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When the weather breaks, I’ll be starting to install board and batten siding on a house I’m building for myself in upstate NY. I’m trying to save a few bucks anywhere i can, without being penny-wise and pound-foolish. Any thoughts out there on the best compromise between price and quality when it comes to what I should use for back-priming my siding? Thanks.
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I backprimed exterior trim with the same primer I used on the exposed face. The paint pros around here have always told me that the "best" primer for bare wood is oil-based tinted to, say, 1/2-2/3 your final top coat color. This primer can be top coated with just about anything.
I would pick another area, for example, exterior lighting, as a compromise vice primer for wood siding. Better said, I would choose something that I can EASILY change later AND even better would be something wherein I could sell the old to help pay for the new.
*The absolute LAST place to save a buck is on cheap primer. Buy the best and put it on like it was free. Joe H
*Eric,Use a better quality oil based paint for you primer. I highly recommend using typical oil paint and thinning it with spirits. Apply as needed and let dry well before painting. The thinning with spirits lets the paint penetrate the wood and get a good bite into it and therefore provides a great base for final coats.Pete
*Sorry guys, I was probably using the wrong terminology (it's probably apparent that I'm a rank amateur). When i said "back-prime", I meant sealing the back of the siding where it will be against the house-wrap so no moisture wicks through from back there. It'll never see paint or (hopefully) the light of day again once it's put up. Does that change anyone's input? Thanks, John
*You got it right the first time. However, now that you mention house wrap, what kind of siding are you putting on? Cedar and house wrap don't go together. Joe H
*Joe said it. Never save bucks on paint or primer. I have never had problems with housewraps but enough folks here have that I changed my envelope. Hasn't been long enough to tell if results are improved or not but it doesn't really change my costs that much.consider hardie board- that stuff is forever
*Hey Pete - (grinning)If I knew for a fact that I was going to top-coat w/oil I might take your advice but if I prime as you suggest, I'm more than likely going to be in trouble if I go with latex. Thanks to my PO's hired help (I would never degrade the painting profession by calling them painters), I replaced thirteen interior doors that were latex over oil.I have been told by many that primers, as a general class, and by design, bond well to surfaces and provide a "proper" base for subsequent topcoats. A couple of paint mfg reps have both told me that mfgs are putting their R&D dollars into latex (and not into oil) such that the durability of a "quality" SG latex comes close to, but still doesn't equal, that of a similar oil.
*Joe - I'm using rough cut 1x8 pine from a local mom and pop sawmill, planed on one side, which I'm putting out. Pretty thirsty stuff, which is one reason I was looking for my best compromise between price and durability. Outside will be done with a colored stain. Thanks.
*My 2 cents ....... Double ditto to what Joe said. Don't skimp on the primer. Would you skimp on the foundation under building? I prefer an oil/alkyd primer with some Penetrol added for most wood; I think it offers better penetration/ adhesion. Make sure the wood is dry; if the wood is green or wet from being stored outside, any paint is a waste of your money. If you're using planed boards (S3S, S4S etc), knock the mill glaze off by sanding (a random orbit sander with 60 or 80 grit paper works well); the primer will have a better "bite". Paint any knots/ pitch pockets with BIN before priming. Make sure your top coat is compatible with your primer.
*John, if you're using stain, why not (if you are using an oil stain) backprime with stain?
*John - Click here for a primer recommendation based on your description. Click on 'Problem Solver' primer.Jeff
*For 15 + years I've been back-priming with Clear Wood Preservative alone (preservative, not sealer). It sheds water and also protects from mold, mildew, bacteria and other critters attracted by moisture. Also use it to soak the ends of any wood trim, before any primer or paint is applied. Buy it in 6 gallon cans for about $40. No problems to date as a siding back primer (though 15 years is not 50). Olympic, Cuprinol, Woodlife all come to mind as brands I've used.Do know that it does great job extending the life of trim, brick mold, etc., even when maintenance is minimal and ends are starved for paint. Simply do not get those decaying ends or joints that are so common and lead to much paying work for carpenters - geez, that may be good reason not to use the stuff . Some thoughts. Randy
*Eric,Good point. I think someone else mentioned oil paint and I went along that avenue. Oil may be a mess to work with and more expensive but it sure does a great job.For latex paints you can try the same trick with a little water to thin. I have always found that better primers are so thick that they really do not bite well into wood. You can sometimes even peel bits and pieces away from the wood after it's dried. This may also be partly to do with woods like plywood or other formed pieces that have been subjected to pressure of some sort which seals the surface of pores. Extra water in the primer or paint (for the primer coat)will cause the surface to open up a bit and the primer coat will soak in nicely.There are also additives that you can add to the paint (oil or latex) that will increase their bonding strength.Pete
*Thanks for all your time and insights, folks. John