Technically it’s not a good idea to paint vinyl siding. However, if you move into a house and the one thing you can’t stand is the color of the vinyl (and you can’t afford new siding) you might choose to paint it anyway. Once painted, vinyl siding is no longer maintenance free. It may need repainting in about ten years. Ordinary exterior paint simply won’t work for this job. An exterior latex paint that has a mixture of urethane and acrylic resins is a better option. These special paints were recently developed specifically to adhere to vinyl siding.

Vinyl tends to expand and contract a great deal over a range of temperatures. Alternating periods of sunlight and darkness quickly cause the bond between regular paint and the surface of the vinyl to fail. A successful coat of paint must tolerate these changes without peeling or cracking. One additional way to minimize this problem is to use a shade of paint that is as light as or slightly lighter than the existing vinyl. In other words, try to match the degree of darkness of the color as closely as possible (even when using an entirely new color scheme).

Prep and Paint Tips

The best paint bonds are created on a clean and dry surface. Use a sponge and soapy water to physically wipe away any dirt and residue from the vinyl. Do not use a pressure washer. These washers will soak the area behind the vinyl and cause problems later. They also do not remove dirt as well as advertised. There simply is no substitute for a little bit of hard work in preparing the surface by hand.

Bleach based on oxygen release (such as Oxy-Boost) can be used to get rid of mold or mildew on any existing surface to be painted. This shouldn’t hurt the siding or any surrounding vegetation. Do not use chlorine based bleach. Let the surface dry completely before painting. Apply two coats for best results.

Related posts:

1. Vinyl Clad Aluminum Siding
2. Painting Brick Siding
3. Aluminum Siding Painting Tips
4. Vinyl Siding Components: Soffits and Fascia
5. Is Ivy Eating Your Siding?

Tags: Siding

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 16th, 2010 at 8:19 pm and is filed under Siding. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.