Proceeding Incrementally

So I fixed the post light and the side gate. I'm thinking about the deck. I resolved the communication wire situation.

Now, I'm thinking I can repair the holes in the siding and eaves and paint the exterior of the house a little at a time. My plan is to:

1. Remove the unused wires (tons of cable TV wires, still) and miscellaneous cup hooks and other oddments.
2. Scrape the flaking paint (particularly behind the dishwasher, where the downspout failed.
3. Putty and otherwise close the holes (looking at you, yellow jacket entry point above the stove).
4. Prime the bare wood to protect it.
5. Then--why not?--paint a little like I did a year ago.

I suppose I'll paint the downspouts, just to make them standout less

Painting this was a pleasant experience--filling, priming, sanding--and it looks very nice from the kitchen window. Even better now, without the wires.

I think of this every Spring, it seems: 2018: Color Concept. 2019: Exterior Color Board Last year, I settled on a subtle gray-green: Exterior Colors Examples.

The house is currently bright white over dark blue. The blue used to be dark green, as I have exposed in places. I prefer one color, like this test, but not as dark. I went with Sherwin-Williams Acier (SW 9170, 244-C4) with a Light Reflective Value (LRV) of 32. If I picked up a couple of gallons of, say, Repose Gray (SW 7015, 244-C1) with an LRV of 58, it would make a nice, neutral undercoat for whatever I finally decide. Meanwhile, the freshly-painted walls make the house look more cared for and help protect the wood.

Notice the quarter-round at the soffit--I'll keep that white.

The plan is to leave the underside of the eaves bright white. The primer I use to patch the holes and wire damage should pretty much blend in. By only dealing with the walls, I can put off fixing the gutters and replacing rotted fascia boards, of which there are many.

Some people, such as my lovely wife, would approach the problem differently:

1. Demolition, including rotted wood
2. Construct new walls, replace rotted wood
3. Do all the building before doing any finishes
4. Decide all the finishes--how will tile work with paint, and so on.
5. Lastly, paint.

I'd rather not: a) push everything into the future, waiting for a comprehensive design; or b) have to live at Step 3 because I got distracted, which I am prone to do.