Naked Gladys

For the last three days, we have been working on the prep for Gladys before we can paint her.  Along the way, we learned a valuable lesson.

We started by getting the soffit ready with patching and priming.  Rick debated on whether he should put the finish coats of paint on the soffits before we took the paint off the walls.  We decided against that, and in the end, that was the right decision.  He would have spent at least two more hours adding the finish coats, and our water pressure treatment to get the paint off of Gladys would have ruined all of that effort.  As it is, even under strict control, the pressure washing to get the paint off Gladys ruined the prime coat on the soffits.  We learned: take the paint off first, them worry about the soffits and the rest of the painting.  We will not make that same mistake again.

Redoing the soffits on the south side will not be that difficult; a little sanding to get the base smooth and another application of primer before the finish coats will do the trick.  Sadly, all of that is overhead work, so it becomes a killer chore for the shoulders.

The south side of Gladys with all of the tan paint gone.

At this point, Gladys is naked on the south side.  Oh, my!  We have taken off all of the paint that is going to come off, exposing a few holes and pits, some settling cracks, and a few upper hairline cracks that I call Gladys' "wrinkles".  Everyone over 50 has a few of those, and Gladys is no exception.

Rick spent this morning painting on a poly-elastic patching compound to cover the cracks.  It feels almost rubber-like when it dries, but that is good because then it can expand and contract as the house "breathes" with the seasons.  (After all, we would not want to suffocate poor old Gladys!)

Tomorrow we will apply the Super Spec 100% Acrylic Masonry Sealer.  We both doubt that this house has ever been properly sealed, so putting that coat on tomorrow will be one of the best things we can do for Gladys. We want the masonry sealed from further moisture or damage.  Rain is predicted for Thursday, so getting that coat on tomorrow (Wednesday) is crucial to our plans and to our success.

Each step takes drying time, but by being patient, we are maximizing our chances of having this whole procedure be a success.  In the end, we think we will have a stronger, more weather-resistant finish that should have Gladys looking good for years to come.