Caulk is really your best bet for longevity and not flashing under paint. Using caulk is somewhat limiting as far as completely hiding defects because it shrinks as it dries and can't really be sanded.

Another option is to use an exterior rated vinyl spackle like Dap Crackshot. No mixing, holds up fairly well when painted, and generally won't flash through paint.

 

Yes, caulk does shrink. I used latex caulk to fill 5 finishing nail holes (6 penny finishing nails) and after priming over, I can see every nail hole dimpled. I think caulk is best used to seal inside corners where shrinkage doesn't matter.

I'll buy the smallest tub of Crackshot and test it. Any other non-spackle suggestions that I can test?

Thanks,
HRG

 

I always filled then primed. That would solve your flashing concerns. Wood putty holds up very well for holes.

 

What's the brand and name of the wood putty you use?

After priming and applying 2 coats of acrylic latex paint, how long have the filled areas been exposed to the weather on the exterior of the house?

Thanks,
HRG

 

My go to putty is Wood-Tex. Comes in a various flavors too. Unfortunately the only place to carry it here was Western Tool Supply and they closed/moved or otherwise gone. I don't know if I can find some locally, maybe I'll order it because I'm almost out. It's lasted 20 years that I know of.

You got me thinkin', that's always dangerous. I see it's on Amazon...

http://www.amazon.com/Wood-Tex-Wood-Putty-Pint-Red/dp/B0006LBVH4

 

My go to putty is Wood-Tex. Comes in a various flavors too. Unfortunately the only place to carry it here was Western Tool Supply and they closed/moved or otherwise gone. I don't know if I can find some locally, maybe I'll order it because I'm almost out. It's lasted 20 years that I know of.

You got me thinkin', that's always dangerous. I see it's on Amazon...

http://www.amazon.com/Wood-Tex-Wood-Putty-Pint-Red/dp/B0006LBVH4

That's darn good if it hasn't deteriorated or fallen off in exterior use for 20 years. I'll see if I can find some locally.

Thanks,
HRG

 

While doing more research on prepping the exterior for painting, I came across a webpage that says to NEVER use spackle on exteriors. An excerpt from that webpage and the link to it are:

"Spackle is a bad idea for most wall repairs and is always a bad idea for exteriors. I know that you can go to the store and get a jar of this stuff that says “exterior spackle” on the label, but the reality is that there is no such thing as exterior spackle. Regardless of what a products label says there is no good reason to ever buy a jar of exterior spackle nor is it ever a good idea to apply it to an outside. PERIOD!

Why is this stuff so bad you might ask? I have personally seen houses ruined with this product, and the failure rate on it is nothing short of incredible. After exterior spackle is applied to an outside I have seen it “pop” in extreme weather areas after just a year of service! “Popping” is a painting term that basically means that the spackle comes away from the building taking the paint that was applied over it with it. Additionally say you have an old victorian home which is due to be stripped of paint. If the house ever had a painter run around with exterior spackle, stripping the house just became a nightmare as stripper will not soften spackle and spackle does not sand very well. So once again in case you missed it, never, ever, ever use spackle on the outside of you home!"

http://www.trimlinepaintinginc.com/dont-use-spackle/

For the professional painters on this forum, do you agree with NEVER using spackle on exteriors?

In my case, I will be scraping peeling paint. Although I will be stripping ALL of the paint in the bad areas of the exterior walls down to bare wood using a heat gun, there are some not so bad areas where only patches about 6" to 12" diameters will have to scraped down to bare wood. I was planning to use CrackShot spackle to level out those patches of scraped areas by priming with an oil primer first and applying the CrackShot over the primer. Bad idea?

Thanks for any help,
HRG

 

I use spackle on exteriors, but sparingly. It just doesn't have the "flex" to be a long term solution especially on clapboards. I used to be able to buy a latex based rubbery type spackle but can't find it anymore. When spackle goes bad, it really does pop off the side of a house.

I think the idea of using crack shot is a sound idea as long as you don't overuse it especially to fill deep indentations, etc.

 

I'm afraid of the spackle not having the "flex" and popping off the side of the house. I think I'll abandon the crack shot idea.

Thanks,
HRG

 

Really, I would just use caulk and deal with the less than perfect acetic properties. I know it will hold up. Multiple applications of caulk can help overcome the shrinkage problem.

I use caulk extensively on exterior repair work. Years ago I started noticing that often the paint on a house could be failing badly, peeling like crazy, but the caulk would be mostly intact and still bonded. It just lasts.

I joking call it 'palk armor' (paint+caulk) when I use lots of caulk along with paint to seal up an old exterior. It lasts a long time.

 

Since my application would be leveling out 6" - 12" scraped paint, the caulk would be a thin layer of that diameter. I'm wondering if caulk would be too soft for that application. Also, I assume that the caulk cannot be sanded if the application is not perfect. Is that right?

Thanks,
HRG

 

I did see this stuff in wallmart a while back. No experience with it, think its fairly new. The main problem with hard drying fillers, whether or not they are 'exterior' rated, seems to be a lack of flexibility. So when the wood moves with temp changes, they can 'pop' like is described in the previous article. As Gym mentioned, smaller applications aren't as prone to failure simply because they are small and don't have to deal with movement over bigger areas.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0006MXS24?pc_redir=1408602202&robot_redir=1

This seems like a good idea, but like I said I have no experience with it.

 

I did see this stuff in wallmart a while back. No experience with it, think its fairly new. The main problem with hard drying fillers, whether or not they are 'exterior' rated, seems to be a lack of flexibility. So when the wood moves with temp changes, they can 'pop' like is described in the previous article. As Gym mentioned, smaller applications aren't as prone to failure simply because they are small and don't have to deal with movement over bigger areas.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0006MXS24?pc_redir=1408602202&robot_redir=1

This seems like a good idea, but like I said I have no experience with it.

Thanks for that suggestion. Reading the customer reviews on amazon, it appears that the ElastoPatch is not friendly to sanding. Might be worth checking out though.

Thanks,
HRG

 

Since my application would be leveling out 6" - 12" scraped paint, the caulk would be a thin layer of that diameter. I'm wondering if caulk would be too soft for that application. Also, I assume that the caulk cannot be sanded if the application is not perfect. Is that right?

Thanks,
HRG

No, you can't really sand calk.
The thing is, what you're thinking to try to do is not really feasible (if I'm understanding right).

I'm assuming you have smooth siding that has areas of peeling paint that you have removed, leaving large bare areas that look 'indented' beside the areas of intact paint. As you may have discovered, feathering the transitions between raw and intact helps, but still leaves the bare areas looking somewhat indented.

Trying to achieve a perfectly smooth, uniform surface from this by filling the peeled areas with a filler, is not really practical. Mostly because no such product exists (that I know of) that can perform that task well and hold up well on exterior wood. Blending in small chips or nail holes is more realistic and can be accomplished with multiple layers of caulk or filler. And caulk applied to the edges of intact paint will help keep them from lifting in the future. But to make the large peeled areas disappear will require a different approach.



Mostly when I'm referring to using caulk in this manner, the goal has been to create a solid looking paint job that will last. Up close, your going to be able to tell there was once peeling paint there, but the siding looks solid (no holes/cracks) and is protected from the weather.

If the goal is to completely restore the look of the siding, in other words to erase all evidence that the paint once peeled, more than likely a complete strip is going to be necessary. Some isolated peeled places may be able to be perfectly blended in by feathering, but if the peeling is widespread, its just not practical or effective when a perfect look is desired.

You might try feathering the transitions out some more and see how it looks. If it really all needs to look perfectly smooth, better start thinking about other options besides filling.

 

I have to chime in here and say I have used DAP® CrackSHOT® High Performance Spackling Paste, on my own home for more than just minor repairs( it is redwood ) and have never had any trouble with it coming off the house. It was primed with a slow dry oil and 2 finish coats of latex.

 

That's good to know Chrisn. Did you apply Crackshot directly to bare wood or on top of the first coat of slow dry oil primer?

In your opinion, do you think that CrackShot will work to level off 6" - 9" areas scraped down to bare wood so that the CrackShot will be the thickness of the old paint?

Thanks,
HRG

 

When we have done this in the past we have used a product from Sherwin williams, can't think of the exact name now, also Abatron wood restoration products will work too. Feather sand the edges of the existing paint, prime the bare areas, apply the product of your choice to level the areas and then prime those areas again.

 

I don't mean to imply that its impossible. Products like the Abatron, Smiths CPES, and the End Rot system have came a long way in being able to be used for extensive exterior repairs.

What I would caution against is thinking about a project like the OPs in terms of how you would make similar repairs indoors. After all, in this case were not talking about restoring rotted/deteriorated wood, but only making cosmetic repairs to a failed paint film. I think this mindset can lead to failures like mentioned in the article posted previously. Far better IMO, to simply remove the failed film and start from scratch. I do realize that's not always a good option, especially for a DIY.

I'm glad to hear Chris's review of the Crackshot. As much as I like that product, I've been hesitant to try it on such a scale. I would imagine the oil prime before and after had a lot to do with the longevity he has seen. May give me more confidence to use it for similar repairs in the future.

 

As I said, I have only used it on my own home, but it has ben on there for going on 7 years now, so I would use it on a paying customers home and feel OK.