Title: Putting a Fresh Coat of Paint on Your Exterior - This Old House
Headings: Putting a Fresh Coat of Paint on Your Exterior
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Curb Appeal
Putting a Fresh Coat of Paint on Your Exterior
House Inspection
Touching Up
Stripping
Brush Work

Content: Remove all cracked caulking. Wash the house using your garden hose and awire brush to remove any remaining loose paint. Never use a steel or iron brush, which could leave stains and may glaze the surface. Then it's time for a primer, paint formulated with a high proportion of binder in order to adhere tightly to wood and to the next layer of paint. Some painters prefer the oil-based variety for its penetration and ability to block the stains that bleed out of redwood and cedar, but I would recommend an acrylic latex to lay the foundation for a lasting paint job. This first coat of primer makes small cracks, nail heads and other imperfections more visible, so you'll want to fill them with a latex caulk and exterior filler, such as a two-part epoxy or a light weight spackle and sand until level. Remember to always prime before caulking or filling. Then mop the house's surface with a damp cloth to remove any remaining dust and apply a second coat of primer. Stripping
If you are stripping the whole house down to bare wood, start with a vigorous hand-scraping. When you've scraped as much as you can, patch any gouges or gaps with a two-part wood epoxy.