Painting the House Update 1

I have spent a lot of time painting on, in and around the house this year.  The biggest project was the house exterior itself.  The above is the before picture.  I guess with the sunny day its a bit hard to tell!

Technically I was staining the house. Since it is all cedar siding.  I chose a nice dark opaque brown.  I believe it was called Oxford Brown.  The first experimental swipes were on the front porch post. 

Then onto the house itself.  It wasn't hard to see where I'd been and what I needed to do. 

Everything required two coats.  Its been years, and years, and years since the house had been last stained. I got as far as the side and then took about a month break.  Traveling and other things kept me busy. 

A bug had the gall to lay eggs on the fresh surface!

Once the kids were back in school I was able to get back at it, in the back.

It was interesting that the wood in the front had greyed, but the wood in the back had reddened.  More sun in the front?  Trees in the back?

So I got everything covered in two coats to this point.  That big blank?  Over cement steps.  Steps of death.

With the roller mounted on a stick, I could get this far.

I needed the help of Mr. Riley.  He held the ladder and I did the scary stuff.

Et voila!

From start to finish it was over three months, but remember, I did 99% of it on my own.  And life.

Fortunately at least half the surface area of the house is brick, so didn't need painting.  That back porch needs more than painting, it needs replacing, so that will have to wait......