How to Paint Your Vinyl or Aluminum Siding

CLEAN YOUR SIDING

(The following recommendation is for projects where you'll be painting the siding. If you're just trying to wash it, but don't plan to paint it , use Jomax cleaner (click here for more info).

If you're going to paint your vinyl or aluminum siding, it's absolutely critical that you get the siding clean. On vinyl or aluminum siding, the paint cannot penetrate--it will only bond on the surface. If that surface is dirty or full of contaminants, the paint will bond to those surface films and could peel prematurely. Therefore, it is CRITICAL that you get the siding clean.

If you're going to paint the house, we recommend that you start with a solution of TSP (TriSodium Phosphate) and water. Mix the TSP in a little garden pump-up sprayer or, to make it even easier on your back, use the Wolman BackSaver Sprayer.

Before applying the TSP solution to your siding, spray the siding down with a power washer. Mist any plants or bushes alongside the house as well. Once that's accomplished, spray the TSP solution onto the house using the BackSaver sprayer and then scrub the siding with a push broom or a good scrub brush. After scrubbing the siding, rinse it well with a power washer (rinsing your plants and bushes one more time) and move on.

Complete the entire home in this manner and let the siding dry.

TIP: Pull down your shutters BEFORE you start the cleaning process. Sometimes folks will wash the house with the shutters on and then, when they're painting, they'll pull the shutters down and discover loads of caked on dirt and spider webs and other yuck. Then, with wet paint on the house, it's not as easy to wash and clean those spots. So, don't assume that washing the house with the shutters on will wash away all the dirt beneath them--even if you spray them for a long time with a power washer. It won't work. Pull them down and wash behind them before you've even opened a can of paint.

CHECK THE SIDING and DO YOUR FINAL PREP WORK

Nothing complicated here. We just want you to examine the siding after it's dried to make sure it's clean. Run your hand over various sections of siding and check to make sure there's no powdery, white residue on your palms. If you see any powder, dirt or other residue come off on your hands after you've washed the house...sadly, you've got to wash it again or paint it another year. If you paint over a surface that still has surface contaminant, you're going to have a maintenance nightmare to deal with down the road. So check the siding carefully.

After checking the siding, (and determining it to be clean) go ahead and do any caulking that you might need to do around the trim, etc. Then go ahead and remove or tape off any light fixtures, electrical covers, house numbers and spigots that you may have. Once you've got all of that accomplished, go ahead and move on to step 3.

TIP: It wouldn't hurt to remove your screens (paint on the screens makes for a sad day because it can be very difficult, if not impossible, to remove).

PAINT THE SIDING

Once the siding is washed (and deemed clean after a careful inspection on your part), it's time for the fun (at least in the beginning) job: painting it.

For vinyl or aluminum siding, RepcoLite recommends our Ultra-Shield Satin Sheen finish. This is a water-based acrylic product and the finish mimics that of vinyl siding. No priming is necessary on aluminum or vinyl surfaces and we recommend that you simply move straight into two coats of finish paint.

For application, there are a number of different routes to go. You could go with a standard brush, a roller, a paint and stain pad or even an airless sprayer (though, the airless sprayer thing can be more of a problem than you bargain for if you have nearby neighbors and you choose to paint on a windy day).

Talk to the folks in the store about your specific siding--the type of material, the width of the panels, etc.--and they'll recommend the best procedures.

TIP: Break the house into paintable sections--sections that you can completely cover in a single period of time. Don't paint half of one side of your home one night and then try to start in the middle and paint the remaining half of that side the next night. You'll have overlap lines and other potential problems that may be difficult to remove. Instead, paint smaller sections that you can completely cover on the nights when you don't have time. Save the bigger sections for weekends where you can devote enough time to finish them completely.

TIP: Make use of drop cloths! Cover anything around the base of your home that you don't want paint on. This includes sidewalks, plants, etc.