Any exterior painting project is a serious job with many elements to consider and many choices to make. One question that comes up often from owners of homes with siding is ‘how do we go about painting siding made of vinyl or wood?’
Both types of siding look great when new and freshly painted, but both eventually begin to fade and look splotchy over the years. The first step in restoring the siding’s beauty with new paint is doing the proper prep work.
Wood siding prep
Before painting over any wood surface, that surface needs to be cleaned and sanded. If the original paint is flaking or chipping, those areas need extra care during prep, which may include sanding down to the bare wood.
Sanding and prepping the entire exterior of a home is a labor-intensive job that many homeowners opt to turn over to professionals, who have the equipment and experience to complete the process a lot faster and, in most cases, get a much nicer result.
Vinyl siding prep
You won’t need to sand vinyl siding, but you will need to clean it. The best product for this job is a liquid TSP substitute, which you should be able to find at your local paint or hardware store. If you’re not cleaning off mold or mildew, follow the directions on the bottle. You can perform the work by hand or use a pressure sprayer.
If mold or mildew is present, use the TSP substitute along with a quart of bleach for every gallon of water. When using bleach, make sure not to get it on surfaces that it could damage, and wear eye protection during application.
Painting the surfaces
A high-quality latex exterior paint likely will be a good choice for either wood or vinyl siding, providing the surfaces have been meticulously prepped. An important note when painting vinyl siding: applying a color that’s darker than the original color can trap heat beneath the new paint and cause the siding to warp. For this reason, it’s best to stay with a color very close to the original.
When painting wood siding, it’s never a bad idea to add a coat of oil-based primer before adding the paint. This is especially true when areas of bare wood are exposed due to prep work or previous peeling or flaking.
No matter what type of surface you’re painting, never scrimp on the cost of the paint. Your paint dealer can help you decide on the best paint for your particular job.
To end up with great-looking results, you must paint on dry surfaces. That means don’t paint until several days after a rain or when rain is expected within 48 hours after painting. Also, avoid painting when air temperatures are below 50 degrees or above 90 degrees – your paint can label will give you more specific ranges.
Painting siding on your home can be an involved and sometimes tedious job, but it definitely can be done. If you prefer to have professionals do it and save yourself the time and energy, Franklin Painting of Farmington, CT, can help. We produce results that amaze homeowners every time for any exterior or interior paint project. Give us a call and tell us what you need at (877) 646-7774.