[simiesue]

I have a house that I am trying to put on the market. The siding is only 12 years old but the front of the home has a lot of fade... probably due to the covered front porch. It does look pretty bad and we are concerned that when prospective buyers get up close... the front siding will scare them off. I looked into replacing the front siding but both companies I looked at wont even deal with it. They said it would be impossible to match.. and the original siding (if they can even find it.... would be darker). One gal mentioned that we could paint it. But I want something that will last... at least a few years. Any tips or advice on painting 12 yr. old faded vinyl siding??? Brands of paint you recommend??

 

[Tom Struble]

yes it can be painted,but no darker then it was origionaly unless you use sherwin williams vinyl safe paint,even then not too dark

 

[Workaholic]

yes it can be painted,but no darker then it was origionaly unless you use sherwin williams vinyl safe paint,even then not too dark

I was going to say the same thing as Tom but would also add before you decide to paint you should make sure that you thoroughly clean the vinyl as a lot of older vinyl tends to get a chalky surface and you will want to make sure that adhesion is not going to be a problem other wise you will find yourself with an even bigger mess than you already have.

 

[simiesue]

great.. I didnt know that SW makes paint for vinyl siding. Is this the only brand you guys would recommend? My siding is very light beige-ish and it is chalky. So my main question is how do I match the paint? I assume I would match the fade, right because if I match the original (or piece I have in the garage) it would be such a big difference.
Also, how would I have to prep the siding for paint??
Is there a right way to clean vinyl siding....a couple of years ago I cleaned it with TSP and H20.
Thanks for your help..:thumbup:

 

[Matthewt1970]

great.. I didnt know that SW makes paint for vinyl siding. Is this the only brand you guys would recommend? My siding is very light beige-ish and it is chalky. So my main question is how do I match the paint? I assume I would match the fade, right because if I match the original (or piece I have in the garage) it would be such a big difference.
Also, how would I have to prep the siding for paint??
Is there a right way to clean vinyl siding....a couple of years ago I cleaned it with TSP and H20.
Thanks for your help..:thumbup:

If you are just trying to spruce it up then power wash it.

 

[jsheridan]

simisue, good advice so far. I think that what makes SW paint vinyl safe is the technology that allows for the use of dark colors, not just that it is spec'd for vinyl . Dark colors could absorb too much heat and cause the vinyl to warp. Whether that technology is proprietary, I'm not sure. However, if you don't plan to use a dark color, you're not bound to SW. What you need is to be sure that whatever you choose is 100% acrylic to get a proper bond. But, be careful, as not all 100% acrylics have superior bonding qualities. It depends on the quality of the acrylic (some science guys may come along and explain it). I tested two major brand top line products on unprepped, unprimed, glossy white PVC pipe, both claimed to be 100%. I simply applied each product to a section of pipe and allowed them to dry for a week. One product couldn't be removed with a chisel, as it bonded completely. The other product could be scratched off with your fingernail with no effort. I won't thrash the loser, but the winner was Ben Moore MoorGard Low Luster enamel, which imo, also nicely approximates the natural sheen of new vinyl. Sean had some good input there with the chalkiness, something I wouldn't have been aware of readily. I imagine on vinyl, a good washing will remove the chalkiness, but Flood Product makes Emulsa Bond, an additive that helps finishes bond to chalky surfaces. Good Luck.

 

[simiesue]

If you are just trying to spruce it up then power wash it.

When I power washed it ~3 years ago .. while the siding was clean, it looked worse because the fade was very prominent. Ugh But, I do have to clean it.

 

[Gymschu]

Simiesue, great advice given so far. Yes, definitely get the paint matched up to the FADED color since you are just doing the front. A soft scrub brushing of the vinyl with water and a small amount of soap will make the pressure washing go much smoother. Definitely want to remove that oxidation/chalkiness. I did a vinyl home 12 years ago (painted it the same color) & it is still holding up today. Color may be fading a bit, but, no peeling at all!

 

[simiesue]

so I am assuming Power washing will remove all chalkiness from the siding, right??? Why does it look and feel chalky??

 

[Workaholic]

so I am assuming Power washing will remove all chalkiness from the siding, right??? Why does it look and feel chalky??

I would powerwash and use a cleaning solution. You can use bleach and water mix with a small amount of degreaser added be careful of your landscaping if you go this route, or you can use a premixed cleaning solution that can be bought at most paint stores or box stores they tend to be a bit weaker and more soapy. Another solution is to mix your own chemicals but that is more for the professionals that are already familiar with the percentages.

What is the brand and specs on the pressure washer you used in the past?

 

[simiesue]

Sean,,
Not sure what PW we used or settings.... we rented it from HDepot. :wink:
Are there preferred settings to use for vinyl???

 

[Workaholic]

Sean,,
Not sure what PW we used or settings.... we rented it from HDepot. :wink:
Are there preferred settings to use for vinyl???

The home depot rental pump will work fine, I was more concerned that you might be using a sub par pump, for vinyl you don't need 3 or 4 thousand psi but with all pumps the gallons per minute or gpm's are actually more important.