Painting Of Siding Question

[Robert11]

Hello,

Live outside of Boston.

Had new Cedar siding, pre-primed (oil) from the siding mfg., put up.

The pre-prime that they applied looks very uniform, clean, and "good".

There have been suggestions by others, and also by one or two painting contractors, that another coat of primer should be applied prior to the regular Latex house paint. Some said though, that it is really not necessary to prime again.

If I do go with another priming (to help prevent bleed thru, adhesion, etc.) the Contractor said he could tint the primer somewhat. Color, to match the rest of the house, would be a medium brown.

Cost is becoming a factor.

Question:

Would another, Tinted, primer plus a Single coat of Latex-

- last as long as two regular coats of latex right on the existing pre-primed siding ? (my original thought regarding the job)

- would it tend to "look as good" and last as long ?

**Or, would it really be necessary to have the conventional two coats of Latex paint, still, put on over the extra primer coat ?

Guess I'm asking about the desirability of the additional primer coat and only one coat of regular paint ?

Thanks, B.

[Art]

I would first contract siding manufacturer or check their web site to see what they say about priming. Priming and finished coats really do 2 different things and are not interchangable.

[Greg]

Any painter who wants to tint primer will only do so, so he only has to put one top coat on. Unless you are painting the cedar white, I would just go with 2 coats of latex over the primer that is there.

[<h>]

Not true. I ALWAYS tint my primer and then paint with two coats. I might not bother with tinting if I were painting a light color, but my exteriors are all painted reds and browns. I was lucky that California has a "barn red" oil-based primer, so I&#39;ve been using that on the new clapboards with two coats of flat over that, and I don&#39;t have to tint. The primer is almost the same color as the paint, so it works out great.

[TakenEvent]

The only reasons to reprime (for the purpose of priming) are when the siding has been sitting around for a long time without paint or when the primer coat has been damaged to the degree that bare wood is showing, which would warrant spot-priming.

Some colors, like red, can sometimes require up to seven coats if the primer isn&#39;t tinted (dark gray primer works better than red primer). Coverage depends on the paint formulation and the sheen. Sometimes it&#39;s wise to reprime with tinted primer to get better coverage because primer is cheaper than paint, but usually only with certain reds or greens. I used red O&#39;Leary exterior semi-gloss paint the other day and it covered over white in two coats.

Extra primer is worthless with regard to the long-term protection of your siding. You should definitely go with two coats of paint or solid-color stain, even if it covers in one coat. If you were repainting, one coat might be an option, but you&#39;re not. Protect your investment.