You have been the proud owner of a beautiful suburban home in Decatur, GA which is one of the top neighborhoods in Atlanta, GA according to the top
guide to Atlanta, for over 10 years.
Even your home’s exterior is in perfect condition, you would like to do some inexpensive changes to it.
If that is the case, painting your home is probably the best way to change the look and feel of your house. The only problem you see is that you have vinyl sidings and not wooden sidings to your home which is bound to make the task more difficult as vinyl does not absorb paint as well as wood. You could simply look for
siding contractors in Atlanta or you could keep on reading and do it yourself. Have no worries as it is possible to paint over vinyl but you keep the following in mind:
- You must properly clean the vinyl siding
- Keep in mind that vinyl expands with heat
- The original paint color must be taken in consideration when choosing a color
- The type of paint that you will use
Properly Cleaning the Vinyl Siding
Just like when you are painting any surface, it is important that you clean it first as dirt and mildew will keep a new coat of paint from sticking. I recommend using a soap and water first to hand scrub the old siding.If mildew has accumulated on the vinyl panels, try using an “oxygen bleach cleaner”.
Thermal Expansion of the Vinyl Siding
If you examine closely the vinyl sidings on your home, you will notice that the panels are on tightly but not tightly enough that they are not slightly loose. That is because vinyl siding were designed to slide back and forth because they tend to expand in hot weather. With this in mind, when you paint over the siding, you can expect to see a very small color gap at the seams during cold weather.
Taking the Original Paint Color in Consideration
When a factory creates vinyl sidings for a home, part of the design for it is that it can withstand a certain amount of heat absorption based on its color. This means that if you have a light colored vinyl siding and paint it a darker color it will absorb more heat which in turn can lead to the siding warping due to excessive heat above its threshold limit. In short, do not paint a vinyl siding a much darker color then its original one.
Type of Paint to Use for Vinyl Sidings
Not any paint will stick well to vinyl as it is a slick surface. For best results, use a blend of urethane and acrylic resin which is commonly known as exterior latex urethane paint. Most paint stores will carry this type of paint such as
Home Depot
and
SherwinWilliams. Remember to follow the instructions on the can of paint and to mix the paint well before you start applying it on the vinyl sidings.
