Painting Fiber Cement Lap Siding

Prefinished siding arrives painted and ready for installation so it doesn t require a paint job or other preliminary maintenance.

Painting fiber cement lap siding.

Painting cement asbestos siding or non asbestos fiber cement siding is in part a cosmetic decision. 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. Hardie plank is also called fiber cement siding. Caulk transitions where fiber cement meets trim.

We have rarely seen this material in a worn friable condition but should that occur one might paint the surface also to stop fiber shedding and to preserve the material. 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. Brand new fiber cement siding arrives prefinished factory primed or unprimed. Fiber cement siding is a home siding material that is attractive paintable and is also fire resistant.

The siding is durable termite resistant water resistant and non combustible. More and more homes and townhouses are popping up around the country with fiber cement siding. Step 1 clean the fiber cement siding in order to properly seal the fiber cement siding it needs to be completely free of dust and debris. Place the fiber cement siding on top of the sawhorses and brush away with a broom.

Make sure the fiber cement is free of dirt and mildew. This handsome material is a high density combination of you guessed it fiber the cellulosic variety and cement plus sand. Use a quick dry flexible paintable caulk that is designed to bond to fiber cement and your trim material. 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.

Factory primed siding has already been primed by the manufacturer so you ll just need to add one or two coats of paint. While more fiber cement siding manufacturers have popped up in recent years unlike other home related materials such as flooring or tile fiber cement is not a market that lends itself to small or even medium scale manufacturers. It also retains its shape with minimal bowing or warping. This home utilizes fiber cement in both horizontal lap siding and in natural looking shakes both stained to give them appearance of real wood.

Do not prime the siding it comes pre primed use 100 acrylic paint. Manufacturers charge about 1 per square foot and offer a 15 year warranty but color choice is limited and you get only one coat. If there s material left on the fiber cement siding it can cause voids in the painting which gives an access point for water. Fiber cement siding has to be painted or stained.

Acrylic paint is best suited for fiber cement stone and stucco exteriors. After your surfaces are primed it is strongly encouraged to use acrylic exterior paint for your home.