Is your composite siding fading?
Unfortunately, this is the reality of owning–well–anything, really.
You’re left with a few options when your composite siding begins to fade. One is a full-on replacement. This could be the superior choice if your current siding has put in the proverbial hard yards and given you some reliable decades of service.
However, installing new composite siding costs–at least–$5,000 on average to cover 1,500 square feet. The high end of the average is $25,000 for the same square footage.
Again, these price ranges might be a wise investment for you, depending on the stage of your siding’s life cycle. There could be structural issues on top of the fading, for instance.
Disclaimer
One of the biggest appeals of composite siding is its beautiful aesthetic without a need for paint. So, with that being said, we do not recommend painting your composite siding. Also, painting your composite siding will usually void the warranty on the siding. However, if you are dead set on painting your composite siding, we will walk you through the best way to do it.
But what if you want to maximize the shelf-life of new–or relatively new–siding that’s starting to fade?
Repainting is the top choice of many homeowners, which seems a simple enough decision. Yet, it becomes a more complex topic when considering whether you should DIY the project or hire a professional.
Should You DIY Your Composite Siding Painting Project?
Usually, we advise against DIY-ing and recommend hiring a professional, and again, we do not recommend painting your composite siding. However, as far as DIY projects go–if you have a knack or predisposition for that sort of thing–painting your composite siding will likely not give you too much hassle if you are sure that you want to.. It’s a reasonably straightforward process, provided you know what you’re doing.
We’ve already mentioned the caveat in the paragraph above…knowing how to paint composite siding properly.
It will be 100% necessary–and absolutely vital–to follow the appropriate steps and use the correct materials and methods.
Those uncomfortable doing these types of projects should strongly consider hiring a professional.
Shoddy work can damage your siding, costing you more money because you’ll have to spring for a replacement–what you were trying to avoid in the first place.
Is It Possible To Paint Composite Siding?
After this section, we’ll delve into tips on how to paint composite siding. First, though, we thought it essential that we directly answer the question in this article’s title: Can you paint your composite siding?
As we’ve promised tips on how to paint your composite siding, you can safely assume that, yes, you can paint your composite siding.
More to the above point, composite siding often comes pre-stained, meaning it’s prepared to be painted.
Inspect your composite siding before heading onward and upward with your DIY painting efforts to assess its current condition. You might find your siding is too much on its last legs to warrant a repaint and will, thus, necessitate a complete replacement.
Read on for our helpful tips and steps to paint your composite siding:
Essential Materials For Painting Your Composite Siding
Here’s a list of what you’ll need to successfully paint your siding:
● Caulking gun.
● Caulk tubes.
● Pressure washer.
● Latex primer.
● Latex paint.
● Razor blade.
● Nap roller cover.
● 5-gallon bucket.
● Paintbrush (3 to 4 inches).
● Roller frame.
With these materials, you’ll be ready to tackle the steps detailed below!
Painting Your Composite Siding In Eight Seamless Steps
Reading the proceeding steps, you’ll notice how straightforward it can be to paint composite siding.
Nevertheless, the composite siding painting process possesses a few nuances you must be mindful of. This way, you’ll prevent peeling and chipping in the long term. A little preparation and some fine-tuning techniques will ensure the best, most enduring results.
The following intricacies–conveyed in our eight seamless steps–are essential to successfully painting your composite siding while avoiding disappointing outcomes:
- Use your pressure washer to clean dust and dirt from your siding, letting the surface dry before doing anything else.
- Cut the caulk tube at the tip and load the contents into the caulking gun.
- Use the caulking gun to fill cracks, holes, and seams in the composite siding. It will need one day to dry.
- Load latex primer into your 5-gallon bucket– filling it halfway–and attach the nap cover to the frame.
- Use your roller to coat the composite siding with primer, rolling vertically and moving left to right.
- Use your paintbrush (of 3 to 4 inches) to brush the composite siding’s bottom rough edges, letting the primer dry for three hours.
- The paint tools must be washed with water. Forcefully shake the brush to eliminate excess moisture.
- Add latex paint the same way you’ve rolled the primer.
Helpful disclaimer:
Don’t apply caulk to the bottom edges of the composite siding. Doing so will seal the edges, trapping moisture underneath and yielding mildew, mold, and warping.
Pros And Cons Of Painting Your Composite Siding (Instead Of Investing In A Replacement)
First and foremost, if it’s a viable choice, painting is the cheapest option for your composite siding. You’ll maximize its lifespan while giving your home a fresher, crisper aesthetic, increasing curb appeal.
Even paying someone else to repaint your composite siding will cost much less than a replacement.
Painting gives you the freedom to choose a variety of colors, not capping your vision or imagination. (Note how the new color should be lighter than the older one to prevent damage).
To keep things fair and balanced, we’ll add how painting your composite siding comes with risks.
You need to weigh the long-term cost of the paint job. Specifically, will you keep needing to repaint and do touch-ups, eventually costing you more than getting a replacement? Painting your composite siding will usually void the warranty as well. At the end of the day, painting is a band-aid…it can’t fix structural issues that occur with age.
Here’s another consideration: Installing new, prepainted composite siding takes drastically less time than repainting your old one.
Lastly, you need to follow composite siding painting instructions to a tee.
All best practices must be rigorously adhered to, or else you’ll waste a reasonable chunk of change (and time). For instance, be sure not to paint damaged or filthy panels, nor should you paint in a shed (otherwise, the paint will dry too fast).
Contact a Professional With Your Questions About Composite Siding
AGR knows the ins and outs of composite siding, whether it involves painting, replacing, or installing. Contact us today with your questions if you want a quote or need advice on how to DIY safely and effectively.
