This paper presents results from an exposure trial performed at the Building Research Establishment, Princes Risborough Laboratory, UK, to study the performance of maintenance paints on exterior timber. A range of water and solvent-based commercial paints were applied to previously painted softwood cladding which had been prepared by: sandblasting, burning-off, or mechanical sanding. Paint performance after 30 months exposure was generally inferior on these cleared surfaces compared with that found on new wood, though certain examples of waterborne paint performed well and the performance of this group as a whole was superior to the solvent-borne paints. Surface preparation by sandblasting was preferable to the other methods although tolerance for imperfect surfaces was recommended as an important formulation requirement of paints for exterior timber.