Spring is here and this means that homeowners are contacting us for help in bringing wow-factor curb appeal to the exterior of their homes, especially in terms of vinyl siding.
There are some questions that you’ll need to ask our vinyl siding sales team or your contractor to determine if vinyl is the best cladding option for your home. Below, you’ll find the most popular questions from New England homeowners about vinyl siding replacement.
Can I Paint Vinyl Siding?
The incredible thing about vinyl siding is that it doesn’t require any maintenance. This means that you never need to paint or stain your siding—and it’s important that you don’t do so.
Keeping your vinyl siding its original color without ever applying paint or stain is important for these reasons:
- Your manufacturer will void the warranty if your siding is painted or stained.
- Choosing the wrong type of paint for vinyl siding, and even the wrong color, can cause the vinyl siding to warp.
- It will cause the vinyl siding to not last as long.
- A new coat of paint can cause your vinyl siding to bubble and peel.
- You can get unpredictable results. Since you are layering on paint on top of an existing color, you won’t know exactly how the paint or stain job will turn out.
The safest bet is to leave your vinyl as-is and leave your paint supplies in the garage. Remember that vinyl siding comes in an amazing array of colors and aesthetic options, all of which give the advantage of incredible curb appeal without picking up a paintbrush. Bring your dream home to life with our custom spring siding designs!
What Should I Look for When Choosing New Vinyl Siding?
Not all vinyl siding is created equal. When you are looking for the best vinyl siding, you’ll want to consider both performance and aesthetic elements.
This includes:
- Vinyl siding with foam backing for insulation. This is important for energy savings and allowing the siding to lie flat.
- Choose siding with a moisture-proof barrier that protects against mold and decay.
- Quality and premium paint colors that do not fade from the sun.
- Vinyl siding that looks like wood, giving it an authentic and expensive appearance without paying the price of wood siding.
- Vinyl siding that includes a warranty to back performance claims.
- Eco-friendly spring siding installation. Even the best quality vinyl siding will fail to perform if it’s not correctly installed.
In terms of vinyl siding brands, we highly recommend Exterior Portfolio CraneBoard® vinyl siding for premium spring siding materials. This is a leading manufacturer in vinyl siding products, offering siding that offers significantly more insulating power over fiber cement and wood. Best of all, we offer the best siding warranties for long-term protection!
Vinyl brings a broad color palette and includes an industry-leading lifetime warranty, all while being engineered with recycled materials to make it eco-friendly.
What Are The Different Types Of Vinyl Siding Styles?
One of the most attractive elements of vinyl siding is the variety of its styles. When homeowners ask Can I paint vinyl siding, we point to all of the amazing color and style options that are available today. But what are the different types of vinyl siding styles?
Traditionally, vinyl siding is engineered in panels that are installed horizontally on the home. However, vertical vinyl siding installation is also an option.
While panels remain one of the most popular options for vinyl siding today, there are many other aesthetic features to consider.
For example, not all vinyl siding panels are the same. Some panels are smooth, while the higher quality panels are textured and look like authentic wood.
Speaking of wood, another popular option is vinyl cedar shake siding. These shakes appear hand splint and look just like the old wood shakes from the pioneer era here in New England.
Other vinyl siding options include scallops, which are inspired by the Victorian era and they are perfect for highlighting window gables and eve edges.
Do I Need to Worry About Moisture Damage, Mold and Algae Growth?
It can be soggy in the spring, and it’s understandable that you’re worried about expensive moisture damage. This is especially true when it comes to rotted wood siding and the price of repairs. Did you know that rotted wood siding can cost over $20,000 in repairs?
Another wonderful benefit of vinyl siding is that it will not damage from moisture. Since this is not an organic product, it is difficult for mold or mildew to grow. This keeps your exterior looking clean, no matter the type of weather we have here in New England.
Vinyl siding is a moisture resistant and mold resistant exterior remodeling product, where you won’t have to worry about mildew or mold destroying the exterior and causing extensive damage.
How Can I Further Protect my Home Against Moisture Damage?
Springs can be soggy and summers are humid here in New England, and protection against moisture damage is a must. Vinyl siding is non-porous, which means moisture cannot penetrate the surface. You won’t have to deal with problems like mildew, mold, chipping and peeling wood, or rot.
But don’t forget that protection against moisture damage goes beyond what the eye can see. When moisture seeps behind the panels, this can lead to costly moisture damage that leads to serious structural issues.
house wrap moisture damage protection
One of the top ways to protect your home from moisture damage is with BLOCK-IT house wrap.
This key layer of siding installation adds a protective layer to your home’s most vulnerable areas for moisture damage. While covering the exterior of your home beneath the siding panels, it’s also installed around windows and doors.
The patented water channeling technology directs water away while providing a 20% greater water holdout than Tyvek. It’s also 40% stronger, bringing you top-of-the-line weatherization that every New England homeowner needs this spring.
Click here to learn more about house wrap and its super sidekick, siding foam board.
How Can I Keep the Charm of my New England Home with Vinyl Siding?
Get the best of both worlds with vinyl siding that looks like wood! The appearance of vinyl siding in comparison to real wood depends on several factors. Traditionally, vinyl panels were smooth and did not resemble real wood planks and all. However, this is much different today.
This home above has old cedar shingles that are damaged from exposure to the elements over many years. The homeowner can keep the same charm by incorporating vinyl cedar shakes like you see below:
High-quality vinyl siding resembles real wood siding with lifelike wood grain patterns. They even feel like textured wood when you touch it with your hand.
One of the most lifelike features of vinyl siding is when you choose and split shakes. The shakes, made from vinyl, appear similar to hand-cut cedar shakes that were split by hand back in the pioneer days. This gives a true resemblance of real wood siding without all of the costly disadvantages that come along with it.
If you are concerned about how your new siding will look in comparison to wood, make sure you ask your contractor to see a sample.
See Your Home with New Siding for FREE in 3D
Now that you know the answer to the question Can I Paint Vinyl Siding, we hope you have new insight into everything that vinyl siding has to offer. Vinyl siding is both energy efficient and moisture resistant, meaning that you never need to paint, stain, or sand again. As top-rated spring siding contractors, contact Coastal Windows & Exteriors for a free estimate on vinyl siding and see your home for FREE in 3D!
