Painting Vinyl Siding Darker
The danger with going darker is the vinyl will get too hot and try to warp.
Painting vinyl siding darker. While you re at it have the installer add a thin layer of foam insulation behind the siding or maybe upgrade to foam backed siding. Painting vinyl siding a darker color. Choosing the right paint and colors for vinyl siding. I think i d rather pay a good vinyl siding contractor to install brand new vinyl in my favorite color and do it under warranty than spend at least as much money on painting labor or try do all that work myself.
Sherwin williams vinylsafe paint colors allow you the freedom to choose from 100 color options including a limited selection of darker colors formulated to resist warping or buckling when applied to a sound stable vinyl substrate. If you want to paint vinyl siding a darker color then you have to contend with this possibility even when using vinyl safe paint. In other words painting vinyl siding requires a latex urethane paint formulated for exterior use. Vinyl siding is heat rated white siding isn t able to withstand as much heat as darker siding.
You may be reluctant to limit your color. Painting a darker color onto light toned vinyl siding can cause the vinyl to absorb more heat than it was designed to handle and may result in warping. Darker colored paint absorbs more heat which increases the chances of the siding warping especially if you use the wrong kind of paint. Because dark colors absorb more heat than light colors you should not choose a paint color that is darker than the original siding color.
Quality paint manufacturers offer paints specifically formulated for vinyl siding and usually specify a variety of vinyl safe colors that is colors that won t absorb too much heat. Dark paint absorbs heat which can make the paint bubble and flake off. You may have already heard that you can t paint vinyl siding dark because it can warp. You should also shy away from dark colors which may create more maintenance problems.
So here s the scoop dark colors with low lrv that means light reflective value in case you re wondering absorb heat much more than lighter colors with a higher lrv. Sherwin williams vinylsafe color palette and the colors for vinyl siding line from benjamin moore have over 100 colors to choose from and are specifically designed for application on vinyl. Generally you can change colors but not go darker more than a little. Swp has some paint with what they call vinyl safe technology.
This isn t an issue if you are painting wood because heat does not alter wood.