On Jun 21, 1:40 pm, Steve wrote:
Tim Shoppa wrote on 21 Jun 2007 in group
alt.home.repair:

I put preprimed exterior casing around several of my windows and doors
several years ago. I topped it off with oil-based exterior paint.

At the same time, I put some new trim wood (not casing) on the
outside, used an oil-based primer, and an oil-based topcoat.

Now, 5 or 7 years later, the wood that wasn't preprimed is in fine
condition. But in some cases the casing that was preprimed is starting
to peel. And it's not the topcoat peeling off the primer.

Did I do something wrong 5 or 7 years ago by using oil-based paint
over the preprimed casing?

Or is it just that 5 or 7 years later it's time to re-prepare
(scraping and sanding as necessary) and re-paint anyway?

I remember asking a professional painter once about the difference between
low-end and high-end paint. He said that with low-end paint, you'll need
to repaint in about five to seven years. With high-end paint, you'll need
to repaint in about five to seven years.

:-) Maybe!

7 years ago what I was doing was replacing wood with water and termite
damage.

What I'm doing this summer is more general (but of course where it
gets wetter or more sun I have to spend more effort preparing).

I think I can tell the difference between cheap and expensive paint
when I'm applying it myself. The expensive stuff generally seems to
spread and flow better. But 7 years later, it might indeed be hard to
tell!

And I can't hardly buy oil-based topcoat paint anymore. I'm not going
to say it's impossible but I cannot buy more than a quart at a time
due to legal restrictions. I don't know if these restrictions exist
everywhere or just where I am (Maryland). The good latex stuff today
seems better than the latex of 20 years ago, I know.

Tim.