How To: Paint Vinyl Siding

How to Paint Vinyl Siding
How to Paint Vinyl Siding



A sensible siding solution, vinyl remains a popular, budget-friendly choice for home exteriors. People have always loved its low maintenance requirements, and the material has only gotten better, benefiting over the years from advancements in manufacturing. Even so, it's not—and never likely to be—invincible. If your siding is looking faded or worn, or if you've just grown tired of the color, you may choose to paint your vinyl siding. Of course, an exterior paint job is a large project, to be sure, but it's not a particularly complicated one. You may fear that in order to paint vinyl successfully, you will need to learn a new set of idiosyncratic, vinyl-only techniques. Fortunately, that's not the case. The following instructions will take you through steps that, if you've painted anything before, will no doubt be familiar. Plus, we'll detail the handful of vinyl-specific considerations that you'll need to keep in mind to be get the job done right.

Weather Wise
Before heading outdoors to get the project under way, first consult the weather forecast for your area. To paint vinyl siding in ideal conditions, wait for mild temperatures, low relative humidity, and an overcast sky. If the weather's too hot, too sunny, or even too windy, the paint may fail to go on properly. Yes, it might look fine in the short term, but paint applied on a hot, humid, or gusty day may adhere poorly and be more prone to cracking and flaking over time.

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Paint Selection
Don't just purchase the most easily reached can of paint in the aisle. For a paint job to look good and last on vinyl siding, the product you choose must:

• contain acrylic and urethane resins; these ingredients, which accommodate the expansion and contraction of vinyl, help the coating to stick.

• be the same shade or lighter than the current color; darker colors retain more heat and leave the siding vulnerable to premature warping.

In other words, choose a latex urethane paint formulated for exterior use, and shy away from dark colors, which may create more maintenance problems.

How to Paint Vinyl Siding - Closeup
How to Paint Vinyl Siding - Closeup



Surface Preparation
A thorough cleaning is a critical first step toward achieving a professional-quality paint job—not only on vinyl, but on any material, indoors or out. Just running the hose over the siding won't cut it. We've covered how to clean vinyl siding in the past. The goal is to remove all mold, mildew, chalky buildup, and debris from the surface.

For best results, use a cleaning solution that contains:

- 1/3 cup laundry detergent
- 2/3 cup powdered household cleaner
- 1 quart liquid laundry bleach
- 1 gallon water

Use a cloth or a soft-bristled brush to apply the cleaning solution over all the vinyl siding you wish to paint, then be sure to rinse off any remaining residue. Before going any further, allow enough time for the siding to dry completely.

Paint Application
Primer isn't necessary unless the original color has completely worn away, or has become pitted or porous. Apply your chosen paint with a roller or even a paint sprayer, saving brushwork for corners and edges. Evenly coat the entire surface, taking care not to apply too much paint in any one section. As in most other types of paint jobs, it's better to do multiple thin coats than fewer thick ones.

Upon finishing the first coat, let the paint dry—if not completely, then mostly—before continuing on to the second. The second coat, however, must be given enough time (24 hours at most) to dry completely before the project can be considered complete. Most of the time, two coats are sufficient.

This is all much easier said than done, of course. Painting the home exterior is a large, laborious job. The silver lining is this: Assuming that you properly cleaned the vinyl siding prior to painting, you can expect the application to last 10 years!

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