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Step 1: Power washing.

Date: 3/11/2014

We started our power washing project by simply inspecting and spraying all visible mildew and algae with 30 Second House Cleaner.   This product simply loosens the mildew, making it easier for our power washing professional to remove it and produce the cleanest surface possible.  While the washer removes some loose paint, we do not expect it to complete our restoration job.  Once we have dry conditions, we return with sanders and scrapers to complete this portion of the project.

Keeping water out

We have some large vents in our eaves.  We avoid directing the water at these sections and 2-3 sections around the openings, to ensure no water can enter the attic.  These areas, along with any other areas that are  unsafe to reach when wet, will be chemically treated and dry-cleaned before painting.

We keep the power washer well away from these attic vents.

 Colors

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Step 2;  Surface preparation

Date: Monday 4/7/2014

We had the chance to focus entirely on preparations and completed roughly %90 of it.  Prep days are our slow days since there is plenty of areas to restore  before any paint cans are opened.  We expect to restore the siding to %90+ like-new condition.

Removal of loose, peeling, & chipping paint

Using a combination of hand and power grinders, we removed all loose paint from the siding and trim.   Primer is then applied with high-nap roller and forced into the grain to restore essential oils into the siding and prevent it from decomposing.  Our primer of choice is a fast drying oil based material by Zinsser.

Great example of what our damp climate can do to exterior of our homes.

Fully restored surface, ready to be painted and battle the elements

Caulking

Caulking is important, especially where it rains 36 inches per year, and the rest of the year we have humidity above 80%.  Moisture is in the air and we need to prevent it from penetrating the exterior by caulking all gaps, cracks, nail holes, etc.

While keeping moisture out, these small details improve overall appearance of a professional finish.

Masking and cover-up

We masked all windows, front bricks, garage door weather stripping, etc.

Garage Doors and Garage door casings

We found plenty of loose paint to remove a fair amount of caulking to be cone on the garage doors.  Over-all they are in good condition and should turn out %90+  like-new.

Chimney

The one part of the house that has no protection from the elements, so we give it our “south-side” treatment.  We know the south side is more exposed to wind and UV, so it receives special attention in the form of more scraping, priming and caulking.  Both coats of paint are always applied very heavily and back-rolled aggressively on the south side and the chimney.

Before

Day 2; painting the first coat

Since we expected rain to begin around 1PM, we stopped around noon but waited around to make sure everything was dry a coupld of hours before the rain began.  No issues whatsoever, and we were able to paint a nice portion of the house.  We mostly worked on areas that were safe from the weather and did make the most our of our partial day.

Back-rolling to force the paint into the grain and force out any air that might be trapped in texture. read more on the importance of back-rolling

Protecting our green friends

we love plants and do everything we can to protect them from the paint and do our best to prune only as needed.

Plants are only fully covered when sprayer is near them, as soon as the sprayer moves on they are partially uncovered and allowed to breath.

Using drop cloths to gently keep branches away from the siding while the paint dries.

This is how we protect smaller plants from over-spray and also from being stepped on by the crew.

Accessing areas behind dense shrubs without pruning or hurting our green friends.

Second coat

Completion date: 4/10/2014

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