Our vinyl exterior window shutters have been painted twice with no problems.

Prep work is the key.

Vinyl siding will accept paint just fine. Clean it properly and apply (2) coats of Sherwin Williams Duration.

We have also successfully painted vinyl. It has been painted a long time and no issues. We did prime with Z-prime I think.

One thing I have heard and read is do not paint it any darker than the color on the house. Evidently there could be issues with it getting warmer if darker and damage the siding. At least that is how I understood it.

OK..I think we are going to have a go at this. From all I've read, we have to power wash it first, use nothing but acrylic paint and as ponderinstuff mentioned, not paint it any darker in hue that existing color. I've asked at a couple of paint stores and haven't gotten any response like, "Yeah, they say you can do it, BUT it really doesn't work very well..." Thanks for the replies...

ponder is absolutely correct. It's about the LRV, Light Reflectance Value of a color. How much light (which is energy) a color absorbs and how much it reflects.

If you paint vinyl siding with a color that has too low of an LRV, that absorbs too much light and energy and thus retains too much heat, the siding will warp and get wavy. Paint the siding a color that is similar in value or lighter and you have nothing to worry about as long a proper prep is done and quality product is used.

Sherwin Williams is a good source for a specific palette that is suitable for all colors of vinyl siding.

Also, a lot of the new non-wood exterior architectural elements that are now available are kind of, well, cheap and can not with stand a color like dark green, navy blue or black. Often, the minimum LRV is listed in the warranty for these products and that's something you want to comply with.

This is not something that many people are aware of - professional nor homeowner. A few years down the road when a product starts to look crappy it's often blamed on overall quality. Quality may indeed be an issue, but painting it a darker color than it was manufactured to withstand likely initiated the product's failure.

Here is a link that might be useful: LRV

I think the most important part is getting it clean. My father-in-law, a life time professional painter did our aluminum siding years ago. I think his prep work actually took longer than the painting. Power washing alone does not get the dirt out. Think about when you wash your car...the hose sprayer seldom gets the grime off. He actually hand washed the siding on our home. Now it was not too big mind you and I believe he preset up all the scafolding etc. Again, he has told me time and time again, its the prep that counts. Any time I have taken his advise, I've had good results! Good luck.

What is the best way to clean the siding? Soap & water or is there a commercial cleaner available at H.D.?

I am considering painting my vinyl siding in the Spring. The original posts are from 2007 - any updates? Is Sherwin-Williams the best choice for paint? Is a primer a good idea? If so, is there a good choice? In cleaning the vinyl surface, what is a good product? TSP?

Do not power wash the existing siding as you will most likely push water up under the panels and into the joints. Simply hand [push broom] wash from the bottom up with warm soapy water.

This is an older thread, but still relevant. Love how that happens around here! :)

If using TSP, know that it must be rinsed off extremely well.

Benjamin Moore now has a special color palette for vinyl siding too called Vinyl Select. Link: http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-contractors/vinyl-select