HOW TO DYE AN EXTERIOR SIDING

The exterior elements of your home have a major impact on your home's appeal and overall appearance. As for the coating of your house, is it the same color as the day you moved in? Over time, many hope to update these exterior surfaces to give new life to these tired, dull or worn materials.

If you are in this situation, you may be wondering what you can do to change the color of the outside of your home. In this article, we will explain the difference between paint and exterior stain, as well as the steps to dye this surface. 

If you are new to home improvement projects, we recommend that you seek the help of a friend or relative to complete this project. Although it is relatively simple, it is safer to do it with someone at your side. Read on to learn about the rules and steps to follow during this project, as well as the aspects to pay attention to during this project.

How to dye an exterior siding

Painting vs. dyeing for an exterior cladding: what's the difference?

Regardless of the material you are working with, changing the color of your cladding will work wonders to increase the outdoor appeal of your home. For most outdoor materials, you will have the option to paint or dye them. interior painters auckland  Paints style and stain are similar in that they both consist of essential elements that enable them to cope with different weather conditions and this includes a solvent (often water-based) and solid elements (binders, pigments and additives).

The right choice for your exterior cladding will depend on a few factors, which vary depending on your personal preference. Here are the main differences between painting and dying your exterior cladding.

The application: The painting covers an existing color or texture. Nevertheless, it rarely penetrates the material more deeply. The paint is usually thicker than stain and can hide imperfections much more easily. In this way, if your coating is very old and extremely discolored, your best option will be to work with paint.

On the other hand, dyeing will penetrate the majority of materials including wood, brick and even vinyl. Dyes are usually available in different pigment concentrations. In doing so, some will cover more than others. If you are looking to maintain the appearance of your coating to a certain degree, we strongly recommend working with a stain rather than a paint.

Preparation: Paint and stain work in much the same way and are usually applied to a clean, dry exterior surface. Nevertheless, painting is usually longer because the surface needs to be adequately prepared for the paint to adhere completely.

In some cases, you will need to treat your exterior siding with a waterproofing sealant. In addition, most paint jobs require the application of a primer before painting. This is not necessary with dyeing, which can usually be applied directly to a clean surface.

Maintenance: Despite the fact that dyes usually need to be applied more often than paint, they will need less maintenance to stay in good condition. Dyes tarnish more slowly and applying a new coat of stain on an old one will give your cladding the appearance of a new one. Semi-transparent stains do not flake. Nevertheless, those that are thicker will flake off as much as paint.

The paint tends to crack and peel when it ages. Obviously, it makes sure to give a look neat, old and unattractive. To refurbish it, you will need to remove the old paint as well as the chips that peel off. This can be done using sand paper.

Protection: Both painting and dyeing aim to protect your home from the effects of temperature. Nevertheless, the degrees of protection they offer vary. Paint can protect your exterior covering for 10 years, while dyeing can protect between 2 and 10 years depending on the number of layers you apply. This is because paint acts as a physical barrier on the surface, while dyeing is a much thinner barrier. 

Preparation and cleaning of the coating

So, you decided to dye your exterior cladding. You will probably discover that there are several types of exterior dyes on the market and that the first step will be to determine which one is right for you. There are four, which are:

Semi-opaque: This type of dye has fewer pigments than the opaque paint has. In doing so, it will only partially cover the surface on which it is applied, so it is a better option if you wish to preserve the material underneath. It will need to be reapplied every two or four years.