One of the advantages of vinyl siding is that it’s a low-maintenance product that doesn’t need to be painted. If you decide to paint vinyl siding, here’s how to do it.

  1. Thoroughly clean vinyl siding with a stiff nylon brush using a mixture of TSP (trisodium phosphate) and water.
  2. Rinse the siding with a garden hose equipped with a spray nozzle, and allow it to dry.
  3. Apply a bonding primer or a quality exterior primer with a bonding primer additive, and allow the siding to dry.
  4. Apply two coats of high-quality acrylic latex paint, allowing drying time between coats.

Considerations For Painting Vinyl Siding

Let’s be honest; painting over old vinyl siding is a laborious task, especially if you’ll have to repaint it again in 5-10 years. Instead of covering up old blemishes and worn siding with a coat of paint, consider replacing the siding. New vinyl siding won’t need repainting for 25 years, providing a longer-term, maintenance-free solution for your home’s exterior.

New vinyl siding is even more impact-resistant and durable than in the past, which means your replacement vinyl will likely be of higher value than your original siding. New vinyl technologies even provide energy-efficient and insulative properties for your home.

When choosing between painting or replacing your siding, your main consideration will be how much work you’re willing to put into the project and how much you’re willing to spend. Before opting for painting to save money, consider how much new vinyl siding will add to your home’s value should you sell.

Watch the video above to find out more.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Danny Lipford: Alex asks, “Is it possible to paint vinyl siding?”

Just about any surface on the outside of your house can be painted, including vinyl siding. Of course it all starts with proper preparation. And when you’re talking about vinyl siding, one of the best ways to really get it clean is to use a TSP solution, or trisodium phosphate—maybe a stiff bristle nylon brush.

Now after you clean it, you may go, “Hey, that’s looking pretty good,” and you won’t want to paint it. But if you do, the next step would be applying a bonding primer over the entire surface, or use a high-quality exterior primer with a bonding primer additive. After that dries, you’ll go back with two coats of high-quality acrylic latex, and you’ve completely changed the look of your house.

But you have to keep in mind, one of the big advantages of vinyl siding is it’s virtually maintenance-free. If you put a coat of paint on it, you have to paint it again sooner or later.


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Danny Lipford

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Danny Lipford is a home improvement expert and television personality who started his remodeling business, Lipford Construction, at the age of 21 in Mobile, Alabama. He gained national recognition as the host of the nationally syndicated television show, Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford, which started as a small cable show in Mobile. Danny's expertise in home improvement has also led him to be a contributor to popular magazines and websites and the go-to source for advice on everything related to the home. He has made over 200 national television appearances and served as the home improvement expert for CBS's The Early Show and The Weather Channel for over a decade. Danny is also the founder of 3 Echoes Content Studio, TodaysHomeowner.com, and Checking In With Chelsea, a décor and lifestyle blog.

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