Majority of homes often consist of either vinyl or aluminum siding. Siding experiences a lot of wear and tear and this is based on the location of your home and the kind of maintenance that is often performed on your home. In case your siding experiences this kind of wear and tear, you have two options and they include installing a new siding or painting your old one. It is therefore important to decide the best and most fitting option. There is no definitive answer but this article will proceed to discuss and determine whether it is advisable to paint your old and existing siding or to install a new siding altogether.
- The General Condition of Your Old Siding
A siding could look bad due to overall fading of its color or it could be ruined by wear and tear since its installation. The siding can therefore be painted if it is still functional and in perfect condition. More so, if the siding only entails the fading of its color, it is very advisable to paint it as this only involves the incurrence of just a tiny fraction of what would be spent towards the installation of a new siding.
- Durability and Degree of Permanence
It is vital for you to remember that painting your siding is not a permanent and lasting solution to your siding problems. Painting is just a short-term solution that will require some more repair or replacement after the lapse of several years. The paint can last for around six to seven years, after which you can proceed to consider whether to repaint or install a new one. Painting might seem relatively cheap compared to the cost involved in the installation of a new siding but in the long-term, you might end up spending much more money if you opt to paint your siding. All these decisions depend on your overall budget and if you want a quick or permanent remedy to your siding problems.
- The Amount of Money and Labor at Your Disposal
You might have limited funds hence opting to paint siding by yourself, as it can be a DIY task under such given circumstances. However, this requires some very decent experience, as it is still very tasking regardless of the size of the siding that you wish to paint. The task would still require the hiring of various equipment and some elevated risks of potential injury during the entire painting exercise. Ultimately, the decision ought to be based on whether you are totally committed to the project. If you find that this is just too overwhelming for you, you might want to hire a painting expert to help you out or install a new siding.
Other Factors That You Need to Consider
Painting your siding often results to a void of your warranty since any changes, variation or alteration of your siding culminates into the cancellation of the warranty. Painting is also a very delicate exercise as it can only be done when the weather is conducive to avoid the peeling or damage of the paint. It is also crucial to remember that all colors do not work hence you cannot paint the siding without the involvement of a well experienced professional who can comfortably work with several types of paint.
As mentioned earlier, painting entails a very short lifespan compared to the installation of a new siding. This also means that in case any panels might be ruined in the future, they may be very tough to replace due lack of an appropriate match since the siding has already been painted over.
Painting also involves very inconsistent and unpredictable outcomes. It also implies that you will not readily find possible upgrades in the modern and contemporary siding industry. The room for error in the painting option is also very minute and hence, you might end up making irreparable mistakes.
The foregoing factors clearly depict what you should consider when deciding between installing a new siding or just painting your existing one. The cost of the exercise and the lifespan of the siding should be at the heart of your consideration to ensure that you will be completely satisfied with your final decision. All of the above illustrate that it is better for you to install a new siding unless your budget is overly strained thus making the painting option feasible under the given circumstances. If you are still unsure of the best option, consider reaching out to professionals for assistance.