly. Priming generally is not necessary if mildew, dirt and chalk are all removed.
Choose a top-of-the-line exterior 100-percent acrylic latex house paint in a flat or satin finish.
Important note: For vinyl siding, apply only very light color paint, such as white, off-white or a light pastel. A good rule of thumb is to not paint the vinyl siding any darker than its original color. A darker color may cause irreversible warping of the vinyl siding due to heat retention from the sunlight.
Remember to always wear gloves and eye protection when prepping the surface for any paint job.