Scrape Off Peeling Paint Before Repainting

This almost goes without saying, but you always need to take off peeling paint before you repaint.

Scraping is the best way and then washing the area with the normal pressure from the house hose to take down the dirt.

We normally hand wash certain areas to take down extra dirty or greasy and oily surfaces to make sure they are clean before painting.

Many painters recommend a power wash, but we do not recommend using a power washer because it is very hard on older wood and brick and can many times dig a rut into them.

Too much pressure from a power washer can do damage that you want to avoid.

Those painters that use those machines do it to save time, but we have found good old elbow grease is the best way.

We also found that after power washing a home, if you give it a couple of days, once it is dry, it starts peeling again.

Using special scrapers or a five-in-one tool will do the trick but being careful not gouge or damage the wood with the sharp edges of the scraper.

You will also want to use a wire brush and vigorously sweep away the remaining debris from the area.

Use a scraper to remove the peeling paint. Be Careful not to gouge or damage the wood.

The wire brush should be used vigorously to sweep away the remaining debris.

Apply Wood Filler

Use a flexible putty knife and apply wood filler slightly beyond the perimeter of the damaged area.

Any excess will be sanded away and made smooth with fine-grit sandpaper with an electric sander.

After that is done, then apply primer to those areas with a brush.

Apply the wood filler with the flexible putty knife just beyond of the damaged area.

When the wood filler is completely dry, you can then use an electric sander with fine-grit paper to make the patch smooth.

Wipe down the smooth patch of any sand residue and then brush on a primer to seal it.

When you are done with scraping, wood filler and sanding, you will now want to go around the house very carefully with a calking gun, using top quality acrylic caulk and fill cracks in both the wood and brick.

Look out for seams where the wood and walls come together.

Look high around the fascia to see where there are gaps as well as down low where the wood meets the concrete.

Apply the calk liberally into the joints and cracks and then press the caulk into the joint with your finger, use a wet rag or sponge to clean your finger after each time.

This will prevent water damage from seeping into the wood.

Work carefully around windows to keep moisture out.

When you are done applying wood filler and sanding as well as finished calking, you will want to paint a primer by hand with a brush on those areas.

We usually come to a house a day or two before spraying to prep it out in this fashion before we crank up our airless paint sprayer after we have masked off all windows, light fixtures, and covered plants and walkways with tarps and plastic.

A dramatic change happens in a matter of hours for all to see once we do start applying the paint, but it is so important to do the correct preparation so the house and its new paint coat will last for many years.

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