Painting Barn

[RJT123]

I have a barn/garage building that needs to be painted. It is an unconditioned building. Has 2 different materials.
1) Pine board and batten, 1 coat of solid oil stain apprx 15 yrs old. Will be washed with bleach redone with same solid oil based stain.
2) Cinder block walls. Some places paint peeling off block. Has at least two coats of unknown paint. Figure to wire brush and maybe pressure wash. Then prime with Behr PREMIUM PLUS® Exterior Multi-Surface Primer & Sealer and then use exterior paint matching the solid wood stain. So to match everything will be from Behr.

Does that sound about right?

[RJT123]

One of our onsite painters at work tells me that this one product will work for the whole job. He says - no priming, just do a good prep job. http://www.homedepot.com/p/BEHR-1-gal-Wh.../id%3A203223466

[K. L. McReynolds]

I've known several painters in my life. None of the good ones used one product covers all for anything.

Protecting an outdoor surface means several criteria have to be met for long term success. I've seen companies spend two days painting a surface and it needed repair in less than a year. They all said their method was great.

And it was----for them. Easy and cheap.

Primer is designed to stick to a surface and provide a firm base for the paint final coat.

Paint is designed to protect that surface from weather/etc.

Primer will nor provide that protection long term. Paint will not adhere to many surfaces by itself long term.

Paint companies have to have gimmicks to sell paint. And create a reason for people to buy their stuff. Pro's usually include steps in a painting process DIYer's do not. Like spending more time on preparation than painting, in some cases.

I just painted(first finish coat) a concrete block, single car garage for my SIL. Spent half a day powerwashing the structure and several hours with a wire brush. Took two hours to prime it. And two hours for the first coat of paint. She bought the paint---instructions said to wait a week---ONE WEEK!!!!!!!!!---before overcoating a second coat.

Stuff was advertised as a one coat covers product. The fine print says something completely different for the building I am doing.

She now wishes she had listened to me and bought the paint where I do---would have been done the next day(and got the paint cheaper since I have a discount there.).

[daveferg]

Along similar lines----how can one product be good for both wood and masonry? Wood moves with the seasons and we hope masonry doesn't.

I think you'll find solid body stain will hold up better than regular paint. Stains don't crack and peel for one thing, and when they do need to be redone, I've found surface prep usually only requires pressure washing---much easier than scraping and sanding. Don't have any experience with painting block wall----I've painted stucco with regular house paint and never had any failures.

[daddo]

If you don't take it down to the bare wood, you'll be painting again in a few years and on again as you get older and older.

I don't really care for vinyl siding, but now years later, I'm glad I installed it. It was as cheap as painting since I did it myself and of course was lucky to get it wholesale. Bought the heaviest made siding from a supplier (Not the box store!)

No more painting on this old house.

Just a suggestion should you be keeping the barn a long long time and you don't mind the looks changing.

[RJT123]

Daddo,
I don't think that taking down to bare wood is even remotely an option for rough cut pine boards that have been stained.

[RJT123]

To all, thanx for the replies. I have been making inquiries about the the cinder block portion of the barn. More and more people are recommending a primer/paint made for that application.
For the pine board and batten, vast majority are suggesting clean it and re stain it.

[tomsteve]

one thing i highly suggedt is that if you wash with bleach, neutralize after. bleach damages grain structure and causes wood to deteriorate. also, if it isnt COMPLETELY rinsed off, moisture will reactivate it and start the deterioration again.
neutralize with sodium percarbonate.
or switch poducts and just use sodium percarbonate and a surfectant( complicated way to say something that makes suds).

[Kansas City Fireslayer]

What Pprobus said. The most important thing with the cinder block will be the primer. Cinder block will hold paint very well as long as there's no moisture problems and it's dry before priming and painting. Sorry, but I wouldn't use Behr for this and any paint store can match a color quite easily. Paint is much cheaper than labor. Go to a Sherwin store or a Ben Moore store for a greater piece of mind with your product. I'd also make sure you talk to the most knowledgable person in the store when making your purchase. IME, the Ben Moore stores typically have more knowledgable employees--at least in my area. I've been to two or three SW stores near me and they employee many young kids who really don't care.

[pprobus]

Personally, for the concrete block, I would use a paint or primer specifically intended for concrete surfaces, which is probably why the current paint is now peeling, its incompatible with concrete. I have had good luck with Drylock on interior walls by doing the prep it says to do, but according to their website, at least the standard latex base and oil base can be used on exterior walls (did not check the "extreme" version). I would use the Drylock as the primer then use whatever paint you want, that is compatible with the Drylock product used (latex or oil), to get the final color you want.

Paul