This Spring I am planning to repaint the extirior of our home. It has Cedar Siding that is painted Biege...I plan to repaint it Gray. I know I have to scrape and Prime any area that is peeling or has exposed wood. Do I need to Prime the entire house before painting ???....most of the Beige paint is in good shape, but the weather side of the house is peeling.

Its always best to prime all walls before painting. Power washing a few days before the sanding process will remove any mildew and dust that has collected on the surface of the cedar siding. Once dry prime using a good quality primer. There should be two coats of primer. One to seal the bare wood and bring the paint level up to the current paint surface. Then when that dries a complete coat of primer on the entire wall surface before you put the final coat on. If you do this you will hide the sanded spots better then just using one coat.

It is always suggested that you obtain the advice of the paint manufacture on how to properly prep the walls before you paint. I would go to a professional paint supply store for that advice and not the big box stores as they may not have the experience needed to properly guide you.

When it comes to painting exterior wood siding that is peeling or weathered, there are no magic short cuts. I am repaining a 1964 house (mine) that has dolly verdun cedar siding. Initially stained, the house was painted in 1970 and 1985. Needless to say, with 23 years passed since the last paint the siding is peeling and weathered. Wood siding in such a condition must be sanded down to bare wood and repainted properly. It is a slow labor intensive process. If doing it yourself the supplies are the only cost. If hiring someone to do it, the cost of installing new siding is probably the same and maybe even cheaper. The problem with hiring painters is that quality and longevity are not their priorities. Appearance and speed are. They want to make it look good enough so you will be happy, but also want to get the job over with so they can get paid and move on to the next job. The paint might last six months or ten years. Who can be sure? Bottom line is sand to bare wood. Prime with two or even three brush coats of primer, and paint with three brush coats of paint. Use good paint and primer. Good paint is over 32 bucks a gallon. Good primer is about 25 bucks a gallon. The cheap stuff will not last. Use a brush. A brush puts on a thicker coat and works it into the cracks and imperfections better. Over time you also have to touch-up chips as they happen. Just like car paint, over time water gets in through chips and scratches, and the paint starts loosening up and eventually peeling. On my house I am using Kills premium latex primer and Sears Weather Beater Ultra latex. I am sure any and all of the higher cost name brands are fine. Cost is the key. Expensive paint is good paint. Cheap paint is chalk water. Latex technology is great these days. Beyond unique circumstances, I would avoid the old school thinking that oil based is better.

Beware of some of the expensive paints also. DO research and find out which paint goes on smooth and has enough adhesion not to run hard. Preparation is key!

I would start off by buying at least a case of good quality painters caulk. Remember to caulk all seams, nail holes, where one board stops, trim, windows etc. If you don't caulk the paint job is gonna look like poo no matter what you do!
Words to live by........