Calling all house/porch painters!

[Platefire]

I need to paint my wood porch on my house, so I've already started on the prep sanding the old flaking paint. I have multi-layers of oil base paint existing.

Because of the issues of dealing with oil base, I was wanting to switch to Latex water base paint.

I ran into a professional painter in the paint store the other day who said, that is possible but you need to do a very thorough prep to remove all loose surface and apply a 100% Alkly blocker/sealer/primer base and then add your Latex porch paint.

I didn't know the guy but what he said sounds reasonable. Can anyone verify that procedure? Platefire

[shooter]

Can anyone verify that procedure

I've been painting....on canvas for 13yrs, oil on canvas 80%, acrylics 10%

Oil based paint *technically* never completely dries, so you can put oil over acrylic, but not the other way, without seriously prepping to *deal* with the switch, so he is correct, the process for wood, I'm clueless.  My wife always uses the colored stains, oil based.

[tubenit]

I painted houses professionally for 17yrs prior to my current career of 26 yrs. 

The advice you were given was correct.   IF I were doing it for myself, I would probably consider usintg a propane torch and remove ALL the old oil enamel paint (if it were not illegal where you are to do so).  And then start over with latex.

The oil paint is now brittle.  When you paint latex over it, the latex expands and shrinks more with heat, cold and moisture. It will continue to crack and lift the oil paint underneath the latex.

With respect,  Jeff 

[Platefire]

Thanks

One thing I don't want to do is spend a lot of bucks on a expensive primer blocker and then have it fail after all the prep and investment in expensive primer. I would really just continue with oil than proceed with an iffy proceedure with a blocker and don't think I want to try to remove all the old oil and start over. This was idea I was researching but from what I know now, I think it would be best to continue with oil. Thanks tubenit, you have helped me come to a conclusion. Platefire

[tubenit]

IF you are not willing to strip the oil finish off, I would go back over it with an oil paint after removing as much of the loose finish that you can. It does not move (expand/shrink) as much as latex and would somewhat less prone to continue popping the aged oil paint underneath. 

I would personally be inclined to replace the wood or strip it IF it were mine.

With respect, Jeff

[Ed_Chambley]

I bought a house that was redwood stained on the gable ends, but to get the house ready to sell they did a bad prep and simply sprayed latex.  I knew it when I saw it and wished they would have left it alone.


The only way to get everything right is I sanded all.  Sandblasted all the iron and basically got it bare surfaces.  Then I used a primer that had a base of urethane, 2 coats.  Then painted back to historical colors for the time period of the house.


My new neighbors thought I was crazy, but when they repaint it looks worse and worse and costs more and more.  I just repainted white (it is mainly brick) after 6 years and did no scraping or replacing any wood.  Everything is still slick and it took me the best part of one day.


With paint, prep is the most important IMO.  Originally it took me 6 weeks of prep, now just clean and paint.  It looks like a new 1958 ranch with oak leave iron, but I did use automotive white paint on this.


Now I have another house where they did this to the inside trim and it is peeling.


Yes, it does take time to do it correctly, but you only have to do it once and repainting is much nicer.

[Platefire]

You guys make me second guess my decision I might strip off a small section to see how it goes to give me an idea of what would be required to strip the whole porch. It would be nice to start over with Latex because clean up is so much easier. Have you priced paint thinner lately?? that stuff is getting expensive. Platefire

[shooter]

that stuff is getting expensive

*they're* covering lawyer costs
price out some cold pressed refined linseed oil, and it's not even toxic!

[sluckey]

Sounds like a candidate for vinyl siding. You gettin' to old to do the kind of work required to properly prep for latex. 

[shooter]

vinyl siding

+2!
vinyl is final

[Platefire]

Hay! We're talking about a porch floor:>)

[sluckey]

I would not use Latex on a high traffic floor. Go rent a floor sander and take it to bare wood. Then use epoxy.

[Platefire]

I finally decided and got Valspar oil base porch paint from a local building supply co. I've been grinding the old paint down using a drill with a grinding wheel where the old oil paint is loose and breaking up and where it is solid sanding it with a B & D Hand Sander. The porch is about 12' x 20'--not that big. Then when the surface is completely smoothed out, I will wash it down with TSP cleaner. I'll first prime it where in the spots I had to go all the way down to the wood first and when that dries, apply the first full coat.

It's been raining so much here I haven't worked on it but this week has been pretty warm and clear so far. Maybe I can make some progress. Platefire

[Platefire]

got r dun---had to come back a fix a couple of small spots but other than that good!

[shooter]

Great!  You coming up north to help finish the American flag I'm painting on the barn doors?

[Platefire]

Yeah, if you'll let me sleep in the barn. Post pictures when your done!

[shooter]

Here's the in-progress shot.

if you'll let me sleep in the barn

I have a climbing gym inside the barn and I would *practice* overnight bivvies' about 12ft up.  Things like setting up in the dark, climbing with headlamp. But for you, I'd go all out, tent with air mattress

[Platefire]

OK, don't guess you had it finished by the 4th? Looking good!

[shooter]

Nope, It's close enough to get the jist, but the fine detail work takes focus, which I'm lacking this summer, plus I roasted my back at work so ladders and dancing are on hold!