You can put latex over oil But not oil over latex. What NEEDS to be prime is bare wood AFTER it's been sanded. What needs to be sanded is any wood that is greyish in color or has checking. Primer sticks best to clean wood. Paint sticks best to a prepainted surface, hence the use of primer or the practice of painting over paint. IMHO spraying paint is a huge waste of time and paint. In no way does it matches the kind of job or quality you get from hand painting.

We just met a painter on Thurs. who was recommended by 2 friends. We needed one side of our home painted after being re-stucco'ed. Also thought I would get a quote for the hallway that I had just taken a week to remove all the wallpaper from. The deal was they would do the walls and ceiling, one wall extending into the family room. It would all be 2 coats, and 2 colors plus white ceiling. Our quote was $ 375. for hallway and $ 375. for exterior ( which included a sealer coat on all painted walls and prep ). Plus we would pay for all the paint used. We jumped at it. The painter and helper started at 7:30am on Friday and worked through until 4:30p and then started at 7:30a on Sat. (today) until about noon and all of it was finished as promised. $ 1000. for both including paint. We are thrilled with it. I will paint the trim and doors myself. It saved my hours and hours of work over the next few weeks or more. BTW...The hallway included 7 doorways that they needed to cut around. If anyone lives in the N.Ca area and is looking for a good painter, I can highly recommend him.

Hi Dmaull and ptaylor, Unfortuantely we never got around to whitewashing our house, but, I did an enormous amount research on the subject and discovered that you do NOT want to paint brick. Why? Because the paint doesn't allow the natural breathing to occur with brick. Brick is partially pourous and paint changes the game... Instead if you are going for that aged look then you want to use a product that simulates lime washing. Lime washing is the actual technique used in the 1700 and 1800s to protect buildings (including brick). Some still practice this today, but it is messy and potentially dangerous (your working with slaked limeor calcium hydroxide a natural chemical. The reason however you want this kind of finish is that it allows the brick to "breathe". Unfortunately the lime wash eventually wears off so you have to reapply ever few years. What I did find however was the ultimate solution I planned to use (until we deferred the project). It's a modern product that produces a finish identical to lime washing but is PERMANENT! It works at the molecular level and the minerals in the product permanently bind with the brick. What this means is that you do it one time and one time only! Additinoally the brick can literally be power washed later with NO ill effects on the white washed finish since it is permanent! Below are the notes I made to myself for later reference when I was ready to proceed. You'll want to contanc this firm and research the product yourself, but I am 100% confident that this is the BEST way to achieve a permanent, old world, white wash finish on your brick! Hope this helps! bradesp Jeff at Eco House 877-ECO-HOUSE Must apply in 46 degrees or warmer - needs four hours in 60 degree weather to fully dry-out Apply Primasil first as base "coat" Then apply one coat of Salizur. Will need to mix pigments to desired color and translucency. http://www.eco-house.com/silazur.htm Eco House can't ship if temperatures are going to freeze. Products can easily be sprayed. Will need to custom mix and keep mix "suspended" during spray.

For goodness sakes, Dad is 81. I've purchased homes with the owner's clothes still in the closet, junk 4 feet deep in the basement, and nothing updated or fixed for 40 years. That Realtor isn't wrong IF you have endless funds (looking at about 20K minimum right there unless you guys do some work), and time to spend. You are almost at the end of June. The time is NOW to get it sold. Things slow down a bit after the 4th. IF you want very top HGTV showroom dollar, (and highest commission possible for the Realtor),, follow all that advice. But it doesn't sound like the expenditure of effort is worth it for your Dad. Follow your gut. You are already willing to list under what the very top dollar is, from what you say, given the condition of the house. Do what you think is right and do not be dissuaded.