Q: We are painting the exterior of our home, do you have tips for painting on a chalky surface?

Scrape where ever possible.

The first step is always to scrape away any peeling paint in order to

make sure the entire chalky surface is exposed. Most of the time, the chalky

surface is from an existing layer of paint under the current layer that is

failing. The next step is to wash the surface but it is important that the

entire chalky surface is exposed before this is done. Wash down with a good siding cleaner.

The second step is the surface should be power washed. This is very

important because this is what actually removes the chalk before the primer is

put on. It is also important to use a cleaner when power washing so that it

will actually help remove the chalk along with the pressure. A good cleaner

that I have found is Jomax House Wash, because it does not leave a residue and

does a good job removing the chalk.

 

Prime with an exterior primer.

The final step before actually applying the paint would be to prime the

surface. There are many different primers that can be used for this, but I have

found that the only primer that really stops chalking is Porter’s Acri-Shield

Acrylic Bonding Primer. This is product is great at sealing off the chalky

surface completely.

 

Paint the exterior of the home.

Once the surface has been primed and dried completely, it is ready to

be painted just like any other surface. It is a good idea to stay with a high

grade exterior paint. With anything else, you will get what you pay for. If you

invest in an inexpensive line of exterior paint, you will get a shorter life

expectancy on your finish coat. Porter has the answer to this with their

Acri-Shield Exterior paint line.

 

This answer was provided by John Garlock, Paint Specialist at Warner Robins Supply.  

John has been with Warner

Robins Supply for 11 years.  His background in customer service and

management has provided John the necessary skill-sets in giving not only

attentive customer service, but with his insatiable appetite to learn

the many disciplines of the building materials business, he can also

offer expert advice when it comes to using the right paint product for

either your building or remodeling project.  John’s efforts have now

place Warner Robins Supply as one of the top Porter Paint dealers in the

southeast.