We purchased our house 17 years ago. It had severe peeling paint on the exterior when we purchased it. We scraped everything and applied a good quality primer and topped it with a good quality exterior paint, only to have it peeling within 1 year. The paint store tested it and said that moisture is getting behind the boards and causing the peeling. The house was built over 60 years ago and all of the boards are curved. It would be impossible to caulk around them. Our neighbor told us that the house has never held paint. Someone suggested using a white wash stain. Would this work, or would we just be wasting our time? It is very large and we cannot afford to reside it.
Answer:
The only way paint can peel in a manner your describe is if the wood isn't dry and you appear to be in a position not to be able to avoid that. I would try applying a good wood wash to it with a pressure hose and then prime it - again with lots of pressure to get to at least the accessible portions of the backs of the boards. After that, you might want to apply the next coat of paint. This may not work but it's certainly worth trying so you don't have to replace the siding. Be careful spraying primer and paint because your neighbour may not want his car the same colour as your house.
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