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We are planning to paint the exterior of our home soon. I have interviewed several painters and they all claim the paint that they use is definately the top of the line. Some are saying Benjamin Moore, others are saying Pratt & Lambert and some are saying Sherwin Williams. Is there a big difference between the paints? Can I really expect more than 10 years of life from a painting?
Our house is currently being resided with pre-primed (both sides) cedar. We live in the soggy northwest. All painters are planning on spraying with a bleach mixture to kill fungus and spores. They have all said that they will spray twice and backbrush following the first spray coat.
Your comments please, Mary
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Mary, all three brands are excellent paints ..... kind of like an argument whether a Ford, Dodge, or Chevy is better. Prep work is everything ..... all dirt and mildew should be gone before paint is applied. My one resevation is the factory prime coat .... some that I've seen leave something to be desired (too thin, bare spots). Reprime if necessary. Caulk all joints where needed (cornerbords, windows etc.) so water doesn't get behind the clapboards. I'd also add additional mildewicide to the paint..... any good paint store can do it for you .....in your climate it should help.
*......forgot to add that most if not all of the major paint makers have excellent service departments with 1-800 numbers. They have been really helpful when I've run into problems or had questions.
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Mary,
I agree that the prep work is critical. Once done right, the painting is all "downhill".
IMO, all the companies you mention make great paints. They also make OK paint. I have used SWilliams and Bennie More. Both have a broad selection of grades from "contractor" to "premium". Make sure you compare apples to apples. (remember, contractor grade usually means "cheap", NOT "so good only contractors use it"!)
I believe that consumers Reports had a piece on paints a year or so ago.
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Ditto Adam S' advice ...... a couple of more things (probrably too late) .....it would help to prime the cut ends of the clapboards as they go up, and the use of stainless steel nails would give some extra insurance against bleeding stains.
*If this is not too late...we have consistant 10 year plus results with compulsive preparation followed my bleaching entire house by hand to kill mildew and clean, followed by total prime with Kilz Total One cut with Emulsabond followed by P&L acrylic topcoat. In central humid North Carolina.
*George, a few questions:1)do you rinse after bleaching? / 2)if yes, with what, plain water from the hose? / 3)does Kilz Total One contain a mildewcide? / 4)what is Emulsabond?
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Caulk is a joke...Warranties from a long term in business contractor that checks out through ten year old happy clients that you visit and see his work would be the best insurance...preprimed siding holds up very well for me, good choice.
Near the stream pettin my lobsters,
J
Oh and have had great luck with B Moore and S Williams paint and yes you do need to build up the paint enough.
*Mary,If my recollection serves me right, the important thing is to use a paint that uses 100% acrylic binder. All the above brands premium lines do. That is the point where the price jumps up quite a bit, but be sure that's what it is you get.Steve
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Mary,
Careful prep work is the absolute key to a long lasting paint job but 10 yrs. is a long time for any paint job to "last" in any environment, no matter how meticulous the preparation. Wood does not want to be sealed so no matter what you do eventually the paint film will fail. Spend your $ on quality prep work and Sherwin-Williams will suffice. Ben.Moore has consistently rated highest for the 25+ years I've been painting. It's too good to use and get your $ worth.
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CR rates ext. paints this month.
I too am interested in the Kilz (and Zinsser) exterior primers -- shellac based, right? Any excpereicnes out there would be appreciated.
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I would respectfully disagree about caulk. It is Not a substitute for good workmanship. I see it as added insurance. I regard tight as right for fitting clapboards to cornerboards but I still lay a bead of polyurethane caulk under the clapboard where it meets the cornerboard.
*Inexpensive is not cheap. Cheap is not inexpensive.The best (and therefore probably the most expensive) paint is the least expensive in the long run. Ask the Benjamine Moore rep. what they would recommend for your particular situation.Caulk should only be used for appearances. Not for waterproofing. Most important - do not caulk or seal the BOTTOM joints, cracks or openings in any organic material. Allow any water penetration (and there WILL be some) to drain out and let air in to dry the material after getting wet. NEVER seal the cavity of posts or columns. Do not caulk or seal the bottom horizontal joints in wood siding. Always allow air movement in organic material to facillitate drying.
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We are planning to paint the exterior of our home soon. I have interviewed several painters and they all claim the paint that they use is definately the top of the line. Some are saying Benjamin Moore, others are saying Pratt & Lambert and some are saying Sherwin Williams. Is there a big difference between the paints? Can I really expect more than 10 years of life from a painting?
Our house is currently being resided with pre-primed (both sides) cedar. We live in the soggy northwest. All painters are planning on spraying with a bleach mixture to kill fungus and spores. They have all said that they will spray twice and backbrush following the first spray coat.
Your comments please, Mary
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andrew, Kilz has their original oil based primer/sealer that is great for interior trim and sealing stains (fire/smoke/water) but should only be used as a spot primer exterior. Their Total One is a good latex primer designed for exterior.
BIN is the shellac product from Zinsser (check out their website), great for sealing sappy knots and stains like Kilz only better, but tricky to work with. CoverStain is their oil based product similar to Kilz but can be used on full exterior-- I use alot of it. Bullseye 1-2-3 is their latex primer, the best around that I know of. Good coverage, excellent adhesion (can paint glass, ceramic tile).