Painting - Painting my house this fall!

Hello!

After much grumbling and finding reasons why not to paint my house I have decided that this autumn it needs to be done. I live on Cape Cod and we have lichens and mold that seem to grow on everything from rocks to trees, even houses. I don't think the house I bought has been painted in 25 years! The siding is in rough shape, its peeling, a bit moldy and has endured periodical flicker assaults. The siding is aged red cedar. It is very dark. Having neither much free time or help, I think that I will only be able to paint the trim this season. Now, here is the hard part...after doing my prep work like, scraping, patching, sanding and what not, I would like to wash the trim-and JUST the trim. The siding has aged very dark and any wobbly application of house washing solution will significantly brighten that area. I would like to avoid this:) Now I hope someone out there can help me, cause my wife is sick of hearing about the trim :)

What is a good house washing solution? Is TSP harsh on plants and aged wood?

Anyone have any suggestions on just cleaning the trim? Can it be done by hand?

Is autumn a good time for exterior painting?

Hey, thanks for reading this!

Andrew Fletcher

I am not still not sure what shape your house is in? Is it raw cedar or it was painted (25 yrs ago) and most of the paint is gone, down to bare wood? What percentage has paint on it? And lastly you want to paint it or put a stain or clear sealer to preserve the darkened natural wood look?
If the wood is weatherbeaten and rough then washing it isn't necessary. To remove the mold.lichen, moss,etc. normally I would powerwash & chlorox, (but it will bleach the wood)so instead I would tsp and wire brush in your case. You can use clear caulking to seal the mouldings without changing a natural look. I would recommend using a linseed oil, mineral spirit, varnish mix (3-2-1) and spray the natural wood siding down as this will protect it from further water damage without changing the apperance much besides being quite simple thus putting off the big painting "chore" for awhile. Any time the house is dry and you still have some warm days will do. Most paint does't do well below 50 degrees out. Must be pretty in cape cod now.

Jeff,

Thanks for your reply. The siding is untreated red cedar clapboard. It is quite weathered and aged. According to a few estimates from painters and carpenters it has many years ahead of it and doesn't need to be replaced. It has also weathered unevenly due to sun exposure, weather etc. One side is nearly black, there others gray. The trim I believe was stained ages ago using a solid color stain as it is peeling in some spots, but merely faded in others. Could be paint, but a contractor told me solid color stain will peel in time. I would say that the trim has about 90% of the paint on it. I hope I don't have to do too much scraping! I imagine I will just scrape the chipped parts, sand and ultimately wash it. The caulk is a good idea!
One other question I have is; if I did decide to wash the whole house to free it from the lichen grip, I should just spray the whole house with TSP then wash it down with a powerwasher? I recall using tsp on a small section where some moss was on the house. I hosed it down, it seemed to lighten the area including the moss. I guess that where the brush or a little coercion comes into play. Some local painting contractors offer a "low pressure" wash, as parts of their jingle go on describing it as gentle, and biodegradable. Are these fancy terms that describe TSP? Or is there some trade secret? I also see them using a common pressure washer on the fan setting. I have some experience with these, but having a genuine desire to keep my windows and siding intact I imagine I should exercise some caution.
Thanks!

Andrew Fletcher

Yes, the cape the cape is beautiful this time of year. Many agree this is the best time of year. The same cranky ocean and bay that make for a cold spring mellows out to keep us warm well in the fall. If I were a tourist I would vacation in Sept/Oct., and see what the Cape is really like.

Redwood and cedar have resins that resist termites and dryrot and so often dont recieve a protective coating (paint or stain). But eventually rain washes the resins out and dryrot and termites will start. Everyone likes the discolored weathered look of raw wood but the graying and darkening is actually just the surface fibers rotting. I would seal it if you wish it to last longer. To make weathered wood look new I put oxalic acid on it and regular chorox will bleach it. I'm not sure how much bleaching tsp will do. Test it on an area that doesnt show. A powerwasher will blast the "rotted fibers" off (taking the darkened areas off) so it doen't sound like a good idea to me. A gentle low pressure power wash would be the same effect as a garden hose. If the power is enough to blast off loose paint it will also damage your siding. I would try just using a stiff bristle brush or broom to get rid of the lichen, etc. There are water based urethane clear sealers also if the oil mix I suggested does'nt interest you. I would spray on the sealer and roll it in. My guess is it would suck up 4 or more coats. I have friends who had an unmaintained 2 by6 cedar sided home (with termite damage) that put 16 coats on. wow! The nice thing about clear sealers is they are easy to do the bad part is they last about 1/2 the length of time paint will. You'll like seeing the water bead up. Caulk everything with the clear painters caulk (not silicone). If you decided later to paint the silicone would have to be dug out (as it is hard to paint over).