When painting vinyl makes sense
Vinyl siding fades. After enough summers the color goes chalky, one side looks lighter than the others, or the color just looks dated next to new trim and a new roof. If the panels are still solid and lie flat, painting can bring the house back without residing it.
It does not make sense when the vinyl is cracked, brittle, loose or already warped. Paint covers color, not damage. If we see that on the walk-through, we will tell you.
Darker colors and warping
This is the part that matters most. Vinyl expands and moves with heat, and darker colors take on more heat in the sun. Paint a light vinyl house a much darker color and the panels can bow and buckle, especially on south and west walls.
The safe moves are to stay close to the original shade or go lighter. To go darker, Sherwin-Williams has a color collection called VinylSafe, made for use on vinyl siding. It opens up deeper colors that would otherwise be risky. We pick from it whenever the new color is darker than what is on the house, and we confirm the color and the paint line work together for vinyl before we order.
Cleaning and adhesion
Vinyl is slick, and it collects chalk, pollen, red clay splash and mildew on the shady sides. Paint will not hold on any of that. So the wash is the most important step on a vinyl job:
- Low pressure wash, aimed down the laps, never up under them, so water stays out from behind the siding.
- Mildew and clay get scrubbed off, not just rinsed.
- Time to dry, including the water that sits in the laps.
- A chalk check with a hand on the siding before paint goes on.
- Two coats, with trim, shutters and doors cut in after.
Which paint level fits
- Essential (SuperPaint Exterior): fine for a rental or a house going on the market.
- Performance (Duration Exterior): our most common pick for homes people plan to stay in.
- Showcase (Emerald Exterior): the best color hold and longest life, good for sunny walls.
What affects the price
Vinyl siding is priced by how much siding there is and the paint level you pick, with the wash and two coats included. Walls 14 ft or taller add to it. Shutters (taken down, painted on both faces, and rehung) and trim, fascia and corner boards are priced on their own. You get a written price before we start.
See how we price, or go back to exterior painting. Color help comes free with every estimate; see color consultation. Brick on part of the house? See brick and limewash. We paint across the Upstate, including Inman and Wellford. For more on this, read painting brick or vinyl siding in the Upstate.