By Paul Bianchina
Q: In one of your recent columns, you addressed the problems associated with pressure washing cedar decks, and I also seem to remember you advising against pressure washing to remove paint. We have a 73-year-old house that needs repainting and I have to remove the peeling paint first, but now I'm a little concerned about using our pressure washer on it. What do you advise? --Ken F.
A: Like a lot of people in the construction industry, I have changed my thinking somewhat on the value of pressure washing compared with the potential problems associated with it. The use of high-pressure water in very concentrated streams - which is what is necessary to remove loose paint - can do some substantial damage to the underlying wood, especially on a 75-year-old house. I still feel pressure washing is OK for removing surface dirt prior to painting, providing you use a wide nozzle pattern that is not focusing too much of the water's pressure in any one spot, and that you allow the wood to dry completely before painting.
As to my best advice for preparing your old siding for new paint, it unfortunately comes back down to elbow grease. You should scrape off any loose paint with a paint scraper, taking care not to gouge into the wood, then sand the raised edges of the remaining adjacent paint to smooth them down and help the new paint to blend in better. Depending on the type of siding you have, you might also be able to use a belt or random orbit sander to do the entire job. Again, be careful not to sand too heavily into the wood. After the scraping and sanding is complete, I would strongly recommend spot-priming the bare wood, then applying another coat of primer over the entire wall prior to painting.
One strong word of caution here: With a 73-year-old house, there's a strong chance that you have one or more layers of lead paint. Be sure and have the paint tested for lead before doing any scraping or sanding.
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