Exterior wood patching/filling

[trance]

Hello, getting ready to paint the exterior of my house. Siding is wood (130 year old lap siding). I need to patch nail holes & some larger holes (any holes larger than 50 cent piece I'm planning on replacing the board).

What type of wood filler should I use? The latex filler looks easy, but I worry about durability. The epoxy filler is expensive and looks harder to use.

I'm planning on priming with oil based primer and painting with latex. (sherwin williams for both)

thanks!

[marksr]

Durham's rock hard putty should work fine. Make sure you do a good job of applying it as it is a bear to sand. Caulking and putty or glazing should be fine for all the small areas [nail heads and cracks] With a house of that age I would consider using a latex primer unless staining is a problem. I have always preferred oil primer but it seams that the latex holds up better on older homes.

[trance]

Hi, thanks for the advice - I found this online - will the Durham's work for my siding (since it will be exposed to water)?

"I also use Durham's Rock Hard water putty for the filler.....The repair mustn't be exposed to moisture however -- it's gypsum and will absorb water and swell. So, it's best for indoor repairs, but when exposed areas are well coated with paint, I haven't had a problem."

[marksr]

I have used rock hard occasionally for many years on exterior repairs and have never had any problems brought to my attention from its use. Of course I've always primed and painted it. Durhams rock hard is not to be confused with durabond - a fast setting, hard drywall mud.

[trance]

thanks - I'll track some of this stuff down. =)