Robert11 wrote:
Hello,

Have a question regarding painting my house.
Concerns really.

House is the typical wooden clapboard style.
Hasn't been painted for about 7 years or so.

I guess the normal thing that they recommend is to have it pressure
washed first, to remove any mildew and clean the surface prior to the
new paint.
The new paint will, I guess, be a coating that adheres to the old
paint, and will never actually see the wood underneath. Is this so ?

So, if the old paint flakes off the wood, it would take the new layer
of paint with it.
Am I looking at this scenario correctly ?

As there are a few spots that do show some flaking (the paint that's
on there now), I'm a bit concerned about the pressure washing
loosening up even more of the original paint.

But there sure is some light mildew here and there that I would like
to have removed.
Also, I guess a good cleaning will help the new paint adhere better. True
?
Is pressure washing first, therefore, a good idea, or best not to
have it done at all ?

Any thoughts on this would be most appreciated.


Sure. The new paint will stick to whatever it's put on top of. Whether that
item is sticking to the wood is another matter. If your existing paint is
flaking, it's obviously not sticking to the house.

Modern latex paint is, to some extent, forgiving of site preparation. It can
make a rubbery covering that is quite tenacious and cohesive.