Advantages of painting wood siding
These are some of the upsides to giving the wood siding of your home a fresh coat of paint. Learn more about our Calgary painting services if you’re interested in hiring professionals to do a quick, tidy, and precise job.
It’s more affordable than completely replacing it
One of the most obvious pros to painting wood siding is that it’s considerably more affordable than replacing it. It’s one of the most bang-for-your-buck options to give your property a facelift while keeping more money in the bank.
If you are a first time homebuyer or trying to budget, painting the wood siding of your home is a great option. After all, installing wood siding can cost upwards to $17,500 per 500 sq ft!
Compare that to the cost of painting wood which tends to be approximately $1,500–4,500 for 1,500 sq ft and you can tell it’s a massive difference in affordability.
That brings us to our next point.
Have fun with the color customization
Besides the monetary benefits, perhaps more importantly, painting the wood siding of your home can bring it to life with colour and beauty.
For instance, have you ever looked at the siding of your home and wished it was a different colour? Maybe you want it to match or contrast with your garage, driveway, doors, or other accents. Perhaps you’d like to make it blend in for a monochrome look. Either way, you’ll be happy to hear that painting wood siding gives you plenty of customization options.
When you work with a company like Earls Paintworks, we’ll happily use our wide selection of paint to make your dream home come to life. We will also recommend colour combinations and ideas that we think will work the best for your project.
Here’s something to consider though: dark coloured siding can actually absorb extra heat and cause damage or age wood faster. It isn’t always recommended to paint wood dark colours but in some places like Calgary where we have long winters, you can get away with it.
Disadvantages of painting wood siding
Next, let’s talk about some of the downsides to painting the wood siding of a home.
It can be time consuming
Firstly, it can take a lot of time. If you’re brave enough to approach it as a DIY project, you will have to begin by picking up the paint brush (or roller more likely) and getting down to business. This means cleaning, prepping, and painting everything from top to bottom.
If you are going to take this route, ensure that you thoroughly wash the exterior of your home. The last thing you want is debris, dirt, or other things on the surface when you paint it. This will make painting more difficult and possibly cause eyesores later. Expect this process to take 1–2 days.
You will then need to prime the siding. Priming is needed especially when old wood siding is pitted or porous. One day should be enough for priming.
Lastly, you are going to paint the siding using a paint brush or paint roller. It needs to go on smooth and meticulous or you risk causing imperfections and making it look worse than when you started (we’ve all been there!). 1–2 days will be needed to complete this.
However, you can skip all of the headaches and save your time by investing in professional painting services with a company like ours. Kick back and we’ll do all of the hard work while we bring your vision to life.
You have to be meticulous with the paint type of application
Painting anything takes time, precision, and skill. It can’t be a lousy job or it will turn out badly. You don’t want that. Some people make the mistake of applying any old paint to their wood siding and guess, what? It doesn’t look good, lasts a very short time, or causes other headaches.
Siding is exposed to the elements 24/7. That means it takes a good beating all year around. Heat and cold also cause cracks so painting needs to be done in pristine weather conditions.
This is why Earls Paintworks takes the time to get to know your project and property. We are diligent about taping, prepping, and ensuring that we do the best job possible so you can enjoy your new beautiful home.
Painting can sometimes void warranties
Something to consider is that painting wood siding can possibly void warranties if you paint over existing siding. Heck, there are warranties that will be voided if you power wash sidings. It’s a small detail that can lead to more headaches and costs later, so make sure to call the manufacturer to refresh on what they offer.
Final thoughts on the pros and cons of painting wood siding
Painting the wood siding of your home has different pros and cons to consider. On the upside, it allows you to bring your dream to life and make any property more beautiful.
After all, think about how much weather and things the siding of your home is exposed to. Through sun and snow, cold and heat, the wood is constantly exposed to the elements. This can cause it to lose its color and get defects over time.
You can also have fun with the colour customization. Want it to match the accents of your home? No problem. Want to create an interesting contrast that will catch attention? You can do that too. We’d also like to mention painting wood siding is considerably more affordable than completely replacing it which easily gets into the tens of thousands of dollars.
On the flipside, painting siding made out of wood takes time. You can easily expect it to take a week or so if you do it by yourself counting the prep, painting, and other steps. Or, you could hire professional painters like us to take care of all of the hard work for you.
In some cases, painting over wood siding can void warranties. Make sure that you contact the provider of the siding if you don’t want to do this. It’s also critical to be meticulous with the type of paint you use and how it’s applied. Once again, you can consult with the manufacturer to determine the best type of paint and how it should be applied.
If you want to bring your dream property to life and give your home a face lift, contact Earls Paintworks for a free, no-obligation quote. We have decades of experiencing painting commercial and residential properties. Check out our gallery or read our reviews to learn more about the quality we provide.
