I live in a circa 1890 Folk Victorian that was completely remodeled in 2001. As an historic building in a town that is itself an historic landmark, the HARC (Historic Architecural Review Commission) required several remodeling conditions, among them the matching of the original 19th C. siding (not sure if it's T&G or shiplapped). The siding is a mix of old and, as of 2001, newly milled wood (I don't believe the pattern existed anymore commercially).

Bottom line: every year or two over the past five I've had to have the exterior repainted in patches as the wood grain has popped up in several spots and the paint has peeled extensively. I'm even seeing sap coming out in certain areas. What's going on and who is responsible? I've heard everything from green wood to painting in wet weather to vapor barrier issues to a too-humid environment inside the house.

The south side, of course, gets the worst of it in the summer, but the peeling is not limited to that side. Should I strip the whole south side and patch the rest using an oil-based primer, some say, to help keep moisture at bay, or would that just exacerbate an interior humidity problem? I had a contractor doing tile work use his moisture probe on the drywall on the south side of the house and it looked like a slightly higher than average moisture content (but nowhere close to, for example, a bathroom shower).

I'd send you a picture if I could so you could see what I'm talking about. I'll be talking with the original building contractor (a friend, unfortunately) to get more information on the type of wood siding used and more info on the conditions surrounding the construction. I'm interested to hear what you think.