How do I paint vinyl siding on my New Brunswick home or should I avoid it?

You can successfully paint vinyl siding in New Brunswick, and in many cases it's an excellent alternative to replacement — but only if you choose a paint formulated specifically for vinyl, avoid going more than 1–2 shades darker than the original colour, and do thorough prep work first. Painting vinyl siding the wrong way — wrong paint, wrong colour, wrong prep — leads to buckling, peeling, and fading within a couple of years in NB's climate.

The critical rule with vinyl siding is colour selection. Vinyl expands and contracts with temperature — in a New Brunswick summer, dark-coloured siding sitting in direct sun can reach 60–70°C (140–160°F) surface temperature, far beyond what the vinyl was manufactured to handle. Original vinyl siding colours are deliberately light or medium because the manufacturer calibrated the material thickness and formulation for that heat load. Paint the siding a significantly darker colour, and the vinyl absorbs more heat, expands beyond its design limits, and warps or buckles — a problem that can't be undone without replacement. A good rule of thumb: stay within 2 LRV (Light Reflectance Value) points of the original colour, or stick to lighter, brighter shades rather than deep navy, charcoal, or black.

Prep is everything with vinyl. Vinyl is inherently non-porous and often has a chalky oxidized residue on older siding from UV degradation. Paint won't stick to either surface without proper cleaning. Wash the siding thoroughly with a TSP substitute or a vinyl-specific cleaner, scrub with a soft brush to remove chalking and mildew (common on north-facing vinyl in NB's damp Maritime climate), and rinse completely. Let it dry fully before painting — a full 24–48 hours of dry weather in NB summer conditions. Do not use a high-pressure power washer on vinyl; it can force water under panels and damage the underlying structure.

You do not typically need a primer on clean, well-prepped vinyl siding if you're using a vinyl-specific paint or a 100% acrylic exterior paint labeled for use on vinyl. However, if the siding is heavily chalked or has any areas of delaminating or flaking previous paint, a light coat of bonding primer ($40–60/gallon) over those areas improves adhesion significantly.

Paint selection for vinyl in NB: Choose a 100% acrylic latex exterior paint formulated for use on vinyl and masonry. Sherwin-Williams VinylSafe technology (available in Duration, Emerald, and SuperPaint lines) and Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior are both excellent options and are available in NB at $55–80/gallon. These formulations are flexible enough to handle vinyl's expansion and contraction through NB's extreme temperature swings, from -25°C in a Moncton January to +30°C in an August heat wave.

For a full house exterior painting on vinyl siding, expect costs in the same range as wood siding: $4,000–7,000 for a bungalow and $6,000–12,000 for a two-storey home in NB. The labour is somewhat faster than painting wood because there's no sanding or priming involved when the surface is properly prepped, but the cleaning stage takes longer.

Hire a professional for two-storey vinyl siding painting — the ladder and scaffolding requirements are identical to wood siding, and achieving even coverage on vinyl at height without drips or roller lines requires experience. A well-executed vinyl repaint in NB can last 10–15 years with premium paint, making it far more economical than vinyl siding replacement at $8,000–20,000 for a typical NB home.

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• Expressions Painting
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