Siding Painting In Milton

Many people ask this question and don’t realize that aluminum and vinyl are actually great substrates for painting, if done properly.  They think that the surfaces are too ‘slick’ or ‘smooth’ and there’s nothing for the paint to bond to.  But water-based architectural paints have actually been used on metal and vinyl siding for over 40 years now!​

Since aluminum and vinyl are impermeable materials, water is not constantly evaporating and breathing through them (compare to wood).  This means that once the paint has fully hardened (cured) onto the siding, there is very little stress on the coating, and it will not flake or peel.

To ensure this proper bonding and curing of the paint, a few points are very important:

• The substrate (aluminum or vinyl siding, soffits, eaves, etc.) must be prepared properly

• The correct product must be used

• The product must be applied under the proper conditions​

We Paint Siding has developed a process and systems to ensure that these requirements are always met.  Since we are specialists, you can rest assured that our crews know what they’re doing.  The crews do similar jobs, repeat the process, and implement our systems every single day!

Here are some more details on the process that ensures proper adhesion of the paint to the siding and other exterior surfaces:

Cleaning

Most siding, soffits, and fascia have never been refinished because many people do not know it’s possible and there are very few contractors who know how to properly do it.

This means there are usually years of built-up dust, dirt or mildew that need to be cleaned.  Often there is also a very chalky residue on the siding, which is the remnant of the original factory-finish from years ago.  If these residues are not cleaned from the surface, then the new paint job will likely peel.

Pressure washing is the best way to remove the surface contaminants.  Many painters will use a basic pressure washer to rinse down a house, but are not equipped to get the higher areas properly.  You can see them spraying way up the side of the house from the ground with the water ‘stream’ being more of a mist by the time it gets to the high areas.  This is not the proper way to clean exterior siding.

At We Paint Siding we are well-equipped with extension wands for our high-powered pressure washers.  This means we can carefully ‘scrape’ across the siding, section by section, making sure the water stream is at the best angle and strength for cleaning.​

If Mildew or mold is present, we will use an exterior mildewcide cleaner.  Depending on how stubborn the mold is, the area will be scrubbed by hand before pressure washing.

Scraping/Sanding

Sometimes there will be remnants of ivy or other vegetation on the siding.  Other times there will be old caulking, remains of eggs(!), or other things stuck to the siding. 

We make sure to scrape and sand these off to ensure that the new paint job will not peel or fail in some localized area.  When removing remnants of vegetation, we aim for 85-90% removal, and certainly to a point where it will not interfere with adhesion of the paint in any way.

Wooden items will often need scraping and sanding and we always ensure to do a thorough job, followed up by coating with a high-build bonding and adhesive primer.  

Products​

Using the correct exterior paint product is extremely important. 

We use only paints that are formulated for use on aluminum and vinyl siding. 

Furthermore we use products that are ideal for spray-application which means having a long enough ‘open time’ (ie: doesn’t dry too fast) to prevent streaks and lap-lines in the finish, as well as having great self-leveling properties, among other things. 

The paints come from major coating manufacturers that have been making paint for aluminum and vinyl siding for more than 40 years!

You may hear some painting companies claim that there are no paints on the market that can adhere to these materials.  They claim they have found the ‘secret’ to making a paint that will adhere, and that only their paint can be used as part of a siding painting service…  

But this is simply not true!  Coating manufacturers have had legions of chemists producing these products for decades.  The paints can be sourced right in Milton.

Application

There are a great number of aspects to consider when correctly applying paint to exterior siding.  A painter must consider many factors such as weather conditions, local Milton weather forecasts, timing of direct sunlight, size of crew, number of different colours, darkness of colours, difficulty of access, and others. 

We have checklists and systems in place to ensure the painter and crew are always factoring everything in to provide the best finish in any conditions.

Many painters who are not specialists in painting of exterior siding will not be aware of the many possible pitfalls that exist when planning jobs like this. 

For example, to avoid painting dark colours in direct sunlight requires planning ahead and making sure the correct areas are prepared and masked in the proper order, anticipating the movement of the sun as the day goes on.  

There are endless examples of how planning affects the final quality of the job when working outside in the elements and following a process that requires a lot of preparation and masking before the paint actually goes on.

At We Paint Siding we make sure the job is planned ahead and done right.  This is why we are proud to offer our 10-Year Guarantee.  We have painted many houses in Milton over the years that still look as good as the day they were painted!

Spray Application Vs. Brush and Roller

Application of the paint by spray is far superior to brush or roller. 

Using a brush or roller to apply paint over a smooth surface actually puts grooves or stipples into the finish.  This means you are adding texture and surface area to the surface of the coating.  The coating will have high and low spots which severely inhibits the lateral bonding properties of the paint (how the molecules bond to each other ‘sideways’ to form a durable whole). 

As the coating takes on the elements over time it will wear unevenly, far more quickly, and also pick up more dust and dirt along the way. 

Also, by brushing or rolling, friction is always applied and only a very thin coating is possible as the paint tends to just get pushed around.  Even two coats of brushed-on paint is thinner than a single coat by spray.

When spraying, the exterior paint lays down evenly and smoothly.  The paint is applied more quickly and therefore can be spread over much larger areas to all dry together for a stronger coating. 

The lateral bonding of the paint molecules is maximized because the coating is smooth and even.  Not only will the final job look much better but it will also stand up to the elements far better. 

Spraying allows a coating to be carefully built up since there is no friction involved in the process.  The coating we apply is thicker and superior in every way to 2 traditional coats of brush or roller.

A Superior Process

The above is just a brief overview of the many aspects that are taken into account in a typical We Paint Siding job. 

Rest assured that both aluminum and vinyl siding are superb substrates for painting if done properly.  In 15 years of painting in and around Milton we’ve never had a single case of serious paint failure!