# Removing failing paint on rough cedar



## Laz (Nov 14, 2010)

I normally power wash a house first before scraping.
Far and few between are the housed that just a power wash does the job.
My normal procedure is to use the rotating head and work an area then go along to to the next area. I will then go back and go over the first area after it has had time to soak a bit. This takes off a good deal more paint but you don't mes up the siding.
I have an exterior that the paint was just flying off the house. Problem is that it didn't take it basically all off. Now as I scrape witch is a combination of using the five and one as a scraper to literally shave off a good portion of what's left then go over with the scraper. I end up with almost no paint left on the 8" wide rough cedar. I give it a decent hand sand and it's done.
I thinking today as I look at the siding that I scraped and the areas I didn't to yet that with all the rain lately all the edges are raised up on what paint was left after scraping and not scraped areas so much that I'm wondering if I took the time to power wash again but this time have someone come behind me with a blade, scraper, and or wire brush during that soak time and get off more as it wet and when I come back it just may clean it up the rest of the way and save all that scraping.

What is the thought on the method of power washing and would you go over it again if you seen what looks to be a lot that may come off again the second time around?
Would you think using the guy to take some off before you came back is worth it?


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## Mike's QP (Jun 12, 2008)

I don't recommend scraping while it is wet, the wood will gouge very easily, but I have done it before. I power wash, come back in a week, scrape sand and prime in the same day, if you leave the scraped and sanded areas overnight you will be able to scrape again the next day, working something more than one time is money out of your pocket. work a wall at a time and keep it square you will be in good shape


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## Laz (Nov 14, 2010)

When your priming that works out well but like this house it will be solid color stain and it is only one coat on siding and trim. Then theres all the caulking. I use Vulcum caulk. It takes about a week in decent summer weather to fully cure. 
If you go around and only scrape enough and remove old caulk and do the caulking then it looks like your not getting anything done.
Can't paint the whole thing and then caulk, to much touch-up.


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

What Mike said.

You should use a different caulk. Taking a week to dry is stupid, unless you priced an exterior so you have a month to finish it. 

It sounds like you are putting solid stain over previously painted surfaces. To me, I would prime and paint it if thats the case. 

If you have that much peeling, you are never going to get all you need off unless you strip it. If they don't want to pay for that, then I wouldn't spend all that time on it. Either you strip it, or the reality is there is going to be peeling occurring, and its just a band aid. 

Also, when I've have projects where it wants to keep peeling, after priming, I will go back and scrape the looser stuff. Then spot prime. You can see better where you need to work on it. This is of course after the first wave of scraping.


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## Laz (Nov 14, 2010)

I don't usually have a problem with the caulk taking a week to cure. I go a remove caulk clean up what is needed to re-caulk and let it sit. Makes it look like I am getting something done and I use that week to go do a different job. This house is just different. He wants me there the whole time and I look at whats left on the siding I just think it is dumb to just clean up the caulk areas and come back to do more scraping. 80-85% of the remaining old solid color stain comes off scraping. It's just that I can see I would need to run the scraper over it again just before I painted it again.


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## Mike's QP (Jun 12, 2008)

If that much comes off with scraping you should be able to sand the rest away and get down to a good surface, with failing solid stain jobs I have had good luck, prepping as normal, spot prime with the solid stain, caulk, and finish coat with the solid stain


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## Laz (Nov 14, 2010)

How do you sand rough cedar without it becoming smooth cedar? I hand sand only to take off some of the fuss that you get from scraping.

How do you spot prime when by the time I am done scraping there is maybe 10% left on the siding and trim except lower were there are trees and bushes protecting the house a bit? It wouldn't be a spot prime, it would be a second coat. He not paying for a second coat.


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## Mike's QP (Jun 12, 2008)

sorry didn't see that it was rough cedar, too bad he won't pay for the second coat either, I will use a wire brush on the rough cut wood, that is about all you can do and it does remove alot of paint. back to the main point, no I would not pressure wash and scrape one more time, scrape/wire brush the loose stuff.


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## bikerboy (Sep 16, 2007)

Maybe I'm crazy. But I would never caulk over bare exterior wood, specially cedar. 

Change you procedure to fit the jobs requirements. Sand scrape and prime as much as you can in one day. Repeat until you have the whole house done. Then finish coat.


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## plainpainter (Nov 6, 2007)

The issues with peeling paint, is that it can go on and on and on - you just have to cut it off after a certain point - it's more about time management than it is about quality. Personally, I think pressure washing to take off paint creates more work and just generally opens up another can of worms.

My attitude lately has been with exterior painting is that there is 'ok' work and there is 'glorious/fantastic' work - and damned litte in between. With the right materials and techniques you can strip 100% of all the paint off the home for less labor costs than washing twice and scraping twice. So why try and deliver a job quality that's somewhere in between with more overhead? If you price for ok work, deliver ok quality. 

Believe me, I've done similar things. But after a while, if your labor starts approaching the costs of replacing wood that's factory primed - why not get new wood replaced that's paint ready?


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## Paint and Hammer (Feb 26, 2008)

Hope you are using carbide blades. If not, go get some.


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## amhab (Apr 15, 2011)

Take a look at my paint fail thread.... I posted a picture of 5 hours work with the paint shaver pro, am convinced that its the best way to go with paint peeling on the scale its peeling on this house..... The only issue now is how to get the old caulking and paint out of the corners? Have got contradicting advice, as in use a stripper, and NO NEVER USE A STRIPPER..... Any advice on what the best tool would be to use? As in Grinder? And what are your thoughts on a stripper and if so which one? ...... After using the paint shaver pro, I would suggest its the most cost affective way to go..... That's 5 hours work, you see in the picture.... in my other thread....don't know how to attach it here....


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