Painting Fiber Cement Lap Siding

Fiber cement siding has to be painted or stained.

Painting fiber cement lap siding.

Fiber cement siding is a home siding material that is attractive paintable and is also fire resistant. Use a quick dry flexible paintable caulk that is designed to bond to fiber cement and your trim material. Painting cement asbestos siding or non asbestos fiber cement siding is in part a cosmetic decision. Brand new fiber cement siding arrives prefinished factory primed or unprimed.

The siding is durable termite resistant water resistant and non combustible. 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. Fiber cement may be a manmade material but the way that it s formed gives it the appearance of a natural wood grain. After your surfaces are primed it is strongly encouraged to use acrylic exterior paint for your home.

If there s material left on the fiber cement siding it can cause voids in the painting which gives an access point for water. Caulk transitions where fiber cement meets trim. Manufacturers charge about 1 per square foot and offer a 15 year warranty but color choice is limited and you get only one coat. Do not prime the siding it comes pre primed use 100 acrylic 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 is one of the best materials and long term solutions for protecting your home. Place the fiber cement siding on top of the sawhorses and brush away with a broom. 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.

This home utilizes fiber cement in both horizontal lap siding and in natural looking shakes both stained to give them appearance of real wood. 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. Using the proper materials and paint for fiber cement or hardiplank siding a very good latex primer should be used to prepare the surface for paint. Prefinished siding arrives painted and ready for installation so it doesn t require a paint job or other preliminary maintenance.

It also retains its shape with minimal bowing or warping. Factory primed siding has already been primed by the manufacturer so you ll just need to add one or two coats of paint. Hardie plank is also called fiber cement siding. 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.

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. Make sure the fiber cement is free of dirt and mildew.