Prep for exterior paint


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Old 06-25-17, 02:08 PM
A
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Prep for exterior paint

Hi,

I would normally paint myself but my house is 2 stories and I'm not that comfortable 25' feet up. I tried searching "selecting a paint contractor" but results are mostly the obvious. There's a few things I don't know and also I would like to do some prep to make sure it's a proper job. My house is stucco.

Things I don't know:

1. On a house near me the painter pressure washed the stucco then did not wait long enough and paint failed. How long, approximately in dry, hot weather should they wait?
2. On the exposed roof rafters and underside roof deck it looks like original builder may have used a fence paint. Are these parts normally done with a normal exterior house paint?
3. I'm making a moderate color change, should I remove the downspouts? One painter I talked to said no, they spray into the crack.

Prep that I'm doing:

1. Small amount of exposed wood trim at ground level on front door and garage. I will sand and prime and caulk any wood - wood gaps.
2. Caulk any stucco cracks with a sanded caulk.
2. Since the color will change I assume they will paint the foundation below the stucco. I will expose more of this where there is dirt (not many feet of this) and wire brush it.
3. At the lower edge of the stucco the drip cap has separated a bit from the stucco almost everywhere - not sure this worth fixing as it seems inevitable. is it worth caulking?

Thanks
 
  #2  
Old 06-26-17, 02:32 AM
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Usually you can paint stucco the next day after pressure washing but a LOT depends on both the condition of the stucco and weather conditions. It's usually a judgement call. How did your neighbor's paint job fail? Water under the paint usually causes paint blisters. A bigger issue is chalky paint! If all the chalk isn't removed or chemically bound - a fresh coat of latex won't bond well.

Not sure what you mean by fence paint. They could have used a solid stain.

If you don't mind the downspouts being painted it's ok to leave them. Be sure when they spray the stucco that they also back roll. Backrolling works the paint into the stucco better resulting in a better looking, longer lasting paint job. Don't expect the painter to excavate around the bottom of the house.

I've always used regular acrylic latex caulk on minor cracks. If you take a damp rag and wipe off the excess caulk from each side of the crack the repair will be almost invisible. Elastomeric paints will usually fill minor cracks although it will take a good bit more paint if using elastomeric.
 
 

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