removing paint to stain exterior

i currently have a stone/wood house painted baby blue with gray stone. it looks like poo. and i dont think there is any color of paint that will make my house look decent. so im wanting to remove the paint and then use a water seal stain thing.

i know that i will have to stain it yearly.... but it is worth the 200 bucks each year so i can be happy with what i purchased 9 months ago.

the questions......
whats going to be the best way to remove the existing paint. its only a year old and is in great shape. the guy painted it to sell the house right b4 i bought it. i dont mind working my butt off to get it done. i just want to get it done in the most efficent and cost effective way possible.

and what will be the best sealer/stain to make sure it lasts from spring to spring as i get out there with a sprayer to reseal.

thanx a ton yall,
-patrick

 

The most effective way would be to use paint and varnish remover, followed by sanding. A pressure washer can be usefull in removing the stripper. For a clear or translucent stain to look good, you will need to have clean raw wood to apply it to.

 

If you go with remover you will need to be aware of when to use it outdoors.You do not want to apply it when direct sun is on the surface it is applied to especially in warmer weather as the various solvents etc will evaporate quickly and probably before the product can fully work and you can get it off the surface.Try natural material,such as citrus based,removers first to minimize the impact on the soil or any growth around the house.Chemical based products will cause issues in that regard though how much is a toss up.

There are no quick or easy alternatives as sanding etc would be difficult and time consuming.

Frankly I wouldn't give up on paint until I had explored various brands etc,talked to people with solid paint knowledge and large selections and maybe even discuss your ideas with painters as the removal of exterior paint to the point of being able to stain and have it turn out right will be difficult.

 

i did a little research on the solid stains last night after making this post. i didnt even know they make them.
olympic makes one that i can pick up at lowes for $148 in a 5 gallon bucket. i dont really think it will look as good as a regular stain. but in the long run.... i guess it will be the way to go. this route would definitely protect the house for a much longer time.

 

well... just got back from lowes and looked at the solid stains. did not realized that it was just a paint. so it looks like im back to stripping. i looked at the strippers and saw the water based one. looks like its going to run about 700 in stripper alone. and thats if the first coat did the entire job and im pretty sure this will not be the case. not exactly what i was hoping for.

hmm. i bet it would be easier and a lot less time consuming to rip off the planks and turn them around. or run them through a planer to remove the paint. would cost a lot less, i would have a fresh and near perfect surface to stain with, and then i would have a planer in the garage. im pretty sure the exterior is 16" vertical planks with 1x2s covering the joints. might be plywood or t1-11. when i get home... ill check it out.

the good news... if i use the semi-transparent stains, i will only have to reseal every 5 years. not each year as i previously thought.

any thoughts on the whacky idea i just thought of?

 

Solid stains come in both latex and oil base [maybe waterborne too] They look somewhat like a thin paint but they will protect/wear better than the thinner stains and rarely peel like paint has a tendancy to do. You will find better coatings at your local paint store [as opposed to big box] They are also more knowledgable and may be able to help you with color selection.

 

Some of the better regarded exterior stain brands have within them specific product for use on exterior surfaces such as trim.The formulation is different than the regular deck stains etc.Cabot is one.I'm sure there are others.

 

A deck stain will do ok on siding but a siding stain should not be used on a deck.