JC writes:
>>I'd add that once you've achieved the dry wood, quality prep and
paint, the paint should wear, rather than outright fail.  In six to
ten years you will have paint fading, getting dirty and wearing away.
At that stage, the prep is minimal and a single coat of paint may do
the job.
<<

The typical mode of failure of old-time oil-based paints was to erode away
at the
outer weathering surface. Today's paint film system of oil-based primer and
two top coats of water-borne acrylic resin paint is designed to be very
resistant to surface erosion and typically fails by cracking and peeling.
When I want a film system to erode away at the surface I use an oil-based
stain type product with a high proportion of pigment relative to binder. As
John points out above, with this type of film system and surface failure the
follow up maintenance treatments take much less preparation time. Do not be
confused by laytex "stains" which do not erode at the surface as oil-based
stains do.

Another choice of product type is oil-base alkyd resin paint. Does it fail
by surface erosion? They were developed
to be more resistant to film surface erosion than the old-time oil-based
paints. I usually see them failing by cracking and peeling rather than
surface erosion.

John
by hammer and hand great works do stand
by pen and thought best words are wrought

--
To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the
uncoffee-ed, or to change your settings, go to:
<http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/bullamanka-pinheads.html>