Painting the Exterior

It has been a long time since my last post. For the most part, the siding was primed and painted yellow. I'm glad I spray painted the siding with primer before installing the boards. Five gallons is about right since you want to prime both sides.  I love the color...whether you call it Afternoon Tea or Tuscany Gold. Valspar Reserve is Lowe's best exterior pain; it sells at roughly $200 for 5 gallons.  The paint contains primer and a mildew preventative and is water-based for easy clean up.  I sprayed the first coat of paint with my sprayer and then used a brush on the second coat for a quality, brushed look. Since I only painted the outside, I have only used about 2.5 gallons.  I also learned the value of using the high quality brushes (a Purdy brush costs ~$17-20/brush.) They are worth the money. The result looks better, the bristles do not fall out while your painting, and they are easier to clean.

Tuscany Gold Exterior Paint.  I love how the white trim pops.

Although I started building the dormer windows in July, painting the outside became more important since mildew began to grow on the door frame and just a little on the siding.  I knew getting the final coat on the outside -- as far as I could get -- was a smart idea. And if this happens to you, there are two things you should know:  (1) spray diluted bleach (50/50), let stand overnight, then wipe the mildew off (2) oil based paint is virtually unattainable so I chose Lowe's Valspar Duramax. Duramax contains both paint and primer. Since painting the door frame, there has been no more mildew.  I used the same paint on the exterior of the dormer windows, tool. 

Can you envision the red bougainvillaea growing over the box window?  I can.