Judgement call… Exterior finish
Hey all, looking for a bit of a judgement call here.
Am in the midst of a sizeable remodeling project on my own house… most of which I’m doing myself. So it’s destined to take awhile. I’m in the northeast, and am scrambling to get most of my exterior work done before the snow flies so I can pick away at the interior over the winter months.
We stripped 50yr old Alum off the exterior, and the claps are actually in decent shape in most spots. Weathered to bare wood in some area, a few places where the wood has gone to rot, and definitely in need of a full strip/sand/repaint before it’s done.
The question: is it worth putting a coat of primer on before the winter (even just the bare wood spots), or would I just be doubling my work in the long run? I’ve never understood primer to be a very good “protector” of wood, but if it will prevent “meaningful” or long term damage to the wood from the winter, then it might be worth it. In the end I guess the question is… how much damage will one winter do?
I realize this is a “judgement call”, and appreciate any thoughts…
Thanks
Brian
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Brian Roberts, Manager
Replies
I'd say prime the bare spots, and any spots where you scrape loose peeling paint, etc. Then do it properly next year. You'll have to lightly sand and reprime the spots you prime now, but you'll keep the wood drier and prevent weathering.
Use an alkyd (oil) primer.
Prime, seal, caulk all you can before winter. If the wood goes gray, that's cell damage and you need to sand past that for a good bond.
Evaluate if the walls need breathers, vents, which may be a reason why you have damage in areas.
If water vapor is entering the wall system from the interior and you seal up the exterior nice and tight you're heading for paint failure.