Replacing siding costs several times what painting it does. Most houses that get quoted for replacement did not need it.
The test
Press a screwdriver into the siding at the bottom of a south or west wall, and at any joint where two boards meet. Timber that resists is sound. Timber that gives has gone, and paint will not bring it back.
Check behind downspouts and anywhere a shrub touches the wall. Those are where it starts.
What painting fixes
Fading, chalking, peeling, and colour you have stopped liking. All of those are the coating failing, not the material.
What painting does not fix
Soft or splitting boards, siding that has pulled away from the house, or anywhere water has been getting behind it. Painting those hides the problem for one season.
The middle answer
Replace the failed boards and paint the whole wall. On most houses that is a handful of boards, and it costs a fraction of a full replacement while lasting just as long.
Vinyl is different
Vinyl can be painted, but it needs a product made for it and a lighter colour than the original — dark paint absorbs heat and warps the panel. We will say when it is not worth it.
Exterior painting covers the work. Finished houses are on our Facebook page.
