Wood siding lasts when loose paint is scraped back to a sound edge, bare wood and tannin-rich species are primed, joints are caulked, and two finish coats protect it. Because so many wood-sided homes here are older, lead-safe practices often apply to the scraping.
Wood is washed, loose and peeling paint is scraped, edges are sanded smooth, and rotted boards are repaired or replaced. Benjamin Moore's Aura exterior data sheet requires surfaces clean, dry and free of chalk and loose paint and says glossy surfaces must be dulled. Gaps at laps, corners and trim are caulked so water cannot get behind the paint.
Aura exterior is self-priming on most properly prepared wood, but bleeding woods such as redwood and cedar need a stain-suppressing primer: Benjamin Moore specifies its Fresh Start Exterior Deck and Siding Primer or High-Hiding All Purpose Primer. The alkyd deck and siding primer penetrates wood, works on weathered and chalky surfaces, and needs 50°F and 8 hours before topcoating.
Benjamin Moore lists its deck and siding primer at 450 to 550 square feet per gallon and Aura exterior at 350 to 450. For 2,000 square feet of clapboard, a full prime coat is roughly 3.6 to 4.4 gallons, and two finish coats about 9 to 11.5 gallons. Weathered wood absorbs more.
On homes built before 1978, yes, once paid work disturbs more than 20 square feet of exterior paint. The EPA rule requires an EPA-certified firm, the Renovate Right pamphlet, closing windows within 20 feet, ground sheeting 10 feet beyond the work, vertical containment near property lines, no open-flame burning, shrouded HEPA-vacuumed power tools only, and heat guns below 1,100°F. Census estimates show most homes in Lehigh and Northampton counties were built before 1980.
The primer usually sets the floor: 50°F for the alkyd wood primer, while Aura exterior topcoat can go down to 35°F. Wood must also be dry. NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lehigh Valley International Airport put the median last spring freeze on April 20 and the first fall freeze on October 24.
Yes in coverage and prep. Smooth clapboard has the least surface per square foot; shingles and shakes have edges and overlaps that take more paint and time; grooved plywood panels such as T1-11 absorb heavily and need careful back-brushing into the grooves. Benjamin Moore lists Woodluxe solid stain for siding and shakes as an alternative to paint where a stain look is wanted.
Rot is cut out and replaced, not painted over. New boards are primed on all sides where possible before installation, joints are caulked, and the new wood is primed again with the rest of the bare spots. Painting over soft wood only hides the problem until the paint fails with it.
Joseph Assise III Painting is based in Easton and serves towns across eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey, centered on the Lehigh Valley. Town pages:
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Local guides with housing-age and climate data: Lafayette College, Easton | St. Luke's Easton Campus | Lehigh University, Bethlehem | SteelStacks, Bethlehem | Wind Creek, Bethlehem | Lehigh Valley Hospital, Cedar Crest | Dorney Park, South Whitehall.
Bare wood and repairs should be primed, and cedar or redwood always needs a stain-suppressing primer. Benjamin Moore lists Aura exterior as self-priming on most properly prepared wood, but specifies its Fresh Start Deck and Siding Primer for bleeding woods. Previously painted wood in sound condition may only need spot priming.
Moisture and preparation. Water getting behind the paint through open joints, interior humidity pushing through walls, paint over loose old coats or chalk, and unprimed bare wood all cause peeling. Scraping to sound paint, priming bare wood, caulking joints and fixing moisture sources prevent repeat failure.
It varies with sun exposure, moisture and prep, and south and west walls wear first. Good preparation, primer on bare wood, two topcoats and intact caulking extend the life of the paint. Watch for chalking, cracking and peeling as signs it is time to repaint.
Only sound paint can be painted over. Loose, cracked and peeling paint must be removed to a firm edge, or the new paint will fail with it. On pre-1978 homes, that scraping falls under the EPA lead rule when more than 20 square feet of exterior paint is disturbed in paid work.
Sources: Benjamin Moore Aura Waterborne Exterior Soft Gloss (N632) technical data sheet; Benjamin Moore Fresh Start Deck & Siding Primer (094) technical data sheet; Benjamin Moore Fresh Start High-Hiding All Purpose Primer (046) technical data sheet; EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, 40 CFR Part 745 Subpart E; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (table B25034); NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 Climate Normals, Lehigh Valley International Airport (USW00014737); Benjamin Moore Woodluxe Water-Based Deck + Siding Solid Stain (694) technical data sheet. Figures checked October 2026.
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