# Contractor/painting help needed -- what have I done?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contractor-painting-help-needed-what-have-i-done/393428
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [February 23, 2007, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contractor-painting-help-needed-what-have-i-done/393428 "2007-02-23T20:35:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2007, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contractor-painting-help-needed-what-have-i-done/393428/1 "2007-02-23T20:35:59Z")
We have been trying for 8 months to get someone to do repairs on our house. Some vertical siding boards are rotten and need to be replaced. There is some brickwork around the front door area that needs to be repointed while they are at it. We finally got a guy: licensed, insured, experienced, provided two excellent references.
Willing to start now.
Well, I know nothing about this – seems too cold to me here in NH, but he’s experienced, references, etc.
He was priming the siding boards in my garage today. The fumes were getting in thehouse, so I looked the primer up online to see what was in it. It’s [B-I-N Primer Sealer](http://www.zinsser.com/PDF/TDB/BIN.pdf). The company’s website says, “Recommended for application to interior ceilings, walls, doors, trim, cabinets, furniture, and related paintable surfaces. **Exterior uses are limited to spot priming only**.” [Bolding mine] :eek:
So now I have 340 linear feet of boards in my garage primed with this stuff. And I’m wondering if this guy has any clue what he’s doing. We were so happy to find someone who returned phone calls, seemed good, and was willing to do the job. But I sure as hell don’t want my siding rotting or the front stoop falling apart because it was too cold for repointing…
I know nothing about home repairs. Can someone please help me?
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### Author:  [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2007, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contractor-painting-help-needed-what-have-i-done/393428/2 "2007-02-23T21:11:54Z")
[QUOTE=LilyoftheValley]
We have been trying for 8 months to get someone to do repairs on our house. Some vertical siding boards are rotten and need to be replaced. There is some brickwork around the front door area that needs to be repointed while they are at it. We finally got a guy: licensed, insured, experienced, provided two excellent references.
Willing to start now.
Well, I know nothing about this – seems too cold to me here in NH, but he’s experienced, references, etc.
He was priming the siding boards in my garage today. The fumes were getting in thehouse, so I looked the primer up online to see what was in it. It’s [B-I-N Primer Sealer](http://www.zinsser.com/PDF/TDB/BIN.pdf). The company’s website says, “Recommended for application to interior ceilings, walls, doors, trim, cabinets, furniture, and related paintable surfaces. **Exterior uses are limited to spot priming only**.” [Bolding mine] :eek:
So now I have 340 linear feet of boards in my garage primed with this stuff. And I’m wondering if this guy has any clue what he’s doing. We were so happy to find someone who returned phone calls, seemed good, and was willing to do the job. But I sure as hell don’t want my siding rotting or the front stoop falling apart because it was too cold for repointing…
I know nothing about home repairs. Can someone please help me?
[/QUOTE]
I think I might be tempted to cut my loses. Pay him for what he’s done up to now and try to find someone else after the weather warms up. You can reprime the boards yourself w/ an appropriate product. Here’re a couple of references on masonry work done in freezing temps:
[http://www.bia.org/BIA/technotes/TN1.pdf](http://www.bia.org/BIA/technotes/TN1.pdf)
[http://irc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/pubs/cbd/cbd123\_e.html](http://irc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/pubs/cbd/cbd123_e.html)
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### Author:  [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2007, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contractor-painting-help-needed-what-have-i-done/393428/3 "2007-02-23T21:23:42Z")
oh gosh i hope it’s not my pal who’s a painter
But I don’t think so; he wouldn’t work on exterior stuff in this weather.
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### Author:  [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2007, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contractor-painting-help-needed-what-have-i-done/393428/4 "2007-02-23T22:23:33Z")
You admit to not knowing about this stuff so let me ask you a simple question:
When you look at the boards right now, are they inside or out?
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### Author:  [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2007, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contractor-painting-help-needed-what-have-i-done/393428/5 "2007-02-23T22:39:19Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty]
You admit to not knowing about this stuff so let me ask you a simple question:
When you look at the boards right now, are they inside or out?
[/QUOTE]
Yes, I know nothing! I don’t even know what your question means!
The currently primed side is the outside, if that’s what you mean. They are inside my garage. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2007, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contractor-painting-help-needed-what-have-i-done/393428/6 "2007-02-23T22:55:52Z")
[QUOTE=LilyoftheValley]
They are inside my garage. 🙂
[/QUOTE]
And that tells you all you need to know about what type of primer was called for. If it had been a bright and sunny day for priming, the choice may have been different.
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### Author:  [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2007, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contractor-painting-help-needed-what-have-i-done/393428/7 "2007-02-23T23:02:00Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty]
And that tells you all you need to know about what type of primer was called for. If it had been a bright and sunny day for priming, the choice may have been different.
[/QUOTE]
So it doesn’t matter that these are going to sit outside on my house until spring when I get an exterior painter to do the whole house?
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### Author:  [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2007, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contractor-painting-help-needed-what-have-i-done/393428/8 "2007-02-23T23:07:41Z")
[QUOTE=LilyoftheValley]
So it doesn’t matter that these are going to sit outside on my house until spring when I get an exterior painter to do the whole house?
[/QUOTE]
I was just making a job about interior/exterior priming choices. It seems they aren’t as popular as they once were.