Home » Can You Paint Vinyl Siding? (Pros & Cons)

Can You Paint Vinyl Siding? (Pros & Cons)

Many homeowners choose beautiful and affordable vinyl siding as an excellent option for their home exterior. Unfortunately, it fades over time because of severe weather and sunlight exposure. If you enjoy this facade cladding type, you probably wonder can you paint vinyl siding.

It wasn’t a typical activity in the past, but you can find a few options to beautify your home nowadays. It will be enough to wash the surface thoroughly and pick out 100% acrylic latex paint as the best option. Keep in mind that no one can say how long the paint can last on such a surface, but the probable period is three to ten years.

 

Can You Paint Vinyl Siding?

Vinyl siding is a durable facade cladding with a natural wood appearance but created of PVC resin. It is a popular, long-lasting, inexpensive, and practically maintenance-free option for the home’s exterior.

On the other hand, it reacts to temperature changes and often peels, fades, and cracks over time. You need to paint it or install new siding in such a case. Remember that you don’t need to paint your home, but you can do it if you want to.

Luckily, this material is durable and lasts about 50 years, so it is no need to be replaced regularly. However, it won’t be beautiful after a while, particularly darker ones. In such a case, you can paint it.

This procedure is pretty effortless and successful, and you can finish the task on your own. However, it can be a large project when you have a sizable home.

Like any other project, vinyl siding painting has its advantages and downsides. One of the crucial things is to check whether it affects the facade warranty. In a case when the warranty permits painting, you should be careful about the paint type and color required.

It is also recommended to follow a few tips, such as:

  • You can paint vinyl siding only when it is in good shape
  • Never try to paint the too old and damaged siding
  • You will get the best result when using vinyl-safe exterior paint
  • Always use the same or lighter color as the original one since darker shades often cause overheating

 

Painting Vinyl Siding Advantages and Disadvantages

Painting Vinyl Siding Advantages and Disadvantages

Vinyl siding can’t stay beautiful and keep its original luster after years of use, and the exterior protective coating will eventually fade, wear, and become dirty. Painting is an effortless and convenient way to make it appealing again.

Painting vinyl siding pros and cons

Advantages Downsides
It is appealing It can damage your siding
It protects the home’s exterior You can make some mistakes when painting, like choosing the wrong color
It increases the vinyl siding lifespan and makes facade cladding a durable option You can sometimes face unpredictable results
It adds a protection layer to the facade It can’t hide visible damage on the surface
It increases a home price It lasts shorter than new siding
It can be a DIY project Some siding types won’t absorb paint well
You can find it in a wide color range It is unsuitable for siding older than two decades
It last 3 to 10 years It is necessary to wash dirt before painting
It is affordable It can be a pricey solution for sizable homes
It costs less than replacement It voids warranties

Painting Vinyl Siding Pros

Painting Vinyl Siding Pros

1. Providing a new home look

The facade painting will improve your home aesthetics and can even reach a near-factory appearance in some cases. In other words, your home will look more appealing and elegant after finishing the job.

A new painting coat will provide a new and fresh house look that is more beautiful than the previous one. As you can expect, you and your family will enjoy lovely bright colors more than a rugged and faded facade.

2. Providing protection layer

Standard vinyl siding comes with a protective coating that wears and fades over the years. In such a case, it is recommended to paint it with vinyl-safe paints as a protective layer against the UV sun rays and water damage. The best option is a long-lasting acrylic premium paint that adequately adheres to vinyl.

3. Increasing the siding lifespan

Like a facade cladding made of wood or aluminum, vinyl siding painting will last longer since paint increases its lifespan.

4. Saving time and energy

As you can imagine, vinyl siding replacement can last for days. On the other hand, you can paint your home within a day or two, depending on how skillful, efficient, and fast you are.

5. DIY project

Unlike vinyl siding replacement, you can paint your home cladding yourself. It will be enough to pressure wash it before adding a primer and final paint.

6. Increasing home value

A freshly painted vinyl siding home will be worth more because a new coat can hide tiny imperfections on the panel surface. Believe it or not, most buyers will be prepared to tolerate some flaws of the house when its exterior surface is clean.

7. Long lifespan

Vinyl siding typically lasts 50 to 60 years, but you can prolong that period when well-maintained. For instance, painting can provide an additional decade to your facade.

8. Affordability

Vinyl siding painting is a cost-effective solution for beautifying your home. In fact, you will save 30% to 50% if you decide to paint it instead of replacing it.

Painting vinyl siding price

House size Paintable size Price
1,000 to 1,500 sq ft

(93 – 140 m2)

800 to 1,200 sq ft

(75 – 110 m2)

$800 to $3,600
1,500 to 2,000 sq ft

(140 – 185 m2)

1,200 to 1,700 sq ft

(110 – 160 m2)

$1,200 to $5,000
2,000 to 2,500 sq ft

185 – 232 m2)

1,700 to 2,100 sq ft

(160 – 195 m2)

$1,700 to $6,500
2,500 to 3,000 sq ft

(232 – 280 m2)

2,100 to 2,500 sq ft

195 – 232 m2)

$2,000 to $7,500
3,000 to 4,000 sq ft

(280 – 372 m2)

2,500 to 3,350 sq ft

(232 –  310m2)

$2,500 to $10,000

The average vinyl siding painting price is about $800 to $10,000 while replacing it can cost $4,000 to $25,000 on average.

For instance, you will need to pay about $4,000 for a house of 2,000 sq ft (185 m2). On the other hand, it is necessary to set aside $6,000 to $24,000 for installing the new vinyl siding at the same surface area.

 

Painting Vinyl Siding Cons

Painting Vinyl Siding Cons

Besides numerous vinyl siding painting benefits, you should consider a few disadvantages of this option.

1. Voiding warranties

Be aware that altering the vinyl siding, including its painting, can void your warranty. Therefore, you need to check offered conditions. When the warranty has lapsed, there is no need to worry about this point.

2. Shorter lifespan than new siding

Painting makes sense when your vinyl siding is less than twenty years old. Otherwise, you should think about replacing it since it is a more affordable and practical option in this case.

3. Some siding types won’t adequately accept paint

If you have vinyl siding that hardly accepts paint, it won’t take long before noticing the first signs of peeling off.

4. Requires washing during the prep work

Be aware that you can’t paint vinyl siding before washing it thoroughly. The best option is to use a power washer and remove dirt and mold under water pressure. Sometimes, you will also need to add a primer before the final painting.

5. Impossibility to match colors

If you plan to pick out an entirely different color, you will probably have an issue with matching colors of existing vinyl siding and replaced panels. Therefore, you should always choose the same shade to prevent uneven facade color.

6. Unpredictable results

Painting vinyl siding on your own can be tricky if you are not skillful. For instance, you can accidentally spray paint over the window or spill paint. Since you can’t guess what result to expect, be prepared for possible disappointment.

7. Siding expansion and contraction require touchups

Vinyl siding contracts at cold and expands during hot summer months with a movement rate of approximately 0.5 inches (1.3 cm). Therefore, you may face visible prior color during some seasons. It is particularly annoying when using dark shades over the original light color.

 

Paint Vinyl Siding vs. Replace Costs

In some cases, painting won’t solve problems with wear, fade, ugly, and old vinyl siding, and you will need to consider its replacement. However, you should compare these two solutions when both are acceptable.

  • Siding age – A fresh paint coat will provide a new look for your home, but it won’t be an excellent solution for over twenty years old facade cladding.
  • Siding condition – If you have noticed gaps, buckles, rot, and moisture stains on vinyl siding, you should replace it since painting can’t solve these problems.
  • Home value – Painting is more affordable than replacing vinyl siding. Plus, freshly painted vinyl siding will increase your home’s value by 2% to 5%. On the other hand, a replacement will bring you only 80% of the money spent.
  • Warranty – Most siding contractors will cancel the warranty after vinyl siding painting.

 

Summary

Painting vinyl siding is an affordable option for beautifying your home, but you should take care of a few things. It is necessary to replace old and damaged vinyl siding since it is useless to paint it. Then, this painting facade cladding requires regular maintenance. Finally, you can’t expect it to last more than a decade.

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