Question about painting a house with old siding

I was sure I could just power wash my house and slap on some new paint. The siding is original to the house, built in 1978. Last weekend, I started on the north wall and the paint started peeling off in huge sheets, like old wallpaper. Underneath, the wood was soft and damp in spots. I had to stop everything. A contractor friend came by and told me, 'You can't paint over rot, it just traps the moisture.' Now I'm looking at replacing about a quarter of the siding on that wall before I can even think about color. Has anyone else had to deal with this kind of surprise repair in the middle of a paint job? What did you do for the budget?

2 comments

2 Comments

betty_ward1d ago

Ugh, that's the worst kind of surprise, isn't it? Your contractor friend is totally right, painting over it would just make a bigger problem later. Sucks to blow the budget on repair before the fun part, but you gotta fix the bones first.

stella_shah891d ago

My 1982 bungalow taught me the same expensive lesson last spring.