Pressboard Siding: Is it ok to use pressure painter to paint? (alternatives, washer)

[need_more_light]

I just bought a house with pressboard siding (this is what the inspector told me). During the inspection, he told me to never pressure-wash the siding because it would damage the siding.

My question is, if I want to paint the siding, can I use a pressure painter to paint the siding?

By the way, is there another word for pressboard siding? I tried to google the term but didn't get that many hits.

[RamblinRoseRanch]

Masonite is another name for pressboard siding. I had to google pressure painter, lol. So... a large airbrush type sprayer? If so, it looks like they operate at about 6 psi whereas a pressure washer is 1000-7000 psi. I'd think it'd be fine. If you're talking about the power painters (Various manufacturers) then they'd be fine too. If you're talkin' about something else, I haven't a clue- the low psi ones are the only things that popped when I googled pressure painting.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

[need_more_light]

Originally Posted by RamblinRoseRanch

Masonite is another name for pressboard siding. I had to google pressure painter, lol. So... a large airbrush type sprayer? If so, it looks like they operate at about 6 psi whereas a pressure washer is 1000-7000 psi. I'd think it'd be fine. If you're talking about the power painters (Various manufacturers) then they'd be fine too. If you're talkin' about something else, I haven't a clue- the low psi ones are the only things that popped when I googled pressure painting.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

Well, I'm not sure what pressure painter means either. My contractor, who is also a close friend of mine told me he was thinking about using "pressure painter" to paint the siding. Thus, the question I asked haha.

You've already helped enough. I'll do more research on masonite siding painting. Thanks!

[JimRom]

I've been painting houses since I was 12 (dad was a house painter and believed in instilling a work ethic), and I'm not real sure what a pressure painter is either.

That being said, the way to paint a house with masonite siding is with an airless sprayer. You could do it the old fashioned way, with a brush and roller, but with all the lap edges you'd have to hit with the brush you'd have a serious case of tendonitis when you were done.

Check with your friend and see if he means airless sprayer when he says pressure painter. If so, he's on the right track.

As for the pressure washing, it can be pressure washed with a low psi washer (under 2000 psi), as long as you don't get the nozzle to close to the siding and are careful of the angle. Don't shoot water at an upward angle onto the lap seams, as it can cause leakage and loosen the masonite. However, if there isn't a lot of flaking paint you shouldn't need to resort to a pressure washer. For small flaking spots, hit them with a wire brush to knock the chips off, then sand around the edges to smooth the surface.

Make sure you clean the siding thoroughly before he paints it. The best cleaner for paint prep is trisodium phosphate, but there are some environmental risks involved in its use. You can find TSP alternatives at most paint stores and the big box stores, and they work almost as good. If you have mold or mildew growing on the siding, either mix some chlorine (not bleach, actually get some chlorine from a pool store or a neighbor/friend that uses liquid chlorine in their pool) with the tsp before spraying it on or wash the mildew areas with chlorine before applying the TSP.

[bustaduke]

I've never heard of pressure painting, is this a painter that pressures himself on you?


busta