How To Choose A Vinyl Siding Color for Your Home

Vinyl siding colors are always one of the main questions a potential customer has a question or a concern about and rightfully so. The color you ultimately choose for vinyl will have to be a color you live with for a while or at least until you are ready or forced to make a change.

There are many high quality vinyl choices to choose from but due to potential damage from severe weather or heat from the sun, you will have to repair or replace your siding eventually. Vinyl comes in many classic colors such as shades of white, yellow, brown, green, and grays. Some manufacturers such as CertainTeed or Gentek carry 100's of different colors. The problem is once you have damage from wind or trees and you have to replace the damaged strips, you have to be able to match the colors and style and that can be a problem sometimes. Manufacturers will only carry a color and style combination only for so long and then their inventory switches out leaving you unable to repair your home.

Can I paint my vinyl?

Yes you can. Home improvement stores like Home Depot or Lowes carry special paint for vinyl. This paint is an acrylic and urethane combination. This combination of paint provides the elasticity needed to allow for expansion and contraction of the vinyl. It costs a little bit more then average exterior paint. It's always a good idea to ask an expert about which paint to use and how much you think you will need. Vinyl has a large surface area and it will take more paint then you think in order for it to be painted correctly. Painting is not a bad option but just make sure the costs don't outweigh the benefits of purchasing new vinyl siding altogether.

Are there other options?

Yes there is. One other great option is to buy a little extra vinyl just in case you need it down the road. If you are on a budget it may not seem like a great idea at first but in the long term it will save you a lot of time and money. Trying to match styles and color could be difficult later on and if you just so have happened to buy extra then all you would have to pay would be for the labor.

Fade warranty?

Another thing that can help in your decision making in selecting a color is to ask about the fade warranty, if any, that comes with your purchase. The fade warranty is a warranty that your purchase will not turn a different color over a period of time. It is usually a rating between 1-4 and a rating of 1 being the best. This fade warranty is rated in what is called Hunter units.

What about natural lighting?

The other thing is to select colors under different lighting arrangements and the most important lighting is natural lighting. Inside and outside lighting can vary significantly. Make sure you take time to look at vinyl colors outside.

So there you go. The main thing is to choose a vinyl siding color you feel you can live with for a while. The other thing is to budget for extra just in case you end up having to make repairs later on down the road. Finally, choose a color under natural lighting and ask about the fade warranty. In the long run this is probably the best solution in terms of time and money spent.