Shed Building 101... part 6

Wow, are we finally far enough to think about painting the shed? Woo who! I actually did much of this work quite some time ago, but I just finished with the trim work priming yesterday. I can't post an unfinished product you know!



The shed was all full of sawdust, slivers, and dirt, so the first thing we needed to do was to clean it off. I used a corn husk broom. If you don't do this, you will get sawdust and dirt in your primer. Not very nice at all. Ew! Don't be afraid to press hard. Go over the surface several times for the best results. I stopped sweeping when the stuff stopped coming off. It took a while!



Pick a primer that will hold up to the elements. There are as many primers out there as there are paints. Make a wise choice or you will end up with a lack-luster paint job OR maybe having to repaint next year because the primer didn't hold up. We used Dutch Boy Primer Sealer for our project. It is endorsed by Goodhousekeeping which makes it all the more appealing.



Why prime you ask? A very good question. T1-11 siding is very porous and soaks up the primer like crazy. If I had used paint only I would have had to use several coats which would end up being very costly. Primer is less expensive than quality paints. The primer also helps to seal the wood for a long and lasting finish. If all you do is paint the surface, the paint may not end up lasting as long. I don't know about you, but I don't like to have to paint every other year. You can also tint primer to be closer to the paint color if you are going with a darker color as well.



I waited to prime the trim until it was all up and filled in with paintable caulk. I wanted the primer to give my caulk some extra protection from the elements. Let's face it, no one's perfect and all those little imperfections need to be filled in. Make sure when you choose your caulk that it is the right one for the job. Ours needed to be exterior AND paintable. Most silicone caulks are NOT paintable, be sure to read the label before buying. When in doubt, ASK. If silicone is used and you try to paint over it, the color slides right off. Our builders used non-paintable caulk so my bathrooms upstairs look like I don't know how to paint. GRR.

A little bit of advise...
1. If you're using T1-11 siding, don't put up ANY trim before you prime it. That will save you lots of headaches and missed spots you can't get to.
2. Primer is thick and doesn't get along well with paint sprayers.
3. Primer is worked into all of the surfaces better with a good old fashioned paint brush.



4. Don't paint in direct sunlight on a hot day. The paint dries extremely quickly so if you accidentally paint your aluminum drip edge it won't just wipe off with a wet cloth.
5. If you choose to ignore the above advise because you need to get done with the job earlier in the day, wear sunglasses if you're using a reflective color such as white. It may be a bit blinding otherwise. (I'm STILL seeing spots!) Maybe I should have tinted that primer after all....

Thank you for stopping by. Please leave me a message and a backlink. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Cindy