Does Fiber Cement Siding Need Painting

The siding is durable termite resistant water resistant and non combustible.

Does fiber cement siding need painting.

More and more homes and townhouses are popping up around the country with fiber cement siding. Maybe you bought a house that already has james hardie fiber cement siding on it and you don t love the colour or maybe you had it installed years ago and are looking to freshen things up. Some factory painted siding panels are available and come with up to 15 year warranties that cover peeling cracking and chipping. This handsome material is a high density combination of you guessed it fiber the cellulosic variety and cement plus sand.

As a low maintenance material fiber cement siding doesn t require frequent painting. It also retains its shape with minimal bowing or warping. Products like hardiplank fiber cement siding will require regular painting to maintain their beautiful appearance unlike other sidings such as brick or insulated vinyl. This is due to the fact that fiber cement does not soak in the painting products like cedar pine or other wood siding products.

Manufacturers charge about 1 per square foot and offer a 15 year warranty but color choice is limited and you get only one coat. Fiber cement siding often comes pretreated with a primer base. This version allows you to paint the fiber cement siding in whatever color scheme you choose after installation. Fiber cement siding is special in that it can maintain a painted finish without a primer base.

When applied correctly paint adheres very well to fiber cement and in ideal conditions could last for decades. Hardie plank is also called fiber cement siding. Unfinished styles on the other hand should be painted shortly after installation. Fiber cement siding has to be painted or stained.

For example do not use an oil based paint. There are two common versions for use on homes apartment buildings or commercial structures. Acrylic paint is best suited for fiber cement stone and stucco exteriors. Do not use improper materials or paint the use of improper paint on unprimed fiber cement can result in undesirable effects.

Whatever your reason you will eventually want to repaint your beautiful james hardie exterior. This can be done before it s installed either by the manufacturer or by a paint shop hired by the lumberyard where you order the siding or after it s up. For exposed composite siding it is important to use a primer that matches the correct ph level. While it s far heavier than aluminum vinyl or wood it is extremely durable and typically only needs a new paint every ten to twenty years for maintenance.

And it s a great candidate for exterior painting whether to correct a failing paint job or to simply change the color of the siding. Most types of siding require a primer base coat before they will accept paint. Still a single coat of acrylic primer can prolong the life of the painted finish. If you purchase prefinished fiber cement siding you don t need to worry about painting it when it s time to install.