Siding Painting In Hamilton

We hear this a lot because most people aren’t aware that aluminum and vinyl are actually ideal substrates for painting, when done properly.  Many think that the paint will not be able to bond to these surfaces because they’re too smooth.  But in reality there have been water-based products formulated for use on aluminum and vinyl siding for over 40 years now.

​What makes them such good substrates for paint is that they are water-impermeable.  Water vapour is never passing through the substrate and then stressing the coating, as it does when wood is painted.  As long as the paint can properly cure onto the siding, it will never flake or peel.

​So it’s very important to ensure this proper bonding and curing of the paint:

• Preparation of the surface is essential

• Choosing the correct product

• Correct application in the best possible conditions

At We Paint Siding, we make sure these requirements are always met using procedures and checklists.  We specialize in spray-painting sided houses so you can know that we are experienced and professional.  Our painters are utilizing the same systems and techniques day after day!

​Please keep reading for some further details on our processes:

Cleaning

​Since many people do not realize that siding can be painted, most of the old siding out there is very dirty or has layers of broken down chalky paint remnant on it.​  It’s important to remove any of this dirt, dust, or remaining powdered paint before re-finishing.

​We do this by thoroughly and carefully pressure washing the house.  We access the higher areas using extension wands so we can spray even those areas at the right angle.  Most painters are not properly equipped to do an adequate washing of higher areas and instead just mist the water up from the ground.  This does not clean the substrate well enough and creates a serious risk of peeling paint when refinished.

​Our washing process includes using the water stream to ‘scrape’ across every part of the siding, board by board, ensuring the dirt, dust, and old paint is adequately removed.

​We will also use a mildewcide cleaning solution where necessary.  Sometimes there is mold or mildew build-up that needs to be treated or even hand-scrubbed.  We’ll always do the necessary cleaning for proper adhesion of the paint.

​Scraping/Sanding

​Anything that is stuck to the siding that may interfere with the look or longevity of the paint job will be scraped off.  This often includes remnants from climbing vegetation, old dried up caulking, or other contaminants.

​Using scrapers, sandpaper, or power sanders as necessary, we will remove areas of plant remnants to 85-90% removal.  The result will be a surface that in no way inhibits the ability of the paint to bond.  And the remnants will not be visible except under a very close inspection.

​Wooden items and substrates on a job will often need to be scraped and sanded to remove old finishes or grey and dead wood fibres.  Any filling or caulking of gaps and cracks will also be completed.  We’ll then prime the wood with a special adhesive/filling primer.

​Products

​Not just any paint can be used on exterior siding.  We’ve seen many examples of paints that have failed to bond to metal or vinyl siding.

The paints we use are formulated for use on these substrates. 

These products are also ideal for application by spraying.  Preventing over-lap lines and getting proper self-leveling of the paint is necessary when spraying.  These products don’t dry up as quickly as many other top paints that are meant for homeowner, DIY, or brush and roller application.

​Major paint manufacturers like Dulux and Sherwin Williams have been making products that can be used on exterior siding for more than 40 years and carry a very strong track record.

​Other companies sometimes claim that there are no commercially available products that are suitable for siding.  Instead they claim that only their product, made in-house, is adequate for the job.  They have somehow uncovered a secret that others have not been able to…

​But this is simply not true!  The manufacturer’s mentioned above have had thousands of chemists producing these products for decades.  These paints can be sourced right in Hamilton directly.

​Application

​There are so many things to consider to properly paint exterior siding.  A painter must plan around factors such as rain conditions, local Hamilton weather forecasts, strength and direction of the sunlight, the size of a crew on a particular day, how many different colours to paint, and how dark or light they are, also the difficulty of accessing areas to paint, and many others. 

​Our system includes checklists and steps to assist the painter in factoring everything in when he makes his plan for the day.  Harnessing experience, knowledge, repetition, and a commitment to quality are all key elements to our professional process.

​These kinds of paint jobs are very different from most other types.  Even otherwise experienced painters will often not have an awareness of many pitfalls to avoid when trying to spray-paint outside, in neighbourhoods, and out in the elements on surfaces that need careful preparation, correct product, and application  

​For example, as the sun passes over the house during the day different areas will be exposed to direct sunlight.  This could create problems when painting on or with dark colours as the heat may be too great.  Our crews consider the path of the sun in relation to the areas to paint right from the morning to avoid having to paint a surface in less than ideal circumstances.  

​Many more examples could be given of how planning is extremely important.  This is especially true when working out in the elements and when having to do a lot of preparation and masking before painting can be done.  We are specialists at planning these jobs.

​At We Paint Siding, this proper planning is a big part of doing the job right.  As a result we are happy to offer our 10-Year Guarantee.  We can provide many examples of houses in Hamilton that we’ve painted and still look fantastic years later!

​Spray Painting Vs. Brush and Roller

​Spray painting has many advantages over more traditional methods, especially when doing aluminum or vinyl exterior siding. 

Brush and roller application ends up putting small grooves and stipple in the surface, especially on smooth surfaces.  This means added surface area from the texture of the coating.  There will be high and low spots in the finish which weakens the lateral bonding properties of the paint (ie: how the molecules bind to each other ‘sideways’). 

​This ‘rougher’ surfaces picks up dirt and dust more readily and will also wear out unevenly and more quickly over time.

​Friction is also always a component of using a brush or roller to apply paint.  The layer can only be applied to a certain thickness before a painter is just pushing the paint around with the tool he’s using.

​But spray painting allows a layer to be carefully built up and laid on thicker and more evenly.  Since the actual application is a lot quicker (the masking takes up most of the time), larger sections can be all painted and kept ‘open’ (wet) longer and then dry/cure all together. 

This results in a much stronger coating, with the paint able to bond to itself laterally with much greater efficiency.  The paint will both look better and last longer.

​Spraying allows us to build up an optimal coat since there is no friction involved in the process.  The coating we apply is thicker and superior in every way to 2 traditional coats by brush or roller.

​A Superior Process

​The above points are only an introduction to our preferred methods at We Paint Siding.  And we are constantly improving and refining our systems and growing our knowledge.

Aluminum and vinyl siding are both great substrates for paint and can be refinished to stunning effect.  We’ve never had a case of systemic or serious paint failure in over 15 years of working in and around the Hamilton area.