Can You Paint Vinyl Siding?

Vinyl siding painted mint green with vinyl-safe paint

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Do-it-yourself projects have exploded in popularity over the last few years, especially throughout 2020 when everyone was stuck at home during the pandemic. These projects ranged from making small decor pieces to renovating an entire house.

One aspect of any project is painting. While exterior and interior paint jobs do have a lot of the same fundamentals, there are a few surfaces and techniques that a painter should be aware of when they start their project. One of these surfaces is a building or home’s vinyl siding. Before you crack open the paint can and start running your brush over the vinyl surface, there are a few things you should know.

Massachusetts home with blue painted vinyl siding

Yes, you can paint siding every few years! While vinyl siding is often used because it is low maintenance and doesn’t have to be painted, you are still able to change things up and coat it with different color paint.

What Is Vinyl Siding?

Vinyl siding is a form of plastic exterior siding that is budget-friendly and does not require a lot of maintenance. It is used to side houses and apartment buildings and can come in various designs, such as imitation wood and boards.

How Should I Prep The Vinyl?

Like any other surface that is about to be painted, a few steps are needed to prepare it for a fresh coat of paint. Painting vinyl siding is no different. Ideally, you’ll want to start your paint job on a dry day with low humidity and an overcast or cloudy sky. If clouds aren’t in the forecast, wait for some shade to come around so that your siding isn’t in direct sunlight. Heat and humidity can cause the paint to crack and flake over time.

Cleaning

You’ll want to start by cleaning and power washing the vinyl siding of any dirt, dust, mildew, etc. Use a general cleaning solution on your vinyl siding. Thorough cleaning with a power washer will ensure that your paint looks great and lasts longer.

Next, you will want to cover anything that you don’t want to get color on. This could be an air conditioning unit, the windows, ledges, or door frames. Use painter’s tape to cover the edges of the siding and masking to cover any other items.

Massachusetts homeowner cleaning dirty vinyl siding to prep for painting

Painting Vinyl Siding

Painting vinyl siding can be quite the job. Once you’ve prepped the area, you can begin applying the right paint to the surface with a soft-bristled brush, a roller, or a paint sprayer. Products that contain acrylic resins and urethane ingredients will be best as they work well with the expanding and contracting properties of vinyl while also ensuring that the paint sticks to the new siding.

You’ll also want to choose a shade that is the same shade or one that closely resembles the original color of the old siding rather than a dark color. Dark colors are subject to more thermal expansion and heat absorption. For this reason, we suggest that you stay away from darker colors as much as possible when replacing vinyl siding.

After you lay a fresh, even coat of vinyl-safe paint, you will want to let it dry completely before applying a second coat.

Colorful scaffolding against freshly painted vinyl siding on Massachusetts home

ProServ Painters

If painting your vinyl siding seems a bit tricky or if you don’t have time, the good news is that ProServ Painters is here to help. Our team of painting experts is experienced in interior and exterior painting. We are willing, ready, and able to paint vinyl siding for you, from the first coat to the last.

While other paint companies focus on the painting job, we will help you decide on the color of the vinyl paint, the type of paints, and answer any other questions you might have.

Professional painter coating roller with blue paint
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