I'm getting ready to paint my cabin this summer and I was hoping to get a reality check on the order of sequence. I've painted houses inside and out before but they were new, and this is a bit different.
The cabin has old stained t-111 siding with untreated graying Pine (or maybe Cedar?) siding on the chimney, (the chevron pattern in last photo). Its heavily weathered but not cracked or rotted so I think its ok to refinish. The previous owner didn't do much maintenance and the forested location means it gets very little sun, so it has some mold/mildew growth. I'm planning on a dark gray/black stain on chevron pattern siding and charcoal gray paint on the rest of the house (however part of me wonders if this is a bad idea: a dark color camouflaging future mold/mildew). Anyhow here's what I'm thinking:
- Nail down any loose trim.
- Seal seams in areas to be painted with latex caulk (house is stained so nothing is caulked)
- Scrape/scrub/wash siding to remove mold/mildew. Power washing worries me since houses are not flashed to handle jets of water shooting up. Plus my entry eave has a ton of nooks and crannies. I was thinking of following this guidance.
How do I clean vinyl siding without a pressure washer? - Let it dry for a week (its 88° and dry up here this summer)
- I assume I'll need to apply a wood conditioner before staining the chimney siding since its so weathered?
- Stain chimney siding (If it turns out like crap I can always just caulk and paint over it).
- Prime with something like Zinnser Kilz2 to get a good bond.
- Mask and spray exterior paint (I just prefer airless sprayers).
Notes:
Since my lot is level I'm thinking I may rent a lift a couple times to speed things up
I'll likely replace the roof next season so when that happens I'll likely take the opportunity to touch up the fascia paint before the new drip edges go on.
Thanks in advance for any feedback on my plan.