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Home Tips 

CHRISTIAN BUILDING INSPECTORS, INC., 1003 STAR COURT, NORCROSS, GEORGIA 30093, (770) 925-8518 JULY 1996 

PE E L ING PAINT
Q&A After the cleaning
is complete, any
loose paint must be
removed. Scrape or
Exterior Painting Procedures? wire brush any
peeling paint and be
We are preparing to paint the exterior of our house. Since
sure to cover an area
this is a major undertaking, we want to do it right. Would
10” to 12” around it.
you please tell us the procedure required to do a proper job?
If you are sure the
You are right about one thing - it is a major undertaking. paint is not lead
The preparation required is far more time consuming and based, sand all of
important than the actual painting. If you do not properly the edges well,
prepare the house, then the painting will be in vain. There are feathering the edges
basically six steps to a successful painting. of the paint so it will
RE PAIR DAM AG E D W O O D be smooth at any
bare wood. Be sure
First - go around your house and look for damaged or rotten to clean off any
wood. This is the time to make those repairs you have been sanding dust when
postponing. If the damage is minor, you may be able to just you are finished.
caulk over it or fill the area with wood filler. If it is a larger
area you will probably need to replace the wood. CAUL K ING

PRE SSURE W ASH ING Any joint in the wood must be sealed to prevent moisture
from causing deterioration. Caulk all end and butt joints in
One of the main reasons paint peels is because the surface siding, around all window and door trim, all eave and corner
was not properly cleaned before painting. Paint will not trim and any nail that will not be sealed by painting. If you

adhere to a dirty surface. You can either rent a pressure

can see a crack between two pieces of wood, caulk it! The
washer or have a professional tackle the job. If you decide to
only place you do not want to caulk is the bottom lip of trim
rent, pick up a package of TSP or Tri Sodium Phosphate as a
and siding since water does not run uphill. Use a good quality
cleaner to be added to the pressure washer. If you have a
siliconized acrylic caulk (see June ‘96 Home Tips). You can
problem with mildew, add laundry bleach to the solution.
smooth the caulk by using a damp rag or a sponge. Just be
Follow the manufacturers directions for mixing and safety
sure to rinse it out regularly.
precautions and be sure to protect your shrubbery.
 PRIM ING
All new wood or any areas where the paint peeled off to
bare wood must be primed before painting. The primer is a
bonding agent between the wood and the paint. You can use
Protecting your investment is part of home ownership.
Preventative maintenance such as painting is the single most
important item you can do for the exterior of your home.


either an oil-base or water-base primer sealer. Both have If you have a question, change of address, comment, home tip or would
like to send Home Tips to your clients, send your letter to Home Tips,
excellent bonding characteristics and are designed for all
Christian Building Inspectors, Inc., 1003 Star Court, Norcross, Georgia
types of woods and most metals. Ask your paint supplier 30093. We reserve the right to edit questions for length.
which would be the best for your particular application.
PAINT ING
Now that you have the preliminaries out of the way, you can
Home Tips Back Issues Available
finally get down to the actual painting. Unless you enjoy To Purchase A Full Set Complete With Index
painting often, buy only a top quality house paint. Almost all Send $25.00 To
companies offer a line of paints with varying price and Christian Building Inspectors
quality. As a rule, the higher the price, the higher the quality. 1003 Star Court, Norcross, Georgia 30093
Look for a warranty. The top of the line will carry a warranty
of ten to fifteen years. The next step down will be seven to ten
years. The label should say “100% or all acrylic. All top of Quote Of The Month
the line latex paints are acrylic. Lower quality paints have
vinyl added. “happiness lies in the joy of
If you have a mildew problem, choose a paint that has achievement and the thrill of creative
mildewcides in its ingredients or they can be added to the
paint. It is important to note that mildewcides are generally effort.”
not permanent and will gradually lose their effectiveness. - franKlin roosevelt
When painting lapped
siding, be sure to first
coat the bottom edge
before painting the
surface of the siding. If
one coat does not totally Susan Ozburn
seal it, add another coat.
Most siding will begin to Northside Realty
deteriorate along this Duluth, Georgia
edge by separating and
allowing moisture in.
When that happens, it is Thank You
hard to stop it.

 CHRISTIAN BUILDING INSPECTORS, INC. 

 Member: ASHI, GAHI, MAIA, SBCCI 
SBCCI C ODE C ERTIFIED CABO O NE & T WO FAMILY D WELLING I NSPECTOR N O . 1619 
 30 Years Construction And Inspection Experience   Insured With Liability And E & O Insurance 
 For Additional Information, Contact Rod Harrison or Leslie Noah-Smith 770-925-8518 

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CHRISTIAN BUILDING INSPECTORS, INC. 1003 STAR COURT, NORCROSS, GEORGIA 30093, OFFICE 770-925-8518, FAX 770-925-7353