If your home’s exterior is drab, dull, and deteriorating, you may be considering a siding replacement to freshen up your home’s curb appeal. However, there’s just one problem—siding installation can be costly and may be slightly out of your home exterior remodeling budget.
Fortunately, many homeowners can update their home with a fresh, new look with a few coats of exterior paint for a fraction of the cost. Here’s how you can tell if painting your home’s exterior rather than replacing your siding is the best option for your house.
5 Things to Consider Before Deciding Between Painting Your Home or Replacing Your Siding
Homeowners should consider the following factors to decide if they are a good candidate for a new paint job versus a complete siding replacement.
1. The Age of Your Siding
How old is your siding? If your siding is just a few years old, it’s probably still in excellent condition, so a fresh coat of paint is a great option to liven up your exterior.
However, if your home’s siding is 15-20 years old—you may want to reconsider that paint job. Your siding will likely need to be replaced in five years, so it may be best to save up for a siding replacement. We’d recommend getting an inspection with a professional painting contractor to evaluate the state of your siding before painting it.
2. The Cost vs. Value
As we mentioned, painting your exterior is far more economical than installing new siding. If you’d like to save several thousand dollars and your siding is in decent shape, painting your house’s exterior is likely the best investment for your home even.
Replacing your siding may bring a better return on investment in the long run, but painting your siding is an affordable alternative that will still give you years of enjoyment.
3. The Condition of Your Siding
Is your siding suffering from cracking, buckling, moisture deterioration, pest damage, or weather-related damage? If so, regardless of your budget, it’s wise to pay the money upfront for a siding replacement. Damaged siding compromises your home’s structural integrity, resulting in more costly deterioration down the road that painting simply will not fix.
4. Your Siding’s Overall Appearance
If you’d like to refresh your exterior with an updated eye-catching appearance, painting your home is just as effective as investing in new siding. New paint can make your house’s exterior look brand-new!
5. Your Siding’s Warranty
Often, siding manufacturers offer a warranty on their products, but they will void the warranty if your siding is painted. Before investing in an exterior paint job, ensure your warranty allows for new paint.
Benefits of Painting vs. Siding Replacement
Don’t miss out on these benefits of painting your home instead of purchasing new siding:
- Affordable—Painting your home’s exterior instead of installing new siding can save you 50–60% on your project.
- Beautiful—New paint can transform your home’s weathered appearance into a factory-finished look.
- Protective—Fresh paint adds an extra layer of protection between your siding and the elements, extending the lifespan of your siding.
- Valuable—New exterior paint is a helpful way to add curb appeal to your home, which increases your property’s value at an affordable price.
- Fresh—You can completely transform your exterior with trendy new paint shades to add modern appeal to your home.
- Time Savings—Painting takes significantly less time than siding installation, so your project will be done more quickly.
Can James Hardie or Vinyl Siding Be Painted?
Depending on your siding brand, your contractor will need to follow a specific process to paint your siding correctly to maintain it’s warranty. Indianapolis homes often feature fiber cement or vinyl siding, so we’ll highlight these two materials.
James Hardie Fiber Cement Siding
First, it’s important to note that painting your James Hardie siding will void the warranty for ColorPlus® Technology but will not void the material warranty. So, if you’re hoping to paint your fiber cement siding, you’re in luck! Your contractor will need to clean, caulk, and apply two coats of acrylic or acrylic latex paint to protect your James Hardie warranty.
Vinyl Siding
Since there are so many different vinyl siding brands, you must discuss your warranty restrictions and painting requirements for your unique siding style with your contractor. Vinyl siding must be cleaned, primed, and have at least two coats of paint applied, so costs can vary greatly.
Refresh Your Indianapolis Home’s Exterior With a Professional Painting Contractor
If you’re looking for a professional painting contractor to update your exterior with a few fresh coats of paint, look no further than JD Hostetter & Associates.
We offer popular exterior paint selections to beautify your home’s appearance. We only use top brands like PPG Porter, Benjamin Moore, and Sherwin-Williams to ensure your home receives effortlessly beautiful and long-lasting results.
Contact us for a free painting estimate to refresh your home’s exterior.
