Painting Vinyl Siding

Q: Can the fading vinyl siding on my 11-year-old home be painted? I bought the place this past fall and I’ve read mixed reviews about the success of painting vinyl siding. General Paint claims it has a product that can easily last 10 years, but I don't want to bother if it will start to look lousy in a couple of years. Your response would be most appreciated.

A: Yes, vinyl can be painted, but I don't have any personal experience to offer about long-term durability of doing the work on siding. That said, I do trust painted vinyl enough to have purchased a whole bunch of dark brown vinyl windows that get their colour from paint. And so far, the surface seems fairly scratch-resistant and good looking. More than in most situations, I believe that success with vinyl painting depends on a clean surface, properly prepared. If your situation were mine I'd try painting, either over the whole surface or a small test patch. I think even a year's worth of observation of a small, south-facing area would tell you a lot about long-term prospects.