Our c1881 house has wood siding, blown-in insulation, no vapor barrier, steam radiators...the paint is peeling right down to bare wood. There are at least 5 layers of paint on the siding and 2-3 on the trim (the trim is alligatoring as well as peeling. The wood everywhere is in excellent condition...very little repair/replacement necessary, just lots and lots of caulking! The topmost layer of paint is rubbery in some areas (neighbor blames paint failure on latex over oil scenario). We're only scraping the loose stuff, so quite a lot of paint is remaining. Here's my question: Oil base primer? Latex primer? What type of paint, oil or latex? We're planning to use SW Duration. What are the chances it'll continue to fail, based on the info I've given. Thanks to all who respond!

Without knowing the region you live in, or a few other pieces of information, my guess is that paint will continue to fail because of the absence of a vapor retarder in the walls. What is happening is that moisture from activities inside the house (cooking, showers, laundry, etc.) is passing through the wall and popping the paint off.

There are a couple of things you can do to try to minimize the paint failure: religiously use exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathrooms (if you don't have any, install them) and you might consider applying paint to the inside walls which is a vapor-retarding paint.

As to exactly what paint to use outside, I will defer to painting experts for that.

The problem could very well be the moisture from the inside. If it gets under the paint it will fail no matter what. Also you need to do more than scrape the paint that is hanging off in big chunks. You need to try to get as much of the bad paint off as you can. Sanding will be very important here. Today's exterior latex paints are very good. Paint can alligator and peel if the surface is not properly prepared before painting. Because it is alot of work it commonly isn't done. My suggestion is to scrap as much as possible, then to sand it with a palm sander removing as much as possible. If you have old windows they may need to be reglazed rather then just caulked. Once the surface is clean and dry then a good quality exterior primer should be used. Again latex is as good as oil these days. Just be sure it is for exterior use. If you have any rust spots us a rust inhibitor on them, then primer, then I recommend rustoleum. I am not familiar with Sherwin Williams products but my understanding is that they are quiet good. Benjamin Moore also has good exterior paints as well. Again, be sure the paint is for exterior use and you should be fine. I know brushing a whole house is alot of work, but I find the finished product to look great and the paint to adhere better.

Best of luck! And don't forget to sand - the paint will stick better!

As Richard said, there are alot of pieces of information needed to figure out the problem. Remember this though - when you are sanding or scraping you will almost certainly be dealing with lead paint so protect yourself accordingly.

Good point about the lead. You can buy a lead test at Home Depot for a few dollars. If it tests positive you will want to wear a mask. I would also suggest putting plastic or drop cloths down when you are scrapping etc to help in the clean up. That way you don't have paint chips everywhere. And as always, wear eye protection whenever scraping and sanding. Again the Depot sells safety glasses that are also sunglasses - that is what I use when working outside to protect my eyes.

Hi there- I'm a 15 year pro. I take it your up north. I have done plenty circa homes mostly Hunterdon NJ area. This is what you do. Check moisture content within the home, a humidity type desk top gauge will do fine. If too high vent!! Take off all exterior paint, pressure wash first may want to hire a pro as not to damage wood, use NO bleach. Sacrap/sand some good power products at Home Depot for removing paint, beware of lead use proper masks. Use Sherwin Williams A-100 oil primer tinted to match top color, need to make sure wood is fairly dry. Oil primer will pull out any moisture in the wood prior to painting. Next top coat Sherwin Williams Duration, add Flotrol as this paint gums quick, its the best on the market. One coat will cover as it is 7 mils thick twice as any leading exterior. If out of your budget go S/W Superpaint . Do the body flat and the trim Satin/Semi-gloss.You need to make sure that the house is extremely dry as latex will seal any moisture coming out or in. Hence ifit is damp peeling will happen again. Also ensure temp is not too hot as drying time is most important in protective process. Early September/October is best time to paint up North.Duration is pretty expensive but well worth it. E-mail me and I tell you a way to get a better price.
Peace

Thanks for all the replies...Jthehandyguy, we don't intend to take off the paint that isn't peeling at this time (maybe down the road), so can you advise? We're in SE Michigan. Love to email you...address?

One way to remove most of the old paint is to have the house power washed. It eliminates lots of work and makes a better foundation for the paint to stick to. If it were my house I would use a moisture barrier or primer in oil base then paint with which ever paint you choose. I would perfer oil based paint as well as oil based primer. I would also use the 20 year paint from Lowes. Also I would make an effort to add ventilation in the attic and take care of the inside dampness as well.