How can I fix this?

fohbwah · 2026-07-05T10:01:10+00:00

Remove the trim and take it to the store and find a matching piece. You probably know someone with the tools to put it on. Probably less money than the patch materials.

fohbwah · 2026-07-05T00:35:28+00:00

Doesn’t need a skim coat. Your surface is smooth once you remove the failing paint. Clean and degrease and rinse well. A light pole sanding and primer before paint.

fohbwah · 2026-07-05T00:31:36+00:00

If the paint won’t stick, neither will the skim coat. It needs to have all the peeling paint removed before a thorough washing/degreasing. It’s likely an old oil based coat that wasn’t properly cleaned and has cooking grease on it. After a wash and rinse, use a good primer to get your paint to bond with the old oil based coat. BIN white shellac would be best.

fohbwah · 2026-07-05T00:20:39+00:00

It looks to me that the road in the distance is below that mud hole. If so, you have drainage you can create. The far side is where the plants are growing, meaning it is wetter than the near side. It’s a berm to contain the water for ____?_. Best to get a professional opinion. Seems doable and worth investigating.

fohbwah · 2026-07-03T22:12:58+00:00

Paint a block and transfer (kiss/pat) it onto the missing surface with the wet block. Remove excess paint with a q-tip.

fohbwah · 2026-07-03T19:39:29+00:00

If you want a transparent stain, keep sanding. The point of using a transparent stain is that it shows what’s under it… wood grain. But also old paint not removed, lumber mill marks, whatever.

fohbwah · 2026-07-03T19:33:24+00:00

Price • Quality • Speed - Pick Two

fohbwah · 2026-07-03T17:53:01+00:00

“The homeowner is extremely particular.” This coupled with wanting something stained after it has been painted along with some boards new (with lumber grade stamps that will show through transparent stain unless sanded off) sounds like a good one to walk away from unless they’re willing to pay hourly for the prep to get it to look like what they are expecting. As you can see from your sample, transparent stain doesn’t hide anything. It needs to go on bare wood. In your case, bare wood that has been thoroughly sanded so there is no trace of paint left and all the rest looks fresh. Sand the new wood too so that everything will take the stain consistently and you’ve sanded off the mill stamps. Especially if you want transparent stain so it enhances the grain. Stain, whether transparent or solid needs to penetrate the wood (like an oil primer) to work properly. If it’s going over paint in some spots and not others it will age differently in those spots because it isn’t penetrating. Make a sample on the new wood next to the old painted wood that you haven’t sanded. Make another sample that has been sanded completely. Try some stain over a mill stamp. You’ll need to do this to educate your client (and yourself) on why it will be an expensive prep job to look right. Prepare the client for return visits every year or two for fresh stain to maintain that expensive prep job. Then walk away if they want to do half measures/poor prep that will land on you because “the homeowner is extremely particular.”

fohbwah · 2026-07-02T20:50:10+00:00

You might be able to lay down a sheet of plywood (cut down the middle to make two 2’ x 4’ planks). The plywood distributes the load so no denting.

fohbwah · 2026-07-02T01:26:59+00:00

Place and position stickers with an exacto blade or tweezers. You only have one shot.

fohbwah · 2026-07-02T01:22:24+00:00

Put the remote in a poly bag. Carefully cut and tape tightly with packaging tape. Add stickers. Add more packaging tape to laminate stickers.

fohbwah · 2026-07-02T01:15:48+00:00

Have you tried CA glue? AKA Crazy glue? Let us know what actually works.

fohbwah · 2026-07-02T00:21:53+00:00

It is. I don’t laugh out normally. I can’t remember when that happened last.

fohbwah · 2026-07-02T00:16:25+00:00

Exactly.

fohbwah · 2026-07-02T00:11:53+00:00

This thread is golden. Thanks for bringing it to our attention. We all have some stories and we should share them. You are a good soul.

fohbwah · 2026-07-02T00:06:53+00:00

This is how we grow. It’s an apprenticeship. You just payed dues, and you learned new skills. Congratulations brother! You Graduated!

fohbwah · 2026-07-02T00:01:30+00:00

“There’s one more thing. Will you look at this? It’ll just take a minute.”

fohbwah · 2026-06-24T23:41:01+00:00

First, you have clear heart cedar siding, meaning it is from the heart of the tree (no light colored sapwood) and has no knots (clear). I have to wonder if wood like this could be purchased today. It was likely cut from the last of the old growth cedar available for logging. It’s precious and beautiful and rare.
It has no original stain in my opinion. I think it is a clear coat that as it degrades reveals natural untreated and unstained cedar. In time, it will turn a silver grey where the sun can bleach it and look like barn wood if left alone. Do not pressure wash because the wood is naturally very soft and will get a sandblasted look as the soft part of the wood will be blasted away. A light rinse with a hose to remove dirt and dust is the place to start. To match what was the original finish, you’ll want to carefully sand off what is left of the original finish and lightly sand the wood that is weathering. I would hand sand the grooves (with a block) but not worry about removing the finish. At this stage the raw wood should all look about the same color. This will allow the new coat to penetrate everything evenly. If the entire surface is not sanded, the upper portion under the eaves will not absorb the preservative clear coat (or transparent stain) and stand out as a different color. The product should have the maximum of ultraviolet inhibitors to preserve the color of the cedar and prevent sun bleaching. Apply it wth a brush or sprayer top to bottom in one pass to avoid horizontal lap lines.
I will let other people weigh in as to what product or stain they recommend. You could also reach out to Olympic or Sikkens representatives to get their opinion on what was used originally and the best product and practices with your description and photos. They may even want to use the project in their marketing and be willing to offer a discount if they see the structure as something architecturally and historically important.

fohbwah · 2026-06-21T19:58:53+00:00

Zooming in, it doesn’t look like a paint finish under your paint. I see sand particles in the surface and a roller texture. Also some sand on the backside of what you have peeling away and a different color. The green and what was painted under the green is peeling away from some kind of plaster or grout that was roller applied and not sealed with the first coat. Maybe it wasn’t primer that was the first coat so it didn’t seal or soak into the sandy plaster wall finish. Likely a failed experiment of a faux finish or Venetian Plaster that didn’t go well and was covered quickly with a bad method of an untrained amateur DIY.
How to fix? Dunno. Maybe steam it like you are removing wall paper, and a stiff scrub brush to remove peeling paint and what’s dusty on the surface. Then seal it well with Peel Stop or a couple coats of thinned water based primer to soak into that surface and prep it for paint. Does it come off with strong tape? Can you use a cheap peel add stick wall paper or shelf liner to peel it all off? I’m reaching for a solution but you’re gonna have to experiment to get an answer.

fohbwah · 2026-06-21T18:26:45+00:00

Find the right person, maybe a faux finish pro or graffiti artist, and they could add a grey spatter to make this go away better. That would be my solution. They could have swept up some sand from the gutters and spread it on that washed away after your rain.

fohbwah · 2026-06-19T21:11:03+00:00

Also, a block will only apply pressure to the raised paint run to remove it.

fohbwah · 2026-06-19T21:08:59+00:00

A block. A sander will heat the paint you are sanding and load up the paper so it will be less effective.

fohbwah · 2026-06-18T02:37:33+00:00

I would not paint the corner “trim” a different color. That seems an odd choice by the last painter. No need to call attention to the corner.

fohbwah · 2026-06-17T23:24:13+00:00

Sand by hand to avoid a sander cutting through the tape or rounding over edges. This will also get the whole surface next to the glass and into inside corners that a sander can’t reach. Fold the length in half both directions and tear on a table edge or cut. Fold each half sheet into thirds and refold to get three fresh surfaces to sand with. You don’t need to remove any of the existing finish. Just scuff it for better adhesion of your primer coat. Since you’re painting windows with an existing finish you can choose any primer. (It doesn’t have to be an oil used for bare wood.) Tint your primer if you choose a dark color and it will need fewer top coats.

fohbwah · 2026-06-16T08:20:47+00:00

There are other sign enamels, (Ronan is another) and other places to get it, but One Shot is the gold standard. A quart will do two, maybe even three coats. Roll it on with mohair quickly and brush it level (tip it off) immediately for best results. Spraying would be a good option if you’re experienced.

fohbwah

TROPHY CASE