You are on the right track. I would use a medium grit sandpaper, maybe 120 grit and then finish sanding with a 180 grit. Clean the surface thoroughly with a solution of 1 part bleach and 2 parts water and some TSP to remove any surface contaminants, dirt, and mildew. I would use an eggshell, low luster, or a satin finish. This will make it easier to clean up if the ceiling gets dirty later. I would use Pratt and Lambert Accolade and Suprime latex primer for the ceiling. The Accolade Eggshell has a low sheen finish that holds up very well in weathered conditions.

Thank ya'll for the help and info, I really appreciate it. You've clarified some things for me and also opened up some new questions for me... I really was hoping to stick with waterbased primer and paint...the small projects in the past with oil-based paints just seemed to end up messy with paintbrushes that I never could get clean. I'm sure I'm gonna need the knowledge of working with the oil-based stuff sooner or later anyhow. It looks like the materials procurement is going to be a chore in itself. I'm gonna have to do some long-distance shopping. Looking in my local yellow pages I come up with one paint dealer...a Pittsburgh Paints dealer. A problem that I run into is that I'm rural and have to drive roughly 65 miles to the nearest Lowe's. I'll probably have to venture up to Montgomery, AL to find a true paint store....that will probably be 130 miles roundtrip. It looks like several SW stores are up there but not many "mom and pop" stores...I'll see what I can find. Do the SW stores normally handle other brands of paint/primer??? PG, your view of caulking and the cost difference between good and mediocre brands makes sense to me...with your's and Faron's recommendations I'll be returning the Alex Plus and looking for something along the lines of Dynaflex 230. I went to Lowe's last night trying to see what sanding/scraping/etc. supplies they might have that will help me get the old paint off/sanded. I was going to pick up a respirator. They had two different ones in stock (can't remember the brands), one stated it was for sanding and insulation and teh other stated it was for painting and spraying chemicals. Reading the fine print both of them stated they weren't for use with lead. I didn't buy either one. I figure it was the basic "we warned you, don't blame us..." statement and that they probably would work fine...I'll keep a lookout for a 3M brand. Sanding equipment...I looked at different electric sanders and figured I'd get a *real* good dust bath with one of those...ended up simply getting some sandpaper and sanding block along with a couple of foam sanding blocks. I'll see how that goes...mostly will be used to feather edge the remaining paint. I'll be doing a lot of windows later on...if I do decide to pick up an electric sander would an random orbital or a 1/4 sheet finishing sander be better? As for the ceiling itself... In some places there are definite large gaps between the T&G pieces. I've already pulled some large strings of caulking from between some of the pieces. I agree that T&G should fit snuggly together. I don't know if the caulking was used when the house was constructed or if it was added later on...it's a silicone-type so I guess it would have to be of more recent year vintage. It appears that most of the caulking was used more toward the outside areas of the ceiling closest to the weather so it probably was used to fill weather-created gaps. ??? I'm curious as to whether it will be worth my while to order some caulking by the case...that big window in the pictures is one of sixteen that size or 2.5X that size. I may wait and see how much I use on the two windows under the porch and then order some accordingly...or hopefully find some locally (at least as local as possible). weed_cutter, you are right about the roof...flat and no ventilation to speak up between the metal top and the T&G. But, the reason for the bad condition of some of the T&G is pretty much due to several bad leaks that existed before the metal roof was installed. Thanks for the vote on the Duramax...it's supposed to be the one-coat/no-primer stuff but I still want to go down with a primer coating. In regards to windows...is DAP '33' good glazing material? I'm going to need to re-glaze panes in several of the windows. Well, I'm adjusting my shopping lists and will plan on a road trip to Montgomery. Thanks for the help! Ed

Invest in the best paint and primer you can find. Zinser oil is fantastic. Stay away from Behr....my husband insisted on saving money with this awful paint and our gazebo floor has done nothing but peel...needing to be repainted every year. If you really want it to last forever, use oil. If you have knot holes, ask your paint guy what primer to use. Go to Ben Moore or Porter instead of Home Depot.

Your plan sound about right - I would scrape first to get as much as possible off that way, then use your sandpaper regimen to feather the edges of the bare spots as much as possible. I assume you're talking about the floor, and for that I would recommend oil base - both primer and top coat. I've used both oil and latex on my porch floor and there is no comparison in toughness and durability. For the top coat use the stuff specifically designed for floors, or course. I like Sherwin Williams and Valspar (or American Heritage). Whatever you do, don't get the cheap stuff, cuz it's too much work to be skimping on material cost. The oil based floor paint is harder to apply than latex - very sticky - but it will look wonderful and will stay that way longer.