Is your vinyl siding looking a little worse for the wear? Many clients wonder whether they can paint their vinyl siding in Calgary. The answer depends on the siding’s age, how much it costs to repaint versus replace it, your warranty and a few other key factors. In most cases, it’s probably better to repair or replace your siding—but if it’s at the end of its normal lifespan and you want to get a few more years out of it, painting may be a viable option. Here are our best tips to help you decide between painting or replacing your Calgary home’s vinyl siding.

Age

Your siding is meant to protect your home, not just keep it looking fresh—so if your siding is nearing the 20-year mark, it’s probably time to replace the entire thing. Depending on the other factors involved, it’s probably cheaper in the long run to go ahead and replace the siding rather than attempting to squeeze a few more years out of it.

Cost

Painting might save you a thousand bucks or more—depending on the size of your home—but again, that might not be a good deal when you will need to replace the siding in a few years anyway. Make sure to factor in the cost of vinyl-appropriate paint as well as labor.

On the positive side, painting is cheaper, it will make your home look great and you will be able to choose from a bigger variety of colors.

Warranty

Is your vinyl siding still under warranty? If so, it’s time to read the fine print. Painting your vinyl may void the warranty, which means that if anything else goes wrong—like storm damage or a large impact—you won’t be covered. However, if there’s a short period of time left on the warranty or it has long since expired, you can probably paint it without risking too much.

Structural integrity

What kind of condition is the vinyl in? If it’s merely faded, you can paint over it with no issues. However, if there are gaps, warping, cracks or other problems, the siding is no longer suitable for protecting your home. If you choose to paint damaged vinyl siding in Calgary, you increase the possibility that it will damage your home’s walls. Water and insects can get in through the gaps and cause myriad (and expensive) problems. When it’s damaged, the best option is to repair or replace the siding. You’ll save a lot of money in the long run.

Home value

If you’re selling your home soon, a fresh coat of paint will increase curb appeal and may even drive the value up two to five percent. Replacing the siding right before you sell will only yield an 80 percent return on the investment, so it depends on when you plan to sell—and how much you’ll get out of it in the meantime.

To learn more about vinyl siding and painting tips in Calgary, call Rhino Exteriors today.