
How to restore and clean your faded vinyl siding?
Method 3 Method 3 of 4: Resurfacing Interior Trim Vinyl on Cars Download Article
- Run a heat gun over a weathered piece of vinyl. If your vinyl is just looking weathered and faded, a heat gun can bring it back to life.
- Use a heat gun to heat up spotty areas. Run the heat gun over areas on vinyl trim in your car that have lost their grain.
- Apply a piece of vinyl grain over the glossy area. ...
- Apply a resurfacing product over repairs. ...
How do you restore vinyl siding?
How do you fix discolored vinyl siding? You may be able to chemically restore it, essentially painting on new chemicals to refresh your siding. Washing your siding with a vinegar and water solution may help. In fact, washing your siding regularly may even help to prevent the problem in the first place. How often should vinyl siding be power washed?
How to recondition faded vinyl siding?
Things You Will Need
- Bucket
- Water
- Vinegar
- Laundry detergent (optional)
- Hose
- Soft brush
- Garden sprayer (optional)
- Vinyl-siding restoration product
- Acrylic-bonding primer
- Acrylic paint
Does vinyl siding need to be repainted?
Unlike wood siding, which may need to be repainted or stained every few years and have planks replaced as they rot, vinyl siding has the color baked right into the material. This means it keeps its color without needing to be painted, stained, or replaced. It’s an inorganic material, so it’s more resistant to the elements.

How long does dark vinyl siding last?
The lifespan of standard vinyl siding is 20 to 40 years. You might be wondering why there's a 20-year long window between the lower and upper age limits. Well, it's simple: Vinyl siding will last you up to 20 years without paint and up to 40 years with paint.
Does dark siding fade faster?
What Color Vinyl Siding Fades The Least Amount? The lighter the color, the less you'll notice fading on your vinyl siding. White will certainly fade the least, while dark browns and dark reds begin to fade more quickly and noticeably. In the past, darker colored vinyl siding faded much worse than they do today.
How long does it take for vinyl siding to fade?
around 10-15 yearsMost vinyl siding is covered by a 20-40 year warranty but will last for much longer with proper maintenance. Unfortunately, if it's going to happen, the first signs of fading will show at around 10-15 years, getting worse as the years go on past that.
Is Dark siding a good idea?
Increases Home Resale Value Because of dark vinyl siding's trending, sleek appearance, you could substantially increase your home's resale value by installing it. Of course, any siding replacement will help increase resale value, but choosing a specifically dark color could boost that number even more.
Is it better to have light or dark siding?
Contrary to what you might think, smaller homes generally look better in darker hues, while larger homes are better suited in light tones. It's all about the way that the siding makes the spaces stand out.
What color siding has the best resale value?
Neutral Siding ColorsNeutral Siding Colors Are The Best For Resale Values Neutral colors are by far the best for resale value because they appeal to the broadest group of potential buyers.
Does dark color siding fade?
Does a dark exterior siding fade faster than lighter shades? It depends on the specific shade you use. Black can fade in the sun, but not always faster than other colors. Today's modern paints are super long-lasting, even darker shades.
Does vinyl fade in the sun?
Sunlight is the most common cause of vinyl plank flooring fading.
Does vinyl siding devalue a home?
Vinyl siding helps increase a home's value by adding a fresh appearance, durability, low maintenance and energy efficiency. According to the 2019 Home Remodeling Impact Report, a vinyl siding upgrade will increase a home's value by 63 percent of the project's cost.
Does dark vinyl siding make a house look smaller?
Light colors make a house look larger and more inviting, and if painted on a house that's sited away from the curb, they can bring the structure visually forward. Dark colors, meanwhile, make a house look more substantial, and especially if applied to a home's lower portion, they suggest stability and permanence.
Does dark vinyl siding warp?
Warping is more common with darker vinyl or paint colors because they absorb more heat than lighter colors. If there is an especially cold winter, the siding can contract and warp even more. You can reduce the chance of warping by choosing a lighter color for your vinyl siding.
How long does black siding last?
Our Colorfast technology insures that your luxurious color retains its deep hue for 25 years. And to counteract the fact that dark colors absorb more heat, we developed our Helios technology which disperses heat absorption, your siding as well as your home will not be affected by the sun's intense heat.
UV Rays
The biggest factor which causes vinyl siding to fade is undoubtedly the sun and its harmful UV rays. If you live in an area that enjoys plenty of sunshine, then you can expect your siding to fade more quickly compared with a house located in a more cloudy and grey climate.
Rain
Rain can cause vinyl siding to fade, but this will happen at a much slower rate compared to fading from sunlight. Heavy rainfall can cause the protective layers on your vinyl siding to be worn away, and this is especially the case if you live near the coast where rain will have a higher salt content.
Snow
Moisture from snow can wear away protective layers on vinyl siding, much like rain. Snow can also lead to the fading of vinyl siding because snowfall on the ground will reflect the sun’s rays onto houses, causing them to experience double the level of UV rays for that time of year.
Maintenance
Vinyl siding suppliers suggest that vinyl siding is annually maintained by giving it a thorough wash. Once a year, use a jet washer to spray a vinyl cleaning solution over the siding. This will remove dust and pollen particles which, if allowed to build up, would damage the UV protective coating on your siding.
Fade Resistant Vinyl
If you choose a higher quality vinyl siding, then it is likely to retain its color for longer than a low-quality siding. This is because thicker siding has its color embedded deeper into the vinyl, and therefore even when the top layers become damaged, the color will still be visible.
Choose Color Wisely
If you’re worried about vinyl siding fading, choose the vinyl siding color that won’t show fading as obviously. White or shades of beige, such as light tan, will not fade as noticeably as darker colors, and therefore will look newer for longer.
Why is vinyl siding bad?
By far the biggest issue with vinyl siding is caused by bad installation because that can lead to water damage on the home. If siding isn’t installed correctly then water can’t properly drain. And if that happens it can build up and potentially penetrate the sheathing which leads to all sorts of problems. Water is the #1 source of rot, mold, mildew etc. to a home and has to be kept completely out of the house. To do this you need a proper moisture barrier which includes siding.
Why is vinyl siding not used in hot climates?
Melting Problems. It’s rare to see melted vinyl siding but it does happen from time to time. This is one of the reasons why vinyl isn’t used much in really hot climates. It doesn’t happen so much from direct sunlight but rather from strong reflected light.
Why do you need to do a siding inspection?
It’s good to do because improper siding installation is what can cause water damage to the home. There’s no way to see behind the siding to find the damage but seeing issues with siding can be a good clue. Improper installation is the cause of just about every one of the major problems with vinyl siding so try and avoid them when you buy a new house.
Why does vinyl siding make a noise?
Improperly installed vinyl siding can make noise when it’s windy or when the temperature changes suddenly. If your siding is nailed too tight you may hear some cracking or popping sounds. If your siding was installed too loose you can hear a rattling noise when the wind blows.
What is waterproof vinyl siding?
Vinyl siding is designed to be flexible which allows for some expansion and contraction. Because of this it isn’t sealed tight to keep out water. A waterproof barrier is installed over the sheathing and under the siding which keeps out moisture. On older homes this layer was commonly made out of tar paper. Today we use products like Tyvek or Blueskin house wrap. If moisture somehow gets behind the siding and through the waterproof barrier your home can suffer serious water damage. Wood that gets wet can eventually develop rot, mildew, mold, and/or leaks.
Is vinyl siding waterproof?
Vinyl siding itself is water resistant just like any plastic product. And when it’s installed properly with a good waterproof membrane will act as a rain screen. If vinyl siding is functioning as designed most surface rain water will run right off it.
Is vinyl siding thicker than PVC?
This is strictly a quality issue. The more expensive, high quality vinyl siding is thicker and in some cases even solid PVC or backed with insula tion. These products don’t warp or buckle as much or even at all because they’re much stronger than the cheaper thin stuff.
Siding Fading Clauses
Most siding manufacturers include one of more clauses in their warranty that touches on fading since it is both predicatable and has caused some serious headaches for homeowners over the years. Often, siding products are warranted to not fade more then three “shades” in the first 10 years after the date of installation.
If You Experience Excessive Fading
If your vinyl siding seems to have faded excessively, your first call should be to the installer who did the work. They work with these materials all the time and can give you an opinion (although not necessarily an unbiased one).
Compare To Excessive Boards
Most siding projects have extra or spare boards that homeowners can store and use in case any damage and dents occur to a section of the siding in the future. Assuming these have been stored in a garage or someplace out of the sun, they make an excellent comparison model to show exactly how much fading has occurred.
Why does my siding look faded?
Your siding might also look faded, but actually just has some chalky residue on it that occurs due to oxidation and build-up of dust and grime and things like that. Oxidation happens when a material is exposed to oxygen for a long period of time, think a rusted vehicle.
How long does vinyl siding last?
Most vinyl siding is covered by a 20-40 year warranty but will last for much longer with proper maintenance. Unfortunately, if it’s going to happen, the first signs of fading will show at around 10-15 years, getting worse as the years go on past that.
Why is my siding rusty?
Rust is caused by a form of oxidation, and the same can go for your siding. That white, chalky residue can simply be cleaned off and brighten up the appearance of your siding just by being washed. We recommend soft washing your siding every so often to keep your siding looking good as new.
Does vinyl siding fade?
The most common type of siding that experiences fading is vinyl. Vinyl siding will fade after years of being exposed to UV rays, and the elements like rain and snow. The sun’s rays will deteriorate the color off of vinyl siding, and other things like boats or jungle gyms that sit outside for an extremely long time.
Does warranty cover faded siding?
Whether or not you deem the fading acceptable, it will be covered to some degree in your warranty. So make sure to check the details on that, so that you don’t outlive your warranty and will be stuck with faded siding and no coverage.
Can you spray siding with a sprinkler?
So, if you ever use a sprinkler to water your lawn, make sure it doesn’t consistently spray your siding for any long periods of time. This one is a little hard to execute, but more shade will provide prolonged life against fading and oxidation.
Is it cheaper to wash siding or paint?
If you are looking for a refresh, cleaning and painting your siding can be a lot easier and a lot cheaper than replacing it all. If you think a good soft wash can do the trick, go for it! Painting is also always an option, but you will probably want to wash it first anyways.
