Fiber cement siding is renowned due to its durability and versatility – producers such as James Hardie offer hundreds of colors and patterns. However, some homeowners want to improve the curb appeal of their houses, also by changing the look of siding or roof. This article explores how to properly paint fiber siding and we will also try to explain you how to prepare the walls to cover them with attractive and durable paint coating.
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Is it Possible to Paint Fiber Cement Siding?
When creating the fiber cement siding vs vinyl siding, we mentioned that a huge advantage of fiberboards is that they can be painted. In the vast majority of cases, painting fiber cement siding is as possible, although it requires the use of the right paint and good surface preparation, which will ensure that the coating does not peel.
Why is it Worth Painting Fiber Cement Siding?
Painting fiberboard siding is justified for several reasons:
You Can Improve Your Home’s Curb Appeal
This is the simplest and most common reason – changing the color of the siding allows for a more interesting, more attractive facade. This can make your house look much more contemporary.
Currently, shades of gray and navy blue are gaining in popularity, but you can successfully repaint part of your house in black, red or any other color. Regardless of the final decision, painting fiber cement siding can allow you to improve the overall aesthetics of your property.
When choosing a color, however, it is worth keeping in mind the consistency of the entire property. Be sure to read the article on common exterior design mistakes!
You Can Prolong Lifespan of Your Siding
Although during production, siding manufacturers protect their siding with a thick coat of paint which should effectively protect fiber cement from gradual degradation, unskillful cleaning and the passage of time cause water and other chemicals to begin penetrating into the internal structure of siding boards, which may not be desirable.
By applying a new coat of paint that is thick enough, you are able to protect your siding from water penetration for many years.It’s exactly like painting steel with anti-corrosion paint.
Siding Painting is a Good Opportunity to Repair Possible Damages
Painting siding is an excellent opportunity to perform a meticulous inspection of its condition, allowing you to detect any leaks, cracks or delamination. In the course of standard wall cleaning, you are not able to take a close look at the boards on the upper part, for example, right next to the soffit, which can be problematic.
What is the Best Paint for Fiber Cement Siding?
The wrong paint choice will end up with serious consequences, the most common of which is simply having to repaint after just a year or two. While fiber cement siding is unlikely to be damaged by using the wrong paint, which is a real risk with vinyl, it is definitely worth paying a little more and using acrylic latex paint.
Acrylic latex paint has exactly the qualities you’ll want from a coating to protect your siding – it offers excellent adhesion, is quite flexible when dry and can withstand UV light for a longer period of time. If you live in a humid climate, you should also appreciate the ability of acrylic paints to effectively wick away water, which protects the interior of your home from mold and the coating from peeling.
Some specialists may suggest you use other synthetic paints. Their choice may also be wise, but it is always advisable to read the specifications of a particular product. When looking for a paint for painting fiber cement siding, you should bet on its maximum resistance to UV radiation, water and as much plasticity of the coating as possible.
How to Paint Fiber Cement Siding Properly?
As a Glenview James Hardie Contractor, we always suggest our customers not to paint the siding themselves, as streaks can easily form and inaccurate surface cleaning can cause the paint to peel.
However, if you want to paint your fiber cement siding yourself, start by inspecting the walls for any damage and properly preparing the surface. Each board should be cleaned of dirt with warm water and detergent and then dried. Then, sand all your siding to make its surface matte – this will make the new paint able to stick to the wall.
When painting fiber cement siding, you can use a brush, roller or spray. In the vast majority of cases, painting walls on residential buildings is done with rollers, while brushes come in handy for touching up details, such as around windows, behind gutters, at the junction of siding and trim or at the foundation.Paint sprayers work well for professional applications – although they require a lot of technical skill, they greatly speed up the entire process of painting the siding.
Once the siding boards are matted, you can start applying the primer and the target coat of paint. Keep in mind when doing this that you may need to paint multiple times, and after applying each of the thin and even coats, you need to make sure they dry well, which takes one to three hours, depending on the weather.Optimally, the paint should be applied 2-3 times, but if you are trying to paint an intense, dark color, you may need more coats. Keep in mind, however, that applying too much paint in one go is not a good idea, as streaks may form on the lower part of the walls.
After about 24 hours, most acrylic paints have already reached their maximum strength and weather resistance.
How to Maintain Fiber Cement Siding After Painting?
Painting fiber cement siding isn’t enough, however – it’s worthwhile for you to pay a little more attention to the maintenance of the boards later on, so that their new color will remain durable and painting won’t be necessary for many years.
As with the installation of new James Hardie Siding, we always recommend washing your siding regularly with warm water and detergent or soap. Very importantly, you should use a soft brush for this. Although the paint on siding is generally more resistant than the paint on a car, hard fibers could damage the coating and create unsightly scratches.
From time to time, it’s also a good idea to check the siding for any paint peeling or flaking. Such a phenomenon occurs primarily when the surface has not been properly cleaned and sanded, so that the adhesion of the new paint layer clearly deteriorates. When such a defect occurs, the entire board should be repainted from scratch – a spot application of paint will not be aesthetically pleasing.
Summary
We hope that this article will be helpful to you. Painting fiber cement siding is a relatively simple and inexpensive way to noticeably improve the curb appeal of your home. However, if you’re not sure you’ll do it right, don’t hesitate – contact a proven Chicagoland siding contractor to do it for you.
FAQ
What Kind of Paint Should I Use to Paint Fiber Cement Siding?
By far the best option will be acrylic latex paint certified for outdoor use. When choosing a paint for yourself, you should pay attention to its quality – it is worth paying a little more for a product that will last many more years of use.
After How Many Years Should I Paint My Fiber Cement Siding?
In many cases, repainting fiber cement siding will never be needed, as most color coatings are made to last more than 30 years.However, if you are concerned about maintaining a vibrant and deep color, painting every 10 years or so will be advisable.
