How to Maintain Wooden Clapboard Siding

Inspect your siding for any areas of weathered or worn paint. Brush any areas that are weathered or worn with a wire brush to remove any loose paint or debris from the surface. Always brush in the same direction as the grain of the wood.

Scrape the weathered and worn area with a paint scraper to remove any loose paint that may not have come off with the wire brush. Scrape in the same direction as the wood grain.

Sand the scraped areas of the siding with a fine-grit sanding block to blend the surface of the wood with the surrounding paint. Sand with the wood grain lightly until the scraped areas are smooth.

Brush an even coat of primer over any sanded areas of the siding that have bare wood. Leave areas that have wood finish on them untouched. The existing finish will act as a primer coat. Use a nylon/polyester professional grade brush to apply the primer. Allow the primer to dry at least four hours.

Apply an even coat of matching exterior paint over the areas that you worked on using a nylon/polyester professional grade paintbrush. Allow the paint to dry four hours and apply a second coat.