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.

You don't caulk between the clapboards--in fact, they sell wedges to
install between clapboard siding so that it will breathe better.

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

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

Not many paint jobs will last ten years. The better the preparation
and the better the paint, the longer it will last.

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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.

Most pros use both an airless and a roller. You use the airless to
spray on the paint and then "backroll" the paint into the siding with
an 18" roller. This is the best way.

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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.

If it is one color, the house can be sprayed/backrolled in a couple of
hours. The real work that takes time is the preparation--this could
only take a few hours or several days--it depends on the condition of
your house.

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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.

If the nail heads are okay you can just paint over them. If they are
rusty or loose I would replace them and put a dab of caulk over the
head before painting.

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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.

Two coats are much better, however, I would recommend using SW
Duration that is a true one coat coverage. Duration is almost twice
as thick as regular paint, self-priming, and offers a lifetime
guarantee against certain problems.
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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.

You can spot prime if there aren't too many bare areas. Full priming
is only required on a house that hasn't been painted before--that is
what primer is for, to prepare the bare wood to take a coat of paint.
If the house is already painted, full priming isn't necessary.

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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.

Sanding is to remove peeling paint. Latex paint will stick to about
anything without any sanding so it isn't necessary to sand before
painting unless there is a problem with the existing coat of paint.

What I would recommend is to use TSP to clean the house before it is
pressure washed. The TSP will not only clean the siding but will also
degloss the paint.


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

This is very subjective. I would look for someone who is a member of
the PDCA, has been in business at least 5 years, and leaves a list of
50-100 references.


Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Bruce
A.& B.Construction
Houston, Texas
www.1-866-Roof-Men.com