Tim Shoppa wrote on 21 Jun 2007 in group
alt.home.repair:

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.

Kidding aside, high-end paint DOES have some advantages, like
spreadability. I use a lot of different paints, because my clients
usually want to buy it themselves or match an old can. I just haven't
formed a clear opinion whether the advantages are worth the extra cost.
Maybe it's my technique, but I can't seem to get brushmark-free finishes
with ANY kind of paint, even using Floetrol.

I'm in Texas, and there are no limits on purchase quantities of oil-
based paints, but the last gallon I bought to do crown moulding poured
out of the can in one big glob. I had to thin it to death before it
would go on smoothly. The EPA has made the manufactures take the VOCs
(Volatile Organic Compounds / thinner) out to improve air quality, so
now the user has to put them back in, thus breaking even on air quality.
On the plus side, I got two gallons of paint in a one-gallon can.

--
Steve B.
New Life Home Improvement