We have a 100 year-old house in Seattle, Washington. Much of the exterior paint has been neglected for so long ?at least 15 years, maybe 50 ?that large areas of wood are bare, where the paint has completely departed. The underlying wood seems hard and sound, yet is dry and porous ?the siding is old-growth, tight vertical grain, Douglas fir. We are worried because we've heard from neighbors with similar homes that when we repaint (the bottom, disconnecting layers are lead-based, and are going to be professionally removed), even an oil-based primer may be sucked so far into the old, dry bare wood that the pigment might be left stranded on the wood surface, with no binder left to connect it to the wood below, and the top coats above. Some people have suggested that one or more coats of boiled linseed oil can be applied (thinned with turpentine, or paint thinner, I suppose?), and allowed to completely dry prior to brushing in one good coat of primer. I have also heard that shellac/alcohol may be the way to go, before priming. We want to do this right. I have test-painted a siding board with
1-part linseed to 2-parts turpentine, and I can repaint several times over a weekend before the surface ever retains a film of unabsorbed oil. Should we do this? Will paint makers warranty their primer for adhering to linseed (or shellac) treated wood, providing the oil has been allowed to dry?- posted
20 years ago