Can you successfully paint vinyl siding? How?

Question

I have a garage with perfectly good vinyl siding, except the color is really ugly. I asked the guy at the paint store if it was possible to paint vinyl, and he just looked at me like I was an idiot and said something like "Why would you do that?"

My question... can you paint vinyl siding? Do you need to prime it first? Do you have to use a special paint?

Answer 1

Yes to the first. No to the second. Yes to the third. First, the vinyl siding must be well cleaned. If any mold or mildew exists, you must use a solution of bleach and water to clean the area and kill the mold/mildew. TSP is a great cleaner. Many other cleaners are available. I recommend a no-rinse pre-paint cleaner. They tend to not leave a residue on the surface when dry. Once the vinyl is clean, a 100% acrylic water-based paint will bond directly to the siding. Many high quality paints are a vinyl-acrylic and the resins of today have tremendous bonding power. DO NOT USE OIL ON VINYL SIDING! Oils dry to a very hard shell and have no flexibility. Vinyl siding will expand and contract to a certain degree with weather and temperature changes. Also, oil paints oxidize which makes them become chalky. As it rains, the chalk is washed away and the color fades.
Use the same color or lighter when painting vinyl or vinyl siding. If you use darker colors than the original, it will begin to absorb more heat which could cause the vinyl to buckle under stress. Please go to a paint store not a "big box store" and get a superior quality exterior satin finish 100% acrylic coating. Trust me, if you do the cleaning and prep work, no primer is required.

Answer 2

yes, you certainly can paint over vinyl siding. I did mine 2 summers ago and it still looks great. I live in a climate where it goes to 100 F in summer and -40 F in winter and the paint has no cracks or chips in it yet.
I did not use a primer either, because there are fantastic paints on the market today that are specially made for exterior vinyl siding. Dont skimp on the quality of paint, this is one situation where you need to use the absolute best paint money can buy. It will pay off in years to come.
Although its not a good idea to paint darker colors than whats already on the vinyl, I did go just a little darker with mine because the vinyl color was a terrible muddy yellow/cream color and i definitely didnt want white , so i chose a light tan color and havent had any trouble with shrinkage or warping.
best to talk with a knowledgeable paint store employee (NOT Walmart) about the options and products they carry.

Answer 3

Find a Benjamin Moore dealer in your area..Ben Moore recently introduced some new paints specifically made for vinyl siding

Answer 4

Absolutely. Go buy a really good primer. There are primers that are "grip to any" surface primers...not just drywall primer or wood promer for doors and trim. Spend the extra few dollars a gallon...it is well worth it. Then you can choows to put on a good quality exterior latex paint with acrylic or exterior oil based paint. This is your choice at this point...neither is right or wrong. What ever you are most comfortable working with.
PS. don't hold the fuzzy end.

MY HUMBLE APOLOGIES!!!! MY FRIEND FROM KENTUCKY IS RIGHT...OIL HAS NO FLEXIBILITY ONCE CURED...SORRY. LATEX ACRYLIC IS THE WAY TO GO. YOU THINK I WOULD KNOW THAT, COMING FROM CANADA. WE PAINT ALL OUR IGLOO WITH LATEX ACRYLIC. WITH ALL THE RESPECT IN THE WORLD TO MY LEARNED COLLEGUE, I WOULD STILL USE A GOOD PRIMER. THAT'S WHY THERE IS CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA. GOOD LUCK!!!

Answer 5

I dont think the paint would stick to it in the long run.