How to Make T111 Siding Look Better

Scrape all peeling, chipping and loose paint off the T1-11 siding using a paint scraper. Stand on a ladder when scraping higher regions of the siding.

Rub medium-grade sandpaper over the edges where paint and bare plywood siding meet. Smooth the edges with sandpaper until the paint and bare plywood are level.

Pour 3 cups of cool water followed by 1 cup of 5-percent sodium hypochlorite bleach into a bucket. Mix the household bleach solution with a stirring utensil.

Cover the ground below the mildew-stained T1-11 siding with drop cloths. Using a nylon-bristle brush, gently scrub the discolored portions of the plywood siding with the bleach solution. Stand on the ladder when scrubbing higher regions of the siding.

Rinse the dead mildew and bleach solution off the plywood siding using fresh water. Spray the water straight at the plywood siding panels, never up the panels. Stand on the ladder when rinsing higher regions of the siding.

Refill the bucket with fresh water. Wet the sponge in the water and then wipe down the bare plywood and remaining paint on the siding to remove grime. Replace soiled water with fresh water as you clean, and stand on the ladder when wiping higher regions of the siding. Let the plywood siding air-dry for 48 hours.

Coat all exposed plywood on the siding panels and edges of the panels liberally with water-repellent preservative using a disposable paintbrush. Let the water-repellent preservative cure for two warm days.

Adhere painter’s tape over the edges of all trims and fixtures. Place drop cloths over any surfaces you don’t want to get primer or paint on.

Prime the siding panels with an exterior primer designated for use on extractive-prone wood. Cut in a 3-inch band of primer along the edges of trims and fixtures using an angled paintbrush, and then fill in the siding panels with primer using a roller brush. Stand on the ladder when priming higher regions of the siding. Let the primed siding panels dry for 48 hours.

Paint the primed siding panels with an acrylic latex paint. Cut in a 3-inch band of paint along the edges of trims and fixtures using a clean angled paintbrush, and then fill in the siding panels with paint using a clean roller brush. Stand on the ladder when painting higher regions of the siding. Let the painted siding panels dry for 48 hours.

Apply a second coat of acrylic latex paint to the siding panels using the previous application techniques. Let the second coat of paint dry for 48 hours before removing the painter’s tape from the trim and fixtures.