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" We recently purchased a 200-year-old farmhouse that we are in the process of remodeling. The exterior clapboard has been painted too many times to count, and it shows its age. We don&amp;#039;t want to put up vinyl siding, fearing it will ruin the look of the house. What do you suggest for the exterior of the house, in order to maintain the integrity of the original style?  Rachael Curtis  Dear Rachael, Choosing to repaint or reside your farmhouse is a big decision -- one you&amp;#039;ll have to live with for a long time. You&amp;#039;ve already taken an important first step in the process by acknowledging the integrity of your 200-year-old home and beginning to research products and paints to maintain its look.   I agree that vinyl siding is not the right material for your home. Although its maintenance-free aspect can be enticing, you would loose the true character of your home -- the reason you bought it in the first place. Repainting the siding could be a good choice for you. If you choose to paint, surface preparation is the key to a lasting paint job. As Benjamin Moore explains in its Exterior Style book (Little, Brown &amp;amp;amp; Co., 2003) good preparation means washing the entire surface, then removing all the loose, blistered, peeling or cracking paint. Painting over problems doesn&amp;#039;t solve them -- in time, the new paint will fail along with the old.  Here are a few tips from the book (about $22.95 at www.benjaminmoore.com) that will help you repaint your home. (If you wish to hire a painter, remember to check references and previous jobs and get several bids.)    Scrub the siding and then scrape off all the loose and failing paint. Repair any holes and caulk joints, especially around flashing. Tack off dust, then prime, making sure to coat the bottom edges of clapboards.   You may or may not realize that moisture is the most common cause of paint failure -- and the worst moisture problems come from inside the house. Keep an eye on problem areas like bathrooms, the laundry room and the kitchen. One indicator of a serious moisture problem is when the paint peels off to bare wood.   Depending on the size and condition of your home, you can expect to prep one side of a house in two days and to paint it in about the same time. So in one week you can prep and paint one side of the house. No need to paint the whole house at one time -- save the back for another year.   An alternative to painting is James Hardie&amp;#039;s fiber-cement siding. Hardiplank Lap Siding in the smooth finish looks just like wood clapboard siding. Like wood, it is paintable, but unlike wood it is also noncombustible and termite- and pest-resistant. The siding comes with a limited, transferable warranty for up to 50 years, and if you choose to have James Hardie prefinish the siding, it will come backed with a 15-year paint warranty -- which guarantees no chipping, cracking or peeling paint. Check out wwwjameshardie.com to weigh the possibilities of residing your home. Click on &amp;quot;Get a Free Quote&amp;quot; to see for yourself if it is an option for you.  Good luck with your project.  Jennifer "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.countryliving.com/remodeling-renovation/expert-advice/q-and-a/a269/exterior-siding/>