# Exterior Painting Question



## jmm8877 (Sep 13, 2008)

Ok, I've decided to paint my house myself. And I have some questions. I will post photos below.

I know the house needs to be pressure washed before I start. And I figured since most of the paint just rubs off by rubbing a hand over it, that pressure washing it would get all but a little off. But the guy that came to give me an estimate said that he wouldn't want to use too much pressure on it, because the wood might "hair-up" meaning, having a shredding effect. and make the painting difficult or possibly make the paint not last as long. 

I want to do a good job and don't mind working, but I don't want to waste time scraping the whole thing by hand if I don't "need" to.

What should I do?

Thanks!


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## glennjanie (Sep 14, 2008)

Hello JMM:
The pressure washer is the way to go; just don't use more than, maybe 2,000 psi to spray it. The siding looks like it is pine shiplap siding which is pretty tough. The power sprayer might make the grain stand out a little but I don't think it will 'hair'.
The paint looks like an old coat of lead-based paint, you should use caution and protect yourself and others. 
Glenn


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## ladykaya (Dec 28, 2009)

Before you put paint for it you should clean it first and put some varnish for it so that when you are going to apply paint it the color becomes bright and I guess white is the best color for it.


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## handyguys (Dec 28, 2009)

I have pressure washed buildings like that and yes, i have seen it 'hair up'. You would need to be careful. make sure its dry dry dry before priming and painting.


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## anie973 (Dec 29, 2009)

Just clean it carefully before painting it.


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## SJNServices (Jan 6, 2010)

I've tackled exterior paint jobs like this also. Go ahead and pressure wash away, then in the time it takes for the exterior of the house to dry, you can take care of the rest of the prep work like scraping, caulking, etc. Since you'll be looking at bare wood, a coat of primer is never a bad thing. Unfortunately, paint in that condition requires a lot of prep work and the quality of the final result will ultimately depend on that prep work.


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## frozenstar (Jan 13, 2010)

Pressure washer would work good but I guess the wood would soften a bit. I believe there's a wood emery or anything that can help you remove that paint. But if the wood is strong enough and can stand water, then work with the pressure washer.


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## Superpack (Feb 3, 2010)

Very bad condition, clean them before painting. After painting on regularly basis clean them because, cleaning must be important for good looking/long life everything.

Best Regards,


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## hadiya (Mar 8, 2010)

Wash the house with mild soap and water. A pressure sprayer can be used, but be careful to not dig grooves into the wood. Rinse the soap off and let the wood dry completely. Apply as many coats of primer as needed with a wide brush. Start painting the first area of a wall from the top using long horizontal strokes of the brush. Start in an area that has no new paint on it and paint toward the newly painted area. Repeat this process until the first coat has been applied.

For any other information Contact your local contractor, he suggests you with more ideas


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## wengay (Aug 19, 2010)

I agree with superpack and anie. I think you must clean it very well before painting it. Besides you can clean it easily using a spray. Or you just wash it very well. 
Good luck on doing it.


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