Can You Paint Vinyl Siding?

Whether your house’s vinyl siding begins to show signs of age and needs some freshening up or you’re ready for a color change, consider painting it. Vinyl siding can be painted easily, but it’s especially important to follow the proper process when doing so. Garden State Brickface and Siding offers siding installation services in Central and Northern New Jersey. Here, we outline the steps to take when painting this type of siding on your house.

How to Paint Vinyl Siding

When it comes to painting vinyl siding, your process can help ensure attractive, long-lasting results. Vinyl siding can be costly, which is why many people prefer to repaint their siding instead of replacing it. Carefully embarking on this home improvement project is important because siding that is painted incorrectly may chip or flake. Here are some of the key steps to take:

Prepare the Siding

You should always prepare your house’s siding for painting by using a cleaning solution and rinsing with water. When cleaning your home’s exterior, focus on removing any dirt or scuff marks. This can be done by rinsing the siding with your garden hose, scrubbing it with a vinyl siding cleaner, and then rinsing again. After you’ve cleaned the siding, apply masking tape or painter’s tape around windows and doors. This helps protect your trim.

Prime the Exterior

As with any paint job, it’s always recommended to begin with a primed surface. If your vinyl siding is worn or chipped, using primer is a good idea, as it helps create a smooth, even surface for your new coat of paint. Just make sure your siding is clean and dry before applying the primer.

Begin Painting

Now that everything is prepped and primed, it’s time to begin painting. It may be helpful to pour your paint into a tray or separate bucket, depending on which painting technique you’re using. A few techniques to choose from include:

  • Rolling: A roller brush is a convenient way to paint your vinyl siding. When using this tool, just be sure to always follow up with a brush afterward to cover any missed areas.
  • Paint sprayer: Using a paint sprayer is a common practice when refinishing siding, as it tends to be quicker and covers more surface area in a single pass. As with rolling, a sprayer may require some brush touchups.
  • Brush: For evenly distributed, detailed application, a standard paintbrush will do. This technique may be a bit more time-consuming than others, but it works well.

Make Final Touches

After you’ve applied your first coat of paint, give it time to dry before applying a second or third coat. Since each type of vinyl siding may differ, it can be helpful to ask the manufacturer about dry times and coats needed. Finally, after the final coat is applied and has dried completely, you can start removing the tape from your trim and do a final check to make sure everything’s covered. If any spots need touching up, you can use a small brush in those areas.

Choosing a Paint Color

 When tackling an exterior house painting project, it’s important to choose a paint color that isn’t too dark because vinyl siding tends to be more susceptible to heat. Since darker colors are more likely to absorb heat, you should go for a color that’s similar to or lighter than your current siding. If you’re looking to paint it a darker color, you should contact the siding manufacturer beforehand to ask about ideal color options. Vinyl siding that absorbs too much heat will be more likely to buckle or warp prematurely.

Call the Exterior Painting Experts at Garden State Brickface and Siding

If your home’s vinyl siding needs a paint job, but you aren’t too sure where to begin, consider hiring professionals. At Garden State Brickface and Siding, we’re experienced in exterior home painting projects and our team is happy to answer any questions you may have about this process. To see if hiring it out is the right choice for you, individuals in the Central and Northern New Jersey area can contact us to request a free quote today.