Paint, Siding or Ceramic Coating for House?

[Nick Danger]

We are needing some repair work and painting done to the outside of our house. I have seen ads for the new ceramic coating that a couple of companies are doing, and wonder if anyone here has any experience with this process. At least one company that does it has a "limited lifetime warranty", but I know this is only as good as who stands behind it. And it hasn't been around long enough to have a track record.

I searched the forum and only found one reference to ceramic coating, and couldn't tell if the problems were resolved or not.

We are also considering vinyl siding for the wood areas, but I don't know if we can maintain the "look" of certain areas of the house that might scream "vinyl siding", if you know what I mean.

Any referrals would be appreciated for any of these processes (painting, ceramic coating, siding), and if there is any company or individual that should be avoided, please PM me so we don't get tangled up with them. Whatever we have to do is going to be expensive, and we already were burned by one painter a couple of years ago who never finished the job.

[patric]

I PM'd you with the name of a ceramic coatings company to avoid.

They also offer a lifetime warranty, told us they were going to use more coats of paint than they actually sprayed, had to come back and clean up overspray, painted all the windows shut, removed the wire mesh from our attic vents (that used to keep varmints out),
and lastly, wanted to be paid before the job was complete.

Someone ELSE in the family wrote them a check, and we never got the job completed once they had the money.

[Nick Danger]

Thanks for the info and the PM. This is exactly the type of problem we would like to avoid, especially when so much money is involved to do what we are needing to have done.

[Mike 01Hawk]

Ceramic is a gimmick from what I've heard.  Plus it's only as good as the underlayment/prep work.

When the time comes, we're gonna go with Certainteed vinyl shake siding.
http://www.certainteed.com/products/vinyl-siding/shake---shingle-siding

Straight up baller son. 

I've used Joe Minardi who runs a small biz specializing in home re-construction, windows, siding, etc.
(918) 627-6565 . He'll straight  talk to you about a product's cons/pros without the high pressure sales you'd get from say Sears or Bill Haynes.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Ceramic IS a gimmick!  Don't buy it!  Use good paint - and it AIN'T Anchor!  Or anything you can buy at the do it yourself home dime-stores.  (Sherwin-Williams, Dutch Boy, etc are all good.)

If you have a problem with regular paint, it remains with ceramic.  The surface must - must - must be good!  Read that last sentence as shouting!

If need new siding, two very good products are available.  Hardi-board is a cement based product that lasts forever.  Or at least longer than you will - or any of your kids and grandkids.  "Smart Siding" is another really good one.  I have experimented with both - still have two test samples going - where I partially painted a piece of each (Sherwin-Williams A-100 exterior).  Put the board outside, one end stuck in the ground, the other leaning against a tree.  In 2001.  Paint is peeling at the ground end, and there is some separation damage to the Smart Siding, but that is still pretty good, seeing as how it has been in ground contact for 9 years, year round, wet, dry, snow, heat, whatever.  Cement board has paint peeling on ground end, but board is ok.

Started experiment same time as full house paint.  Trim is starting to need attention, but main siding is ok.  Will be painting full house again next year just for grins and giggles.  Will also be replacing siding with cement Hardi board.

Materials cost probably twice or little more, but labor is same (should be!) and the stuff will last in proper installation.  Recommend painting all sides before putting up on house.

[Conan71]

Stick with paint, IMO.  Heir, what's your issue with Anchor?  We use their industrial coatings and they are every bit on par as any other manufacturer.

[heironymouspasparagus]

House paint sucks.  Had to repaint every 18 months until changed to Sherwin.  Went through that 3 times to keep trying to support the local people.  Has been 9 1/2 years now... next year is next paint job.

Industrial is different stuff.  Have also seen it work well.

[Smokinokie]

House paint sucks.  Had to repaint every 18 months until changed to Sherwin.  Went through that 3 times to keep trying to support the local people.  Has been 9 1/2 years now... next year is next paint job.
Industrial is different stuff.  Have also seen it work well.

I don't want it to look like I'm hatin' or criticizing you. I am the new guy here after all.

I don't know about your prep work but if you were only getting 18 months from Anchor, I would have to say you were doing something wrong. My father and I have used Anchor for as long as I can remember.
Ok, my father used it, I was just the one that got drafted into helping when he didn't need a full crew. Dad was a painter all his life and has the lead poising to prove it. While I like Sherwin Williams, I don't believe their product is any better than Anchor, just more expensive. Their promar 400 is especially bad unless you are painting apartments.
That being said, I found this statement that sums it up pretty well.
"Just because someone is a painter, doesn't automatically make them an expert on paint or color. Painters are no different than any other profession, you can't make assumptions and trust blindly.
The number one cause of paint failure is poor prep work."

[Conan71]

Or using the wrong paint for the job like interior paint on an exterior wall...

[heironymouspasparagus]

I have been painting (for money) part time - on the side jobs - for quite a while and Sherwin and Dutch Boy have never failed like the Anchor.  The last time I used Anchor was 9 years and 18 months ago.  If so many are saying it is good now, I may have to try it again.  And the prep for the 3 Anchor attempts was identical to the Sherwin.  And all the other jobs ever done.

Maybe the 3 (x2 coats) layers of Anchor provided enough of a base coat that it kept the Sherwin alive?  No.
If so, then why didn't versions 2 and 3 of Anchor survive?

[sauerkraut]

I have vinyl siding on my house and the advantage is before they install the vinyl they put on a layer of insulation and that helps with the electric bills for heating & cooling. I found in my house from the 1950's that there is NO insulation inside the outside walls- I guess back then heating fuel was cheap, at least now I have some insulation on my walls.

[Hoss]

I have vinyl siding on my house and the advantage is before they install the vinyl they put on a layer of insulation and that helps with the electric bills for heating & cooling. I found in my house from the 1950's that there is NO insulation inside the outside walls- I guess back then heating fuel was cheap, at least now I have some insulation on my walls.

Riiiight...

[heironymouspasparagus]

Hoss,
Huh??

Is that disbelief?  (There are a lot of houses around that don't have insulation.  Didn't really become popular until the fifties.  A lot of 30s and 40s and early 50s that have plaster/lathe don't have any.  I think the theory in part was that the asbestos in the plaster would kind of help insulate!  Yeah...that was a good idea!)

[heironymouspasparagus]

SmokinOkie,
Haven't been tested for lead - don't want to officially know - but I did way more than enough houses in 60s and 70s to have a good buildup going.  And when a kid, none of you out there who grew up during the 50s and earlier can tell me you didn't chew on the window sills!  I can still remember the "sweet" taste of leaded paint!!

Ok, I'll give this one to all you right sided guys - the lead must explain it, huh?


Prep work - identical all four times - 3 with Anchor, 1 with Sherwin.  And even though it is the cheapest Louisiana Pacific junk siding available, it is still functional.  And coated with Sherwin.  The Anchor must have made a good primer, huh?  (I prime every time anyway, and two coats of color, so actually have about 12 coats of 'stuff' on there.

Will be painting again next year.

[Red Arrow]

And when a kid, none of you out there who grew up during the 50s and earlier can tell me you didn't chew on the window sills!  I can still remember the "sweet" taste of leaded paint!!

I don't remember chewing the window sills.   We were fortunate enough to have food in the house.