Painting Hardiplank lap siding and wood soffits.

[Stimw]

I found a $900. Graco Airless that was put out for the trash!!!
The garbage truck had just pasted and left the paint machine but there was no hose or gun so I figure they picked up those.
There also was a 18" Poulan chainsaw!
It took me a couple hours to fully clean the paint machine and YES the filter was completely stopped up!
A hose cost me $50. and I had a gun from a cheap Wagner that works.
I emptied the gas and water out of the chainsaw tank and it runs great! I did have to buy a new $15. blade.
I used to paint semi trailers in a past job with an airless sprayer.
I could paint a 48' trailer in 45 minutes!
That's 15 minutes to paint and 30 minutes to move the ladder and paint machine!
I LOVE AIRLESS PAINTING!

 

[Coyote machine]

Your windows need to be sealed better than they were previously. The new mortar is somewhat suspect as to it's porosity, so if it were my place I'd use whatever is the recommended sealer for the mortar joints, THEN use ALEX: Acrylic Latex caulk, WITH SILICONE, DAP is one excellent brand that features this combo of ingredients.
(Alex Plus 10.1 oz. White Acrylic Latex Caulk Plus Silicone). paintable when dry, sticks to wood, glass, etc.

Next, you windows should all have a small amount of paint left on the glass to seal the paint to the glass and to keep wind driven rain from getting under the glazing and wood perimeter material. Otherwise the water will get under the wood and rot the surround and eventually the sash, and render the window useless.

I use oil based primers, and two coats of acrylic latex paint or stain as a cover on Hardie board, or clear vertical grain cedar clapboards. I use Cabot products, including their problem solver primer, depending on the job at hand.

Hardie uses Valspar paint, sold at Lowes, as their factory applied primer and top coat. I've use thousands of board feet of Hardie board siding, both smooth, and grain profile horizontal siding at my house, barn, and flip property in VT. Almost all of it was factory primed, and one top coat, with a 2nd top coat applied within 180 days of the siding application- which gives a 15 year guarantee, IIRC., possibly a 30 year guarantee, but I don't recall specifically.

Anyway, preparation is the most crucial thing in any paint job, so go slow, and inspect your work after giving it some time to be clearly visible to you by having stepped away, then come back to it with fresh 'eyes'.

Sherwin Williams makes some excellent paint products too; and when it comes to needing to use paint instead of stain, they're one of the best available. Big box store paints are mostly crap- watered down product, with a few exceptions, possibly Behr being one of them.

 

[Wakey]

Thanks CM, I noticed a thin bead of paint on the glass next to the rubber gasket so I will definitely run a strip of tape around the edges of the window to duplicate this. I cut a V in the compromised beads of caulk and the results look good. I went and bought a 20' extension ladder because my 32' one is a pain in the arse to deal with. I do need it for one of the peaks so... I found some rotten fascia corners that need to be replaced and I actually milled a few pieces of window frame from 2x4 on this cheapo Firestorm table saw. I was proud of myself on those! Where the patched pieces joined the existing molding I floated the joints with Bondo and it came out great.

 

[Coyote machine]

Thanks CM, I noticed a thin bead of paint on the glass next to the rubber gasket so I will definitely run a strip of tape around the edges of the window to duplicate this. I cut a V in the compromised beads of caulk and the results look good. I went and bought a 20' extension ladder because my 32' one is a pain in the arse to deal with. I do need it for one of the peaks so... I found some rotten fascia corners that need to be replaced and I actually milled a few pieces of window frame from 2x4 on this cheapo Firestorm table saw. I was proud of myself on those! Where the patched pieces joined the existing molding I floated the joints with Bondo and it came out great.

You're welcome. Use a cutting angle brush to do the window glass 'film' of paint. No need to tape it all off- too time consuming. Use an almost dry brush to keep control of the paint and go over it twice as it dries...
Next time try using Kleer or a similar product of 100% Virgin PVC for the trim work. Paintable, and rot proof forever, use all the same wood working tools, BUT go slow and use sharp blades- PVC can re-fuse to itself by the heat generated from cutting....

Show pics of progress and finished project...:thumbsup:

 

[EddieWalker]

I'm curious about those who are recommending Behr paint. I used to love Behr and always recommended it to my clients. Then during the last paint reformulation it became impossible to get good coverage with it. If I have a job where the client insists on me using it, and they do, I bid it knowing that I will have to put on two coats to get an even finish.

Behr was also bought out by Kilz, probably the worse primer out there. I've often wondered if that's what ruined Behr paint. Kilz has a great sales pitch, or marketing technique that it's the first choice of every home owner I know of. It never does the job, and I get hired to redo what they just did so it comes out looking nice. But they never think it's the primer they used. I use Zinsser or Sherwin Williams primers and never have a problem.

Zinsser is owned by Rustolium, which is also a good paint.

The Sherwin Williams line of paint sold at Lowes is the exact same paint sold at Sherwin Williams, but for less money. The manager said they sell so much of it at Lowes that they make up for it in volume.

 

[wawajake]

In a pinch, or for a small run of caulk, I will slobber up my finger with my tongue, and that works fine too. Obviously, you only get to do that once, before you start spreading the caulk. I suppose you could spit on your finger to keep going, but that would be the point where my lazy butt goes and gets a cup of water....

Smile I do the same but when one finger used I have nine more to go and then by the time I get around to the first finger I used again , I find out the hard way what caulking tastes like. But it works. I find washing sidings with mild TSP mix with old brush also useful paint prep, let dry for day and then good exterior low gloss latex enamel.