Tips For Painting Vinyl Siding
My husband and I have lived in our home for seven years. We want to make a change to the exterior of our home without spending a lot of money. We have two children in college so that's where our extra money is going right now. We've been looking into painting vinyl siding and adding vinyl shutters to update the look of our home.
We think that painting vinyl siding and putting up shutters is something that we're going to be able to do ourselves. My husband is a very good do-it-yourself type and very "A" type when it comes to following directions. He's actually done a lot of reading about painting vinyl siding.
I remember a friend of mine owned a very old home that was clad in wood. It was in need of a paint job. She hired a friend of hers to do the job for her. She thought she was going to be saving money, when all she got in the end was a very big lesson about why you shouldn't hire friends. Her friend didn't properly scrape or prime the surface of her home. Within one season the new paint was literally falling off the house.
If you're going to paint your vinyl siding you need to start with an impeccably clean surface. That means a scrub brush, soap and water. You need to get off dirt, grim, dust, and any wax product you may have used to power wash your vinyl siding with. You must also remove any mildew with an oxygen bleach. If there is any oxidation on the siding make sure you clean if off with steel wool. Prime in any areas you have needed to clean with steel wool. Preparing the siding for painting is not the time to get out the power washer. My husband cleaned, and then painted one section of our vinyl siding at a time.
Using the proper paint for the job is just as important. Vinyl siding by it's nature expands and contracts as it's subjected to heat and cold. Due to this the proper type of pain to use is one that is a blend of urethane and acrylic resins. You're going to need this type of paint so that it will properly adhere to the surface. This is not the time to skimp on costs. Use a very high grade of paint. Also remember, the higher quality of paint, the longer it should last.
Reading what the experts say the choice of color is extremely important too. They recommend that you do not choose a new paint color that is darker than the original siding. Your original vinyl siding is manufactured to withstand a certain amount of heat, based on it's original color. The reason you cannot paint vinyl siding a darker color is because darker colors absorb more heat. More heat causes more contraction and expansion. This can cause panels to warp.
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