Vinyl siding remains one of the top choices of many homeowners for several reasons. It’s affordable, relatively durable, and has very few maintenance requirements.
But even so, with time, your home’s vinyl siding will start showing wear and tear. Some quick fixes, replacements, and maybe even a new coat of paint can bring your home’s siding back to its former glory.
But is painting vinyl siding that easy? Let’s find out.
Choosing The Right Type Of Paint
Probably the best type of paint for your vinyl siding is one that’s 100% acrylic, like Benjamin Moore’s Revive, which has more color options to pick from. Acrylic and urethane resins are great vinyl paints too.
If your paint is safe for vinyl, you may choose to use darker colors as a final coat. However, remember that dark shades absorb more heat from the sun and can cause warping of vinyl siding due to excessive heat build-up. Opt for lighter tones when painting on vinyl surfaces to avoid this problem.
Applying two coats of paint gives you superior coverage and durability, meaning fewer trips to the store for extra supplies and less time spent painting your house in the future.
Note: To determine what type of paint works best for your case, we recommend contacting a pro to discover your needs, wants, and preferences.
Painting Vinyl Siding On Your Own
If you have experience with this kind of project, painting your home’s vinyl siding alone may not feel like a hassle – until you start.
This is not to say you can’t possibly do it on your own, but that it does take a lot of time and effort. And if you have to climb ladders and risk your life, doing this by yourself may not be the best option out there.
Professionals have the tools and equipment to make this project much easier. Us, for example, we’ve been doing this since our very first day, and we know the ins and outs like the back of our hand.
If you want to skip all the stress and hassle, get in touch with us! But if you feel like giving this project a shot, here are the steps to do it properly.
#1. Prepare The Area For Painting
Clean and repair every little issue with your vinyl siding before you begin. Bring all the tools you need together to keep things organized and come up with a plan on where to begin, what areas need more attention, what areas are more difficult to reach, and so on.
#2. Wash The Vinyl Siding Clean
A quick power wash should be enough to get all the dirt and debris off the vinyl siding. It’ll also help loosen the old paint, so you can then scrape it off. For optimum application, the vinyl siding needs to be clean and has no residue left from previous painting jobs. Scrape off the loose paint with a plastic knife and be careful not to scratch the vinyl surface.
#3. Make Any Repairs
If there are any repairs that need to be done on the gutters or trims, now is the time. You can’t do it after because you risk ruining the fresh coat of paint, so you’ll be better off doing the repairs right before you start painting.
#4. Mask Whatever You Don't Want Paint On
#5. Apply 2 Coats Of A Vinyl Safe Paint
When it comes to painting vinyl siding, it’s best to choose a paint that is specifically formulated for this type of material. Vinyl-safe paint is designed to be flexible in order to prevent cracking and peeling over time. It also provides superior adhesion, which ensures that the paint job will last longer without being replaced.
The easiest way to apply the vinyl paint would be with a paint sprayer, especially on exterior paint jobs when you don’t have to worry too much about making a mess.
Primer For Painting Vinyl Siding
You can’t skip the primer no matter what. You need them to ensure the vinyl siding paint is applied correctly and that it’ll last for as long as it’s supposed to.
Bonding primers are your go-to choice when painting vinyl siding — they not only work on both interior and exterior surfaces but also provide an outstanding hold. Here are my top three picks from this range of bonding primers:
- Kilz Adhesion Primer– this is a great primer that works amazingly for anything that's hard to bond to a surface, like paint on vinyl.
- Behr Bonding Primer – This is a primer from Behr that won't break the bank and get the job done.
- Sherwin Williams Extreme Bond Primer – this is probably the best primer on our list, but also the one with the heftiest price tag. It retails for around $66 per gallon.
Painting Vinyl Siding FAQ
There are a couple of reasons why this might happen. The most common one is because of the expansion and contraction of the vinyl that’s more than the paint can handle. This causes the bond to loosen and the paint to fail. Another common reason is that the surface might’ve been dirty.
You can paint vinyl in any color, but a dark color will only make things worse. Dark colors on vinyl can absorb too much heat causing the paint to peel and/or the vinyl to warp. You’re much better off painting the vinyl siding of your home in a light color.
Conclusion
Painting vinyl siding is a great way to enhance your property and make it look better. It increases the overall value of your home and gives you a great sense of pride when your neighbors notice the new look of your home.
But painting the entire home by yourself is difficult, time-consuming, and even risky. Of course, it’s not impossible, and if you’ve done this kind of project before, you should be perfectly fine. But even so, having someone else do it while you enjoy the ride is much better.
Here at City & Country Contracting, we’ve been painting home sidings from our very beginning. We’re experts in our trade and we love bringing homes here in Langley Township back to their youth.
If you’re interested in a complete siding installation or any home improvement you have in mind, give us a call at (604) 329-8996 or request a free quote!