04-09-2007, 05:23 PM
You'll need to prep the bare primer, as well; at the very least, it should be reprimed. Primer oxidizes if it's not painted over within a few weeks.
I don't care for Kilz primer, but I don't think it's as bad as some people claim.
I really wouldn't recommend a pressure washer on siding because it can force water up behind the clapboard. It can also strip all the paint off if you're not careful, and can even gouge the wood. If you must pressure wash, practice first, and figure some way to make sure the water is always pointing down.
Use a mild bleach solution to kill mildew and moss. You can buy mildewcide that you mix into paint, but paint that already includes it is a better choice.
TSP is used as a degreaser and nonfoaming detergent to clean the surface. Use a scrub brush and rinse well afterwards. Wear good gloves when you're working with TSP. The non-TSP cleaner is gentler on your hands, and it works, but not as well as TSP, in my experience.
You need to assume you've got lead paint until proven otherwise. You can scrape up samples of your old paint and send it in to a lab; they'll tell you how much lead is in it. That's a lot more accurate than those lead-paint swabs that turn pink. Exactly what sort of mitigation you'll need will depend on how much lead there is, if you've got kids, and so on. But you'll have to do something about the old cracking or peeling paint.
In places where you can't or shouldn't scrape up peeling or flaking paint, use Zinsser's Peel Stop. It sorta glues down the edges.
I don't care for Kilz primer, but I don't think it's as bad as some people claim.
I really wouldn't recommend a pressure washer on siding because it can force water up behind the clapboard. It can also strip all the paint off if you're not careful, and can even gouge the wood. If you must pressure wash, practice first, and figure some way to make sure the water is always pointing down.
Use a mild bleach solution to kill mildew and moss. You can buy mildewcide that you mix into paint, but paint that already includes it is a better choice.
TSP is used as a degreaser and nonfoaming detergent to clean the surface. Use a scrub brush and rinse well afterwards. Wear good gloves when you're working with TSP. The non-TSP cleaner is gentler on your hands, and it works, but not as well as TSP, in my experience.
You need to assume you've got lead paint until proven otherwise. You can scrape up samples of your old paint and send it in to a lab; they'll tell you how much lead is in it. That's a lot more accurate than those lead-paint swabs that turn pink. Exactly what sort of mitigation you'll need will depend on how much lead there is, if you've got kids, and so on. But you'll have to do something about the old cracking or peeling paint.
In places where you can't or shouldn't scrape up peeling or flaking paint, use Zinsser's Peel Stop. It sorta glues down the edges.