My house is mainly stucco with wood siding for the lower front and side of my house. The siding was in rough shape and in desperate need of new paint and repairs. Most of the damage was occurring at the outside corners. I was able to buy siding at the lumber yard (Sunbury Cedar) for the repair work and 4ft pieces are relatively inexpensive versus longer pieces. They have a rough and smooth side. Sunbury Cedar also sells bulk outdoor nails and screws which is typically not available at big box hardware store. Dick’s Lumber also has bulk fasteners including gold construction screws, drywall screws and roofing nails. The hardest part in repairing siding is to not damage the piece above the one you are removing since they overlap. Though you may split the piece, it can be glued and nailed back fairly easily. For the main part of my house, there is felt paper underneath the siding as a water barrier so you need to be careful you don’t rip it. The siding which acts as a rail on my deck was also heavily damaged in the corner rotting the wood underneath it and water was getting into my addition. There was no felt underneath it, just the bare studs. I was able to find some scrap house wrap at a construction site to put behind the siding in the corner.
With the siding patched, the next step was to scrape away any loose paint and caulk any seams in the siding where water could get in. I used DAP Dynaflex 230 premium caulk which is recommended for outdoor use. I also had the cheaper Apex caulk which I typically use for indoor moldings. Though it is rated for outdoors as well, it has poor reviews when used outside.
Before painting, I cleaned the surfaces with a TSP substitute solution and rinsed the siding with a hose. Though I have a pressure washer, I didn’t want high pressure water getting into the nooks and crannies of the siding.
After allowing a day or two to dry out completely, I painted with Behr Ultra Premius Plus in satin sheen. Behr is exclusive to Home Depot and actually very highly rated.
The Behr paint is excellent and covers in one coat easily. I only used a brush since the area was relatively small. You do have to touch up areas where the paint may shrink a bit and areas you might have missed. The paint makes the wood feel like vinyl siding after it dries. I was only going to do the front and balcony with the one gallon I purchased, but decide to do the side of the addition and shed which ended up being another 2 gallons.
