Can you paint plastic siding on a house

Can You Paint Vinyl Siding? You Bet. Here’s How — Advice from Bob Vila

A sensible siding solution, vinyl remains a popular and budget-friendly choice for home exteriors. Many homeowners have chosen vinyl for its low maintenance requirements, and the material has only gotten easier to maintain and longer lasting, benefiting over the years from advancements in manufacturing. Even so, it’s not—and will never likely be—invincible. If your siding is looking faded or worn, or if you’ve just grown tired of the color, you might be wondering: “Can vinyl siding be painted?” The answer is: Yes, vinyl siding can indeed be painted!

On homes in which siding covers most of the exterior, painting vinyl siding can be a large project. However, the good news is that it’s not a particularly complicated task. 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. If you’ve painted anything else before, most of the following steps for how to paint vinyl siding will probably be familiar. Plus, we’ll detail the handful of vinyl-specific considerations that you’ll need to keep in mind to get the job done right.

Tools & Materials

Laundry detergent
Powdered household cleaner
Bleach
1 gallon water
Soft-bristled brush or cloth
Garden hose
See full list «
Drop cloth
Ladder
Primer
Paint
Paint roller or paint sprayer
Paintbrush
Paint tray

STEP 1: Choose an appropriate vinyl siding paint color (the paint has to have certain properties, too).

For some, the first step may be the most difficult. There are so many colors that it can be difficult to know where to start. Fortunately, there are a few ways to narrow down the options and feel confident about the exterior house paint color you choose.

Basing color choice on the home’s style can help. Many paint makers offer historically accurate collections of colors for specific house styles. For example, Sherwin-Williams offers exterior color palettes for Queen Anne, Craftsman, Georgian, Suburban Modern, and other styles of homes.

Another way to choose an exterior siding color is to consider the home’s other exterior features. Look for colors that go with the roof color, and any brick or stone that is part of the facade. In order to help envision a new color on your home, search for inspiration images of homes that have the same fixed feature colors.

Climate and neighborhood restrictions may also help narrow the choices. While the roof has a larger impact on heat gain in a home, the color of the walls can also make an impact. Cooler colors lead to less heat gain. Plus, many communities have regulations dictating and limiting paint colors, and some homeowners may need to gain approval from the homeowners association before painting a house.

Finally, keep in mind that it’s easiest and most cost-effective for the homeowner if the new exterior paint color they choose is the same color or a lighter hue than the current color. This is because darker colors retain more heat, can leave the siding vulnerable to premature warping, and may also create other maintenance problems.

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STEP 2: Make sure the vinyl siding paint you choose contains the right ingredients.

Although it can be tempting, don’t try to save time and money by purchasing the least expensive and most easy-to-reach can of paint. For a paint job to look good and last on vinyl siding, the product needs to have a few specific qualities.

Paint for vinyl siding contains acrylic and urethane resins. These ingredients accommodate the expansion and contraction of vinyl and help the coating stick. Vinyl siding paint requires a latex urethane paint formulated for exterior use.

STEP 3: Check the weather forecast for painting day.

Before heading outdoors to start painting your vinyl siding, first consult the weather forecast for your area. The ideal weather condition for exterior painting is a mild temperature, low relative humidity, and an overcast sky.

If the weather is too hot, too sunny, or even too windy, the paint may fail to go on properly. While it might look fine in the short term, paint applied on a hot, humid, or gusty day may adhere poorly as it cures and be more prone to cracking and flaking over time. Also make sure the weather forecast predicts clear skies for at least one day after the paint job is complete.

STEP 4: Prepare the vinyl surface.

A thorough cleaning is a critical step toward achieving a professional-quality paint job—not only on vinyl, but on any material that’s inside or outside. Simply rinsing the house’s siding with running water from a garden hose won’t cut it.

The goal is to remove all mold, mildew, chalky buildup, and debris from the surface. For best results, make a cleaning solution that contains the following ingredients.

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 before painting vinyl siding, then be sure to rinse off any remaining residue. Before going any further, allow enough time for the siding to dry completely.

For specific tips about this process, check out our other article on how to clean vinyl siding.

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STEP 5: Set up paint supplies and apply primer, if necessary.

Before applying paint, set up a drop cloth to protect any plants or other surfaces from paint splatters. If needed, set up a ladder on a stable, flat surface and ask a helper to hold the ladder while you use it.

After the work area is set up and the supplies are gathered, it’s time to start painting. However, before applying the chosen color, primer may be needed. Primer is recommended to make sure the finished paint job is consistent and has good adhesion. It may not be necessary if the original color hasn’t completely or partially worn away. If the vinyl is pitted or porous, it will also benefit from primer.

STEP 6: Apply two coats of vinyl paint.

After the primer is dry, apply your chosen paint with a roller or 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 for most other types of paint jobs, it’s better to do multiple light coats than one thick coat.

Upon finishing the first coat, let the paint dry before continuing on to the second coat. The second coat, however, must be given enough time (24 hours at least) to dry completely before the project can be considered complete.

Most of the time two coats are sufficient, but that doesn’t always do the trick. Once you have allowed the second coat of paint to dry completely, assess its appearance to determine whether an additional coat may be needed.

istockphoto.com

Final Thoughts

Painting a home’s exterior (and painting vinyl siding) is a laborious job. The silver lining to completing such a large-scale is this: Assuming that you properly cleaned the siding prior to painting and had ideal weather conditions during paint application, you can reasonably expect the new coat of paint to last 10 years or more.

Now that you know the answer to the question of can you paint vinyl siding, remember that it’s easier said than done. Depending on the size of a home and how much vinyl siding is covering the home, painting vinyl siding can take a day or it can take an entire weekend or more to properly clean, apply primer, and coat twice with the chosen paint color. Because jobs like this typically involve climbing on tall ladders, it’s also important to enlist a helper for safety reasons —and to make the job easier and faster.

FAQs About How to Paint Vinyl Siding

Freshly painted vinyl siding can transform the look of a home in about a weekend. It’s a laborious project, but the cost savings and satisfaction of a home makeover can be worth it. While we’ve shared the steps in painting vinyl siding, there may be some lingering questions. Below are answers to some of the most popular questions about how to paint vinyl siding.

Q. How long will my vinyl siding last if I paint it?

With regular maintenance and cleaning, vinyl siding can last from 20 to 40 years. Paint may need to be applied every 10 years or so, depending on local weather conditions.

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Q. How do you make vinyl siding look modern?

Paint colors can help make vinyl siding look more modern. Choosing rich neutrals over pastels can infuse a sided home with modernity. Also, pairing the siding with exterior elements like modern furniture on a porch, statement-making door decor, and carefully chosen landscaping also helps make the entire house facade feel more modern.

Q. How much does it cost to paint over vinyl siding?

On average, it can cost $4,000 to paint a 2,000-square-foot home, according to Fixr. Costs vary by location, number of coats, the age of the siding, and whether you paint it yourself or hire a professional painter.

Q. Is it bad to pressure-wash vinyl siding before painting?

Vinyl siding should be washed and dried prior to painting. If it’s dirty, paint will stick to the dirt and grime on the vinyl siding and be unable to adhere to the siding. When the dirt finally flakes off, it will leave behind blemishes in the cured paint.

Q. What siding colors for houses help get the best resale value?

The best colors for home resale include neutrals and traditional colors like off-white, yellow, light blue, gray, taupe, putty, and blue gray.

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Can You Paint Vinyl Siding? 5 Factors to Consider

If your home is ready for an exterior facelift, painting your vinyl siding may seem like a quick solution.

However, painting your vinyl siding may not be the best long-term solution for your home. There are five key factors to consider before you decide if you should paint or install new vinyl siding:

Warranty
Cost
Color
Integrity & Durability
Insulation

1.

Vinyl Siding Warranty

Most major vinyl siding manufacturers do not honor warranties if the vinyl siding is painted, even for brand new vinyl siding. Be sure to check the specific warranty for the siding currently on your home to determine if paint negates the warranty.

If the siding warranty is expired or no longer valid, or you aren’t concerned with voiding the warranty, paint might be a low-cost option.

One final word of caution: if your home suffers damage that requires a claim, your insurance agency may not honor the claim if the vinyl is painted.

2. Vinyl Siding Cost vs. Painting

According to Home Advisor, the typical cost to paint a home’s exterior is $1687 - $3,907.

You may be able to save money by doing the project yourself, but plan to dedicate many hours to the project. Don’t underestimate how large the exterior surface of the home is and how much paint you will need. Also, don't forget the cost of additional tools like sprayers or scaffolding.

New vinyl siding costs between $5,000 - $14,050, according to Home Advisor.

(Check out this article on 5 Factors that Influence the Cost of Vinyl Siding.)

Although new siding comes with a higher price tag, it requires no regular painting or maintenance and is guaranteed by the manufacturer for 30 years or more.

You can also expect to recoup 76.4% of the total cost of new siding according to Remodeling Magazine, reducing the true cost of the project over time!

On average, painted homes will need a new coat of paint every five years. You may be required to repaint if the paint didn’t adhere well to the siding, or if your home gets exposed to extreme elements of sunlight and moisture. If you plan to stay in your home, the cost of painting can quickly add up to the price of a new siding job.

If you do not properly paint vinyl siding, it can take your home’s appearance from bad to worse, and the money you spent on the paint job will have been wasted.

3.

Integrity of the Siding and the Home

Photo credit: http://hugohd.com/editor/

Your siding serves as the first line of defense between your home and the outdoor elements. Making changes to your home that could degrade that defense could be detrimental to your home.

When new siding is installed, the old siding is typically removed. Professional contractors then inspect the home for any damage from moisture, pests, or walls settling over time. Any problems are corrected before the contractor installs new siding. In addition, insulated vinyl siding products come with contoured insulation attached to the back, providing superior impact resistance after installation.

What is Insulated Vinyl Siding? Materials, Pros, Cons, and Installation

Read the full article >>

When painting, any underlying problems are not made visible before going over the existing siding. In addition, damage to the siding from wind, hail, or rocks thrown from the lawn mower are not corrected by painting siding. Damage spots can serve as points of infiltration for moisture or pests, causing problems like mold and nesting.

4. Paint Color Selection

If you decide to paint vinyl siding, be sure to select an appropriate color based on your siding brand and current color. Too dark of a color can cause the lighter siding underneath to warp. It is generally recommended to use a siding color that is similar or lighter than the color of your current siding.

Some major paint companies, such as Benjamin Moore, offer a curated palette of 59 colors that they consider to be safe for vinyl siding.

Installing new vinyl siding provides you thousands of color options and profiles to choose from.

Photo credit: http://www.royalbuildingproducts.com/

5.

Siding and Insulation

If you’re looking to change the appearance of your home, you might not be thinking about insulation. Adding insulation under new siding can provide real energy savings by keeping heat where it belongs. Products like insulated vinyl siding have insulation permanently attached to the back, improving your home’s appearance, energy efficiency, and durability.

Painting old siding doesn’t give you an opportunity to add a layer of insulation underneath, so you will keep paying the utility companies month after month.

Summary

It is possible to paint vinyl siding and has been done by many. But once you paint a vinyl sided home, it can’t be undone, so be sure to weigh the pros and cons before opening the paint can.

Can siding and other plastic surfaces be painted?

Publication date: 05/06/2021 Author: Online store GOST

In the early 90s, a rather strange material with the beautiful name "siding" appeared on the domestic building materials market. Why strange? Very simple. In the USA, where it came from, this material is positioned as a cheap imitation of the wooden finish of a building. The dream of the Negro unemployed and the fate of cheap motels. In Russia, they managed to sell it for more than wood, although overseas siding is 5-10 times cheaper than wood. nine0003

The organization of the production of domestic siding reduced prices for this material in the late 90s, but also identified certain problems with quality and assortment. You probably noticed that Russian siding usually has light colors. This approach is not accidental. Tinting in pastel colors is much cheaper and technologically simpler than in saturated ones. And if you want a dark color, then do not ask us for "cheap" housing construction.

The second issue is quality, which is no less important. In pursuit of cost reduction, manufacturers save on components. Accordingly, it is not at all a fact that domestic siding will stand for the declared 50 years, like the American one. Of course, the doubts stated here are not groundless, since clients began to contact us for painting siding. At first we decided that this was some kind of stupidity or a human whim, but the problem really exists. nine0003

There are houses covered with siding over 10 years old. Someone is fine, but someone has microcracks, yellowing, fading, or just tired of the usual color scheme. This is where the eternal Russian question arises: "What to do?". Changing the coating is expensive, and a lot of hassle. It is much easier and cheaper to paint, but regular paint will not adhere to siding. Therefore, the VGT Enterprise developed a specialized enamel "For siding and PVC coatings". It will help you renovate siding that has lost its appearance, plastic window frame and other similar products made of PVC, as well as other plastics, except for polyethylene and polypropylene. Enamel has not only good adhesion to these materials, but also high resistance to temperature and mechanical stress, has high light resistance and weather resistance. nine0003

Features of siding enamel and PVC coatings

If the house sheathed with siding began to turn yellow, the material began to crack or fade, it can still be given a second life. For repairs, it is enough to choose a special enamel, evaluating its color, which should fit into the exterior of the cottage. The main thing is to use a special paint for siding and PVC coatings. It is specially designed for such work, fits perfectly and lasts a long time.

The main features of this enamel:

Good adhesion to materials The compound adheres well to smooth surfaces. Siding is quite specific and only enamel with special properties should be used for it.
Temperature resistance paint withstands fluctuations in the range from +50 to -50, does not crack in the cold and does not fade in the summer sun. It will last for many years, retaining its original color.
Elasticity The temperature expansion of the siding is 4%, not every enamel will last on this material. PVC paint meets such quality standards. nine0022

If you use normal paint, it will peel off quickly in the first season. Enamel does not tolerate negative temperatures, heat and ultraviolet light. Even with good preparation, you will get poor results. Only the use of special enamel guarantees a quality repair.

Working with paint for PVC surfaces is easy:

siding is thoroughly washed and dried;
the surface is primed with a special compound;
paint is applied in a thin layer, the coating is dried. nine0022

It is necessary to work in dry weather, windows and lamps must be sealed with masking tape. Carefully perform the preparation, the quality of the painting depends on it. Enamel is selected for the external design of the house, the color is indicated on the bank. If you need help, it is better to consult with the manager.

So don't worry about the fate of your siding, with the help of VGT materials you can give it a second life.

You can buy enamel for siding and PVC coatings from us - in the tool shop in Kostroma! nine0003

Products mentioned in the article

How to paint vinyl siding - detailed instructions

Even the best vinyl siding can lose its original color over time. To a greater extent, this is due to external conditions:

sharp and frequent temperature fluctuations;
intense illumination with ultraviolet rays;
absence minimal maintenance of the cladding.

After such exposure microcracks, whitish spots appear on the surface of the panels, and the protective layer disappears. Often fading occurs unevenly, which further spoils facade appearance. nine0003

Another reason to change the shade of the skin - the desire to update or completely change the decor of the house.

What if make? Do I need to spend money on a new facade decoration?

If it's only a matter of loss of color, then PVC panels can be painted, thereby significantly saving the budget for possible repairs. Another question is what kind of paint choose? After all, not every composition is suitable for PVC products.

What paint to choose

Vinyl siding tends to expand greatly with temperature changes. Up to 3-4% of the panel length may vary depending on the season. In winter it will be compression, in summer it will be expansion. nine0003

Ordinary household the paint will crack in the first year of operation. So you have to choose coloring composition, including one of the substances:

latex – suitable for non-hot northern regions;
urethane acrylic or 100% acrylic mixture - can be used in any weather conditions;
products plastic processing, certified and approved by GOSTs - ideal for decoration of utility rooms, not recommended for residential buildings. nine0022

Paints with such compositions have strong elasticity, therefore they do not deteriorate from expansion and vinyl compression.

To help you choose, here is a list of specific paint finishes that can be treated on vinyl siding:

Elast-R is a general purpose coating with up to 800% elasticity. What you need for PVC finishing.
PRO-Siding is a premium quality paint from a European manufacturer. It has antistatic properties and does not require pre-priming. It includes a glass-ceramic filler. This makes it resistant to heavy soiling and intensive washing. nine0022
ZAR Solid is a wood covering oil that is also suitable for PVC panels. Composed of 100% acrylic and alkyd resins with the highest quality pigments. Dual Resin technology helps bring out the texture and beauty of the siding.

Before go to the store for a purchase, you need to take into account the following - not all the colors will match the shade of the siding. Which one is best for your facade?

The right choice of color is very important

For dyeing not any shade of paint will suit the facade. Choose a color similar to vinyl siding or shade lighter. If you choose a completely different color, the result can be unpredictable. In addition, you have to spend much more paint, because you need at least 2 layers.

Very dark shades can also be used, but due to the strong absorption of heat in summer period, the paint may swell and peel off. nine0003

In what weather it is impossible to carry out work

As with the installation of vinyl siding, when painting panels there are recommendations for weather conditions to obtain a long-term quality result:

no higher than +30 . If it's too hot, the paint will dry out in patches.
Should not be windy. A lot of debris and dust can stick to a freshly painted facade. nine0022

Medium temperature, low humidity, lack of scorching sun - conditions for successful painting of PVC panels.

Vinyl Siding Painting Instructions

Panel Preparation

Surface preparation of vinyl siding is as important as paint selection. If the panels are defective and moldy, then a good staining result is out of the question. Paint applied to dusty siding will wash off with the first rain due to poor adhesion. nine0003

Therefore, before by direct staining, required:

Clean facade from dust and dirt with soapy water. How to properly clean siding read in this article.
If there are areas with mold, then it must be removed with oxygen bleach.
After washing, allow the PVC panels to dry, and if there is no time or it is too cold, then wipe dry with a clean cloth.
After this, you need to process the entire work surface with sandpaper for better adhesion of paint and material. nine0022
Prime if necessary. There are paints that do not require this preparation item.

PVC facade painting process

For painting vinyl siding should choose a very wide brush for greater comfort in work.

Usually the facade is processed from above, starting from the corner in the horizontal direction. So In this way, up to 4 panels can be used at the same time to speed up the process.

Gradually moving down, you need to pay attention to missed or poorly colored plots and correct errors immediately. nine0003

Tips for painting vinyl siding

What to look for attention when painting PVC siding? There are nuances that must be must be taken into account before work or in the process:

When when choosing a brand of paint, you need to pay attention to its composition: it should include only vinyl-safe elements.
Paint with a glossy texture, it is easy to clean and has a beautiful sheen, but emphasizes all defects and irregularities.
Material with a matte texture is more difficult to care for, but it has a significant plus - it hides all surface imperfections. nine0022
At Painting vinyl panels will void the manufacturer's warranty.

re-upholstery completely?

There are cases when painting vinyl siding is a waste of money:

if more than 50 years old PVC finish - technical and mechanical properties panels are no longer at the same level as before;
if there are numerous chips, cracks, swellings or "waves".
Learn more

Can you paint plastic siding on a house

Can You Paint Vinyl Siding? You Bet. Here’s How — Advice from Bob Vila

Can You Paint Vinyl Siding? 5 Factors to Consider

Warranty

Cost

Color

Integrity & Durability

Insulation

1.

2. Vinyl Siding Cost vs. Painting

3.

What is Insulated Vinyl Siding? Materials, Pros, Cons, and Installation

4. Paint Color Selection

5.

Summary

Can siding and other plastic surfaces be painted?

Features of siding enamel and PVC coatings

How to paint vinyl siding - detailed instructions

Learn more