Restoring Old Wood Siding

When remodeling a home or other structure with old siding consider vertical grain siding as the best available replacement.

Restoring old wood siding.

Depending on the size of the problem area you can sand it down small or use a liquid paint stripper large. Though wood siding is very strong a sufficient physical impact can split and crack it. Wood is an extraordinary building material that can last hundreds of years especially old growth wood when given a little care. The reasoning behind this was that the upkeep of wood siding was too time consuming and newer materials were more resilient.

When you come across rotted wood in your old house projects instead of replacing the damaged wood you also can repair it with specialty epoxy penetrants also called consolidants and fillers to make repairs. If you have an older piece that s been painted and abused through the years peel back the layers of time by stripping it down to the original beautiful wood. Just like any material when exposed to the elements it can slowly degrade. It may require being pulled back into square to reverse a noticeable racking.

Do not be tempted to use a gun that emits fire as this will damage your wood. While it is true that wood shingles or clapboards require fresh paint every few years a growing number of homeowners are now stripping away the skins of siding to restore the original wooden clapboards beneath. It may also need a new foundation roof or cross braces for added support. Follow the very specificnailing processes using only the approved nail types for your type of siding.

The most important step of any wood siding repair is the final process of weatherproofing the repair area with paint or another type of sealant and caulk. Therefore removing thold paint and starting from scratch may be the best way to preserve your siding. Section 2 repairing or replacing damaged siding. Use paintable wood preservative.

The first thing to do when restoring wood sidings is to ascertain the extent of damage. Restoring an old weathered outbuilding takes a little more work than you might expect. Use an epoxy consolidant instead of the preservative where the wood has decayed. Always caulk siding trim joints.

Not only is this faster but the fixed wood is stronger than the original. Step 1 removing old paint. For this job a heat gun and a putty knife are the most essential tools to start your restoration. We used wolman s zinsser woodlife classic.

But you can bring old wood back to life by using boiled linseed oil and prepare it for a few more decades of service life. Always prime the ends of boards with an oil based primer before installing. If your siding has been sanded so water is easily absorbed it is worth applying a coat of paintable wood preservative.