David Roberts wrote:
Hi,
I'm in need of some help judging the different stories I get from
several painters recently. I've been getting estimates to paint my
house exterior (wood clapboard). Please give me your take on the
following statements.

1a) You should caulk everywhere, including between the clapboard to
seal the house from moisture and prevent pests from getting inside. (
I do have a big ant problem and see them crawling between the boards).

1b) You should never caulk between the wood boards because the house
must breathe and adjust with the moisture and temperature changes.


Calk where needed. Sounds easy, but a good pro will know. Not
everything should calked. In general cracks protected by overhangs should
not be calked. Insects will not be stopped by calk.

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2a) The paint job should last between 15-20 years.

2b) The paint job will last up to 10 years.

It depends on the prep, the local weather conditions, the prep, the
condition and type of wood, the prep, the quality of paint, and did I
mention prep?


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3a) Using rollers and brushes is superior to spraying the paint on.

3b) Spraying gives a more uniform paint job with no roller marks.

Which ever one is used by the best professional. That will almost
always be brush and roller.


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4a) Painting the 1 story house (approx 1675 sqft) should take 3-4
days.

4b) Painting the 1 story house (approx 1675 sqft) should take about 2
weeks.

It depends on how many people you have working, the conditions of the
surface that need to be addressed (did I mention prep was important?)
weather conditions etc.

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5a) You should putty over the nail heads to both make it look better
and protect the nail.

5b) You shouldn't waste your time putting over the nail since it will
come off within a few years. The primer and paint will protect the
nail head.

Good contractors will use putty. It will look better and may (depending
on the situation) last better.


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6a) Two coats of paint are essential. The extra coat will extend the
life of the paint job.

6b) One coat is sufficient, and we put more paint on with that coat so
it will protect better.

Almost always two coats will be better. Of course two poorly applied
coats are not as good as one well applied coat. Just look on the can of
paint. They will say two coats. It works better. The guy who wants to use
one coat is not planning on getting the job next time.

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7a) Spot priming is fine, only on wood that is bare or where the old
paint comes right off.

7b) It is good to prime the whole house regardless as to the condition
of the wood or existing paint.

Yes and yes. It depends on the condition of the surface. This is part
of the prep work. Did I say that prep work was important?


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8a) The new paint will only look as good as the old if the surface is
still rough. Sanding the wood is for aesthetic reasons, not
protection.

That advice comes from your painter who wants to spray one coat spot
prime no putty on nails is planning to do a rush job faster than anyone else
tells you that 10 years is max life for paint and does not think prep work
is important. You will be lucky if he wants to powerwash it as his only
prep.




I've also been given estimates ranging from $2000-8600 and warantees
from 2 years to 7 years, respectively.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math