How do you paint house siding?

To paint house siding, clean the exterior, scrape off existing paint, fill in any gaps and paint on a coat of primer. After the primer is dry, add a top coat of paint.

Run through the following steps to add a new coat of paint to house siding.

1. Clean the siding

Before painting, clean the house exterior thoroughly.

2. Protect windows, doors and patios

Cover windows and doors with builder's paper or plastic and cover patios and other ground areas with drop cloths.

3. Scrape away existing paint

Scrape off any loose paint with a hook scraper.

4. Prepare the wood (optional)

If the siding is made of wood, fill in any gaps with wood epoxy and a putty knife. Sand it down and brush on a coat of water repellent.

5. Add a primer coat

Choose a primer that is specifically designed for the siding material. Cover wood siding with wood primer, aluminum siding with aluminum primer and so on. Add one coat of primer to the siding and let it dry.

6. Paint the siding

Add a coat of paint on top of the primer. As is the case with the primer, choose a product that is compatible with the siding type. For example, oil and latex paints work best with wood siding, while acrylic paint works well with aluminum siding.