Four Seasons Roofing and Construction · Homeowner guide
Can vinyl siding be painted? What New Jersey homeowners should know
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Yes, vinyl siding can be painted, as long as the panels are still flat and firmly attached. Check the siding warranty before you buy paint, because painting can void it. Keep the new color no darker than the current one, unless the paint is a formula its maker rates for darker shades on vinyl.
The question usually comes up when vinyl has faded or the owner wants a different color, and paint costs less than new siding. Four Seasons Roofing and Construction installs and repairs siding in North Jersey, and most of what's below comes straight from the vinyl siding industry's own guidance and from one large paint maker.
Does painting void the siding warranty?
It can. The Polymeric Exterior Products Association, a vinyl siding industry association, says painting is often unnecessary because the color is designed to be long lasting, and that doing it could void the product warranty. Its advice is to check with the siding manufacturer before you consider painting.
The brand and product line should be on the installation invoice or the warranty paperwork, if you still have them. Houses bought with the siding already on often come with neither. If the siding went up in the last few years, call the manufacturer. On a wall that's been there for decades the warranty may have run out already, though you would still want to know who made it.
Why can darker paint warp vinyl?
Sherwin-Williams explains that dark paint absorbs the sun's heat and passes it to the siding underneath, and that vinyl which expands too far is not able to shrink back to its original size, so it warps or buckles.
Its guidance is to paint vinyl no darker than the original color. Whites, off-whites, pastels and other very light colors are the choices it names. The exception is its VinylSafe palette, 100 colors that include a limited selection of darker shades formulated to resist warping or buckling when applied to sound, stable vinyl. Other paint companies may make their own vinyl formulas, so if you want a dark color from a different brand, get that maker's written guidance for vinyl first.
Sun is not the only heat source. The same industry association warns that reflections from energy efficient windows can concentrate sunlight and create intense heat, and suggests shrubs or window screens to cut the effect. Something to check if a neighbor's windows face the wall you plan to paint.
How should vinyl siding be prepped before painting?
Start by cleaning it. The association's care guidance is mild soap and water from a garden hose, with a soft cloth or a long handled brush with soft bristles. If you use a power washer, it says to hold it straight at eye level and not aim it upward, since that can force water behind the panels.
Past cleaning, the prep steps belong to the paint maker. Sherwin-Williams says to follow the manufacturer's surface preparation instructions and lists the latex product lines its VinylSafe colors go with. While the wall is being washed, go over each panel for cracks and loose laps, because those need fixing before any paint goes on.
What changes once vinyl has been painted?
Mostly the upkeep. The association's page on vinyl maintenance says these products do not require painting, staining or caulking, and that they can be cleaned with mild soap and water from a garden hose. That low upkeep is usually a big part of why a house has vinyl in the first place. Once it's painted, the wall has a painted finish to look after as well, and like any exterior paint job it will need attention again at some point.
Some questions to settle before the first coat:
- Who made the siding, and what does that manufacturer say about paint and the warranty?
- Is the new color as light as the old one? If not, is the paint a formula its maker rates for dark colors on vinyl?
- Any cracked or loose panels?
- Which walls get full afternoon sun, or reflected glare from nearby windows? Those are where heat builds up.
When is painting the wrong fix?
If the siding is already warped, cracked or coming loose, paint won't fix it. Sherwin-Williams' own advice is that warped or buckled siding should be assessed by a siding or home repair contractor, and that it may have to be replaced.
A few damaged panels are usually a repair job. When most of the house is faded and brittle, or water is getting behind the siding, the list in our post on signs your siding needs replacing in New Jersey is a better starting point than a paint chart. The other route at that point is new siding installation.
Siding work shows up in Four Seasons' Google reviews. Erica Zocco wrote in July 2023: "We used 4 Seasons Construction to complete our siding on our new addition." Larry Ukperaj's March 2023 review starts, "Hired 4 seasons to do my siding and I’m very happy with the work!"
If some panels are cracked or loose, start with a siding repair visit before anyone opens a can of paint.