You can make a house with old, weather-beaten vinyl siding stop traffic with a new coat of a good-quality, acrylic latex exterior paint. We like water-based acrylic exterior paint because it goes on easily and has leveling properties, so it adheres to both smooth and textured surfaces.
And the paint is flexible, so it withstands changes in the climate. The bonus of using latex paint is when the job is done it’s easy to clean brushes and rollers and yourself and clothes.
A paint contractor will charge $2,700, including labor and material, to wash, prepare and paint a one-story house of 1,400 square feet of vinyl siding. The preparation is extensive and includes cleaning the siding with a pressure washer to thoroughly remove dirt and dead bugs, and then washing the surface to remove all mildew, mold, and tree sap. When it’s dry, the paint goes on.
If you’re considering doing the job, you can learn how much paint you need by typing “exterior paint calculator” in a search engine. Answer the prompts about the house like its square footage, dimensions, surface condition and the numbers of windows and doors.
To tackle the job, you can do the work for $350, the cost of the paint and cleaning supplies. If you need to rent a pressure washer, budget about $50 (electric) to $90 (gas-powered) a day to rent one. This is a labor-intensive project that will take considerable time depending on the size of the house. If your house is two stories, you may need to rent ladders and scaffolding, which adds to the cost.
To find more DIY project costs and to post comments and questions, visit www.diyornot.com and m.diyornot.com on smartphones.
Pro Cost — DIY Cost — Pro time — DIY Time — DIY Savings — Percent Saved
$2,700 — $350 — 29.9 — 37.5 — $2350 — 87 Percent
