I'm not an exterior pro, but I do know a bit.

Elastomeric coatings are best over stucco. It's designed to stretch and waterproof better than ordinary housepaint.

A three layer coating system must be primer and two finish coats. That's a very nice process, IMO.

Michael

A 3 layer system is not always primer and 2 tops coats. When I had my house painted they power-washed, sprayed on some kind of clear binding agent, primer and top coat. The whole thing was advertized as spray-on siding and would never need repainting. Sounds great, doesn't it? Well, if your application stinks it won't matter a bit what paint you use. When they painted the front of the house I swear the binding agent wasn't used, we had a wet spring and the siding wasn't totally dry and after one year the whole front peeled off in perfect cedar-shake sized sheets. Then the contractor went out of business. Anyway, my advice is to call every single person on the reference list and ask them if they're satisfied and ask for a list of houses they've painted in the past couple of years and drive by them all. Make sure you check the better business bureau for any complaints and STAY HOME while they are working on your house unless you can honestly say you completely trust the contractor. Good Luck!

Thanks Michael and Lamalu.

Lamalu, what you describe is what they are trying to sell me. It is some sort of plasticized base coat that is supposed to flex as the wood expands and contracts. Then two top coats. They guarantee it for 10 years and say that after that all you need to do is repaint on a top coat. I am suspicious at best especially considering that it costs well over twice as much as the other paint jobs I have been bid.

I think I need to get more bids and start seeing how they stack up.

They may be honest and the system may be a good one.

Painting is a science. There have been major improvement made in the coatings industry. I wouldn't discount the base coat until you actually study it.

What is the name of this base coat? I know of two very effective base coats that professionals use to limit cracking, chipping and peeling when repainting old paint and old wood.

Michael

Thanks Michael for your help. The name the painter used in the quote was "The Triflex System." It consists of a base coat, a base color layer, and then a finish color layer. They brought a sample of it in for me to look at. The finish definitely feels almost rubberized and you can see that it is very thick. I am just really put off by the cost. The estimate is well over $4000 more than their standard paint quote and about $7000 more then other quotes I have received.

Chris

Chris, what you have described sounds similar to what was used on my house. When it started to peel I would joke with the neighbors that I could use the rectangles that peeled off as coasters - they were rubbery and thick. A painter looked at it recently and suggested that using oil-based primer and paint would solve the problem and others have agreed with his solution. I should say that the problems are limited to one side of the house and the rest of the house looks really nice. Where are you located? Do you have adhesion problems with your current paint job? I heard that the product that was used on my house worked great in the south where there wasn't much snow - also - my house is a Dutch Colonial - the part that peeled is slanted and the rain runs off the roof and down the side - I've actually seen some Dutch Col's with roofing shingles on the slanted faces. Funny things is - the back of the house has the same slanted face and it hasn't peeled. How long has it been since your last paint job and are you planning on staying in the house? If you think you're going to move I'd go with the lower price.

Lamalu,

Yep, I think we are talking about the same stuff. We are in Kansas with plenty of snow and extreme temperatures. There are not any areas of the house that are not vertical surfaces, but... We do not seem to have any current problems with adhesion. I have no idea how long it has been since it has been painted since we just moved in in July and former owners were complete idiots who did not keep up the house and were foreclosed upon. I would like to think we are going to be here for awhile, but DH gets wanderlust so who knows. I think you are right and we will go with the more economical option of good old plain paint.

Now given that, what basics should I be looking for in an estimate? They all seem to say they will power wash and caulk. Michael stated above that the elastomeric paint for the stucco is a good thing. Some say that they prime all surfaces others don't. How important is it to prime given that there is a pretty solid coat of paint there already??

Wow, I am so out of my element here!! Thanks for any help!

Chris

Forget about these so-called super systems. They are more about margin building for your painter than they are about the coatings. That said, the best finishing system for exteriors is indeed one prime, and two finish coats but that depends on the condition of the existing coating and which products are used. Under most conditions, a premium acrylic primer followed by two coats of a premium acylic top coat from any of the top tier manufacturers (BenMoore, PPG, SW), will gives you years of service. The single biggest factor in the outcome is surface preparation. If the painter is spending about half the time here, then you need to be careful.

As for elastomerics, they have thier place but are not typically required for residential work. While to do stretch more than conventional coatings, they tend to be soft and pick up dirt as a result. Unless you are convinced that they house has much more settling to do and is therefore subject to much more cracking, just have all existing cracks patched with an elastomeric caulk/patching compound, then prime and paint as outlined above.

Thanks Michaal. That helps a great deal and I will start focusing my questions on prep work. Chris