Clark... wrote:
hobbes wrote:
Hi,

My house has these circular columns on the front porch. They are made
of plastic. The white paint that is on them is flaking off and
pealing.

I want to use as the top coat Benjamin Moore Alkyd Exterior house
paint to match existing colors.

What is the correct primer paint to use?

Many thanks, Mike.

Mike, it is a good rule of thumb to use the primer that they want you
to use, the recomendation is on the can of paint.
The companies for the majority of the time formulate the primer and
top coat paint to work together,.
I don't know if this holds true for Benny Moore, I'm a fan of Pratt
and Lambert myself.
make sure to use an oil/alkyd base primer.


Clark



Strike my last post Mike !!!!! I just re-read it and noticed the Plastic
word.............'doh!
You first need to find out what kind of paint is currently on those
columns...
then decide whether or not to strip it etc,
Oil over the plastic would be a bad choice!!!!!
read this, and there are some links too.
Clark...

Avoid Problems Painting Aluminum and Vinyl Siding
Author: Robert Clarke
Anyone with older aluminum siding is well aware of the paint chalking
problem. Just rub your hand along the old siding and the chalky old paint
will be all over your palm. Trying to get paint to stick to this could be a
real problem. This is due to oxidation of the paint. Siding manufacturers
originally referred to this problem as a "benefit". They called it, "self
cleaning", as the paint literally washed off the house.
Older vinyl siding is also a problem. UV light fades vinyl siding over time
and the siding becomes very unsightly. Many unfortunate homeowners and
contractors have experienced the dismay, when they repainted their homes,
only to find the new paint peeling off a few months later. Both problems
with older aluminum and vinyl siding can be overcome with proper cleaning,
surface preparation and re-painting.
Cleaning You will need to rent a powerful pressure washer with at
least3000 psi. You will want a pressure washer powerful enough toremove most
of the old chalky paint off the aluminum siding or,to remove any dirt
buildup on the old vinyl siding. Start at the top course of siding and work
your way down. You will need to keep the pressure wand fairly close to the
siding surface to effectively remove the old paint. In some areas, you may
find that the paint comes off to the bare metal. Be careful near windows,
corners, soffits and doorways. The water under pressure, can be forced
behind these areas causing damage. You can add TSP or other cleaning
solutions to the reservoir for mildew, algae or other grime built up. If you
do use a cleaning solution, be sure to completely rinse it off with your
pressure washer. You should allow your home to dry for several days in dry,
sunny weather before proceeding to the painting process.
If you are repainting vinyl siding or vinyl coated aluminum siding, you may
need a surface de-glosser. This is a solvent type product used to remove any
shine on the surface and to helpyour first coat to adhere better. You will
have no trouble finding a good de-glosser at your local paint supply store.


Application
I like a commercial type airless sprayer. It will draw the paint directly
out of your 5 gallon paint pails, through the hose and into your spray gun.
These are available to rent at many tool rental locations and even some
paint supply stores that supply contractors. If your paint is real high
quality latex, it will be thicker than regular latex paint and will require
a more powerful airless sprayer.
Priming
This step is equally as critical as the step above. Actually, the cleaning
and surface preparation phases will make or break the results of your
project. I like a latex paint additive called emulsa-bond for the first
coat. Emulsa-bond is a bonding agent you will add to the first coat of paint
or primer, to help it to bond to the old siding. I buy the best grade
exterior latex paint, rather than oil or other solvent based paint. Latex
paint seems to keep up with the expansion and contraction of the siding very
well. The high quality latex paint I buy needs no primer. I add the bonding
agent directly into the first color coat. Check with your paint supplier
whether or not to use a primer. The rule of thumb is, when in doubt, use a
primer. If you use a primer, add the bonding agent into it before applying.
There are also bonding agents available for oil or other solvent based
paints. One type is called penetrol. These are usually available at a
painting contractor supply store. Many contractors will spot prime areas,
especially where bare metal is exposed. I don't like spot priming because it
can lead to an uneven looking top coat. When I put a primer coat on, I prime
the entire home. This gives a uniform surface finish later on.
Finish Coat
Your top coat will be color only. You should check with your paint
manufacturer to see if you need one or two top coats after the base coat.
Like I mentioned above, buy the highest quality exterior paint.
In Conclusion
Proper cleaning and surface preparation are the two main ingredients to a
successful painting job. A bonding agent in the first coat is also very
critical to avoid paint peeling offlater on. Using these techniques, I've
re-painted homes that have lasted far longer than the original factory
applied finish.

About the author:
Robert Clarke has operated home improvement companies over the last 30
years. He is the owner of Contractors USA,Inc, a nationwide contractor
referral service at http://www.contractorsusa.info/ . Get more information
about aluminum and vinyl siding at
http://www.contractorsusa.info/insta...yl-siding.html

Posted on http://www.painterforum.com

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