# I'd like opinions on exterior paint and painting
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-opinions-on-exterior-paint-and-painting/685504
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [April 6, 2014, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-opinions-on-exterior-paint-and-painting/685504 "2014-04-06T21:22:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)
#### Post date: [April 6, 2014, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-opinions-on-exterior-paint-and-painting/685504/1 "2014-04-06T21:22:27Z")
I’ve got to paint a shed. The siding is plywood and is currently painted white - it’s in decent shape - no obvious rot or chips. We’ve lived here 10 years and it appeared to have been in place some time when we bought the house. I’ll be painting it light gray to match the siding on the house. I want a latex satin or semi-gloss.
My questions:
We’re going to pressure-wash it first - will we need to prime it? Are any of the one-coat paints truly one coat? Especially considering I’ll be doing light gray over white…
I’d like a good-quality paint that will last at least 10 years but I don’t want to take out a second mortgage to buy it - I’ll need 2-3 gallons depending on how many coats it takes. Recommended brands? Brands to avoid at all costs?
Brush vs. roller - if I use a roller, I’ll need to get one with a thick enough nap to get into the grooves in the plywood (I think it’s T-111) - comments? Suggestions?
Anything else I should consider?
For the record, I’m not a painting novice - I painted the entire interior of this house by myself. (My husband is not allowed to paint - it’s a hard and fast rule! 😃 ) But I’ve never used an exterior paint. I only want to paint this shed once.
Thanks!
---
### Author:  [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2014, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-opinions-on-exterior-paint-and-painting/685504/2 "2014-04-07T01:05:29Z")
If the paint is peeled away from the wood so you have bare wood you need to prime. If this is not true and you are simply painting to match the house then you don’t need to prime. But since you are saying the paint is well over 10 years old I expect the first is true and you will need to prime.
---
### Author:  [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2014, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-opinions-on-exterior-paint-and-painting/685504/3 "2014-04-07T01:12:58Z")
Dutch Boy makes an exterior with Max in the name. It’s great and goes on nicely. It lasts a long time. You don’t need a primer unless its over peeling paint, as stated above.
I’d use a brush. Rollers on any deep texture are a pain, because you get lines in the roller, and that leads to runs on the flush parts. It’s also hard to really get into thin cracks, and then you have to slop it in there and you get more runs and/or paint bulges.
---
### Author:  [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2014, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-opinions-on-exterior-paint-and-painting/685504/4 "2014-04-07T10:24:02Z")
Believe it or not, there is no peeling paint. Or mildew, or any other nasties one might expect on a wooden shed that lives in a fairly shady area. Had bare wood been exposed, I wouldn’t have even question primer. Of course, once we take the pressure washer to it, who knows - maybe I should just use a hose and a brush.
I was thinking I might have to brush in the grooves, then run the roller over the flat expanses. I hate the thought of the super-thick naps because you end up throwing a lot of paint away. The shed is 16X10 - that’s a lot to do by brush. I may try the brush and roller combo and go with a less thick roller.
According to my Google search, the nearest Dutch Boy retailer is almost 50 miles away - I don’t think that’s going to happen. One thing I do know about brands, I refuse to buy Olympic - I’ve had nothing but bad luck with that brand. I was surprised reading on-line reviews that trashed Behr so badly - I thought that was supposed to be a quality product.
---
### Author:  [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2014, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-opinions-on-exterior-paint-and-painting/685504/5 "2014-04-07T10:26:06Z")
If textured, consider a 3" brush to hit the deep parts, then follow with short-nap roller.
Or rent an airless sprayer - see big box paint depts: these are the ones with the feed tube which goes directly into the paint bucket - no thinning, but buying a bucket large enough for however much paint you need (pre-mixing to get even shading) is a good idea- it also allws you the opportunity to run the paint through a filter.
---
### Author:  [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2014, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-opinions-on-exterior-paint-and-painting/685504/6 "2014-04-07T10:33:11Z")
Behr is a Home Dept brand. That is enough reason to shun them.
They also grossly over-sold the initial run - “we can match any color”! “Computer matching”.
It. Didn’t. Work. Even if they did come up with a decent paint, continuing to use a badly damaged name is a huge mistake.
Go over to the tool section and look at the “Husky” brand - another HD house brand - much easier to evaluate quality i a hammer than in paint.
How to tell good tool in a store with concrete floor - drop a steel tool on the floor. A good one will ring. A crap one will go “clunk”.
---
### Author:  [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2014, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-opinions-on-exterior-paint-and-painting/685504/7 "2014-04-07T13:11:24Z")
I like Sherwin Williams exterior Superpaint, it’s a great product and holds up well. Don’t use Behr!
No need to use a separate primer on plywood - two coats of a good 100% acrylic exterior paint will do the job. Were me, I’d use a 3/4" lambswool roller and a brush for the bits the roller won’t reach. The roller cover will run you about $10 but it holds a ton of paint and won’t shed on your shed. (heh.)
/painting contractor
---
### Author:  [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2014, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-opinions-on-exterior-paint-and-painting/685504/8 "2014-04-07T14:44:53Z")
Trying to match the house too closely may drive you nuts. You may be better off going with something in the same color family but noticeably darker.
---
### Author:  [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2014, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-opinions-on-exterior-paint-and-painting/685504/9 "2014-04-07T16:22:01Z")
**chiroptera** - I saw the Superpaint recommended in some random forum I googled, and there is a SW store not too far from here - good to get confirming recommendation from a trusted source. 😉 I was hoping to get away with a single coat since the existing paint seems to be in good shape, but if I’m going thru all the bother of painting, I probably shouldn’t cheap out, right?
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#):
>
> Trying to match the house too closely may drive you nuts. You may be better off going with something in the same color family but noticeably darker.
The shed is far enough away from the house that it doesn’t have to match exactly. We want to get a light gray, and I’m debating whether to keep the trim black or just paint it all the same color. Spousal unit want a contrasting trim, so I’m thinking in the interest if marital peace, he’ll get contrasting trim. Then he’ll owe me. 😃
---
### Author:  [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2014, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-opinions-on-exterior-paint-and-painting/685504/10 "2014-04-07T17:45:44Z")
Two coats would hold up better, definitely.
April 11-14 SW has a [40 percent off](http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/special-offers/sales-and-coupons/) sale.
---
### Author:  [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2014, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-opinions-on-exterior-paint-and-painting/685504/11 "2014-04-07T19:57:40Z")
> [@chiroptera](#):
>
> Two coats would hold up better, definitely.
> April 11-14 SW has a [40 percent off](http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/special-offers/sales-and-coupons/) sale.
Never buy from SW without at least a 20-25% off special (they always have at least that going). 40% is even better.
---
### Author:  [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2014, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-opinions-on-exterior-paint-and-painting/685504/12 "2014-04-07T20:32:39Z")
Perfect timing! I’ll run down there on Friday and get a couple of gallons. Thanks!!
---
### Author:  [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2014, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-opinions-on-exterior-paint-and-painting/685504/13 "2014-04-07T20:35:18Z")
I used Superpaint on my house (1880s wood siding) and it worked beautifully.
I’d be a little scared of pressure washing plywood, but that might just be me.
---
### Author:  [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2014, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-opinions-on-exterior-paint-and-painting/685504/14 "2014-04-07T20:42:12Z")
Probably not much point in pressure washing, it’s true. Unless there’s a lot of mildew and/or chalk.
FCM, if you run the palm of your hand over an exposed - south-facing especially - part of the shed, does a chalky residue come off? If so, then yes - that chalking has to be scrubbed or washed off, or you’ll need a primer (usually oil-based) to ensure adhesion of the topcoat.
---
### Author:  [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2014, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-opinions-on-exterior-paint-and-painting/685504/15 "2014-04-07T21:42:10Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#):
>
> I’d be a little scared of pressure washing plywood, but that might just be me.
My husband wants to do the pressure washing. I think using the brush that attaches to a hose may be a better choice - it’ll get loose crud off without potential damage. This is a discussion we’ll have to duke out. 😉
---
### Author:  [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2014, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-opinions-on-exterior-paint-and-painting/685504/16 "2014-04-07T21:46:01Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#):
>
> My husband wants to do the pressure washing. I think using the brush that attaches to a hose may be a better choice - it’ll get loose crud off without potential damage. This is a discussion we’ll have to duke out. 😉
Fight! Fight! Fight! 🙂
---
### Author:  [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2014, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-opinions-on-exterior-paint-and-painting/685504/17 "2014-04-07T23:46:43Z")
If there a joints in the plywood (and, with those dimensions, there undoubtedly are), either tack up a batten (a 1x3 covering the joint) and caulk it, or use a very low-pressure washer - you DON’T want water getting in the joints between plywood.
I remembered 2 paint stores in SF popular with the pro’s: 1 was a Sherman Williams, the other a Kelly Moore.
Painting is about labor - do it once! And do it right that first time.
---
### Author:  [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2014, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-opinions-on-exterior-paint-and-painting/685504/18 "2014-04-08T00:25:24Z")
If you visit SW website, they have printable coupons that are usually at least 25% off.
> **[Special Offers & Savings | Sherwin-Williams](https://www.sherwin-williams.com/en-us/special-offers)**
>
> Explore your next project and save big on your next project with sales & special offers from Sherwin-Williams. Learn more about our paint offers here.
---
### Author:  [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2014, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-opinions-on-exterior-paint-and-painting/685504/19 "2014-04-08T12:02:15Z")
> [@usedtobe](#):
>
> Painting is about labor - do it once! And do it right that first time.
Definitely! I learned that the hard way years ago. I also learned, much as I love rich, dark colors, a garnet red bedroom will take SIX COATS to cover - three of the coats were primer! I suspect I didn’t use the best quality paint, but still, whew!
---
### Author:  [@LiveFree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveFree)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2014, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-opinions-on-exterior-paint-and-painting/685504/20 "2014-04-08T12:26:13Z")
Here is a coupon for $10 off $50. I’ve used the coupons along with the sale that they are running. The store accepted both.
[http://www.tryittoday.com/common/sherwin.html](http://www.tryittoday.com/common/sherwin.html)
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-opinions-on-exterior-paint-and-painting/685504.md?page=2)