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jellytoast

Do I need a primer? (and other questions for the Pros)

jellytoast
9 years ago

Painting a home's exterior, combination of stucco and wood siding. The previous painting was done about 10 years ago and the paint was a satin finish. Some sheen is still remaining, though it has toned down over the years. It is currently a medium tone gray. I plan to use Aura paint in a medium toned sand color with a light sheen to it.

There is some peeling on the lower portions of the wood, but the stucco all looks pretty good. While I plan to scrape off the loose paint following a power wash, when I did a trial area, there are areas where it does not scrape off easily. In fact, it is very difficult to scrape so the paint appears to be stuck good, but it still has a good deal of cracking so I am reluctant to just paint over that.

How do I prepare those cracked areas for paint? Following that, do I need to use a primer first on all surfaces since the current paint has a sheen to it? Which type of primer should I use? I'm hoping to avoid using oil based paints, so if you can suggest something water based that would be ideal. I am willing to take the necessary steps to get a nice job that will last.

One last question: Do I need to remove the rain gutters before painting the trim or do I just paint around them?

Any advice appreciated!

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