Is your home’s exterior looking slightly dull after completing the exterior with a prefinished (primed but not painted) Hardie board aka fiber cement siding?
Then to bring a little life to your home’s exterior, you may wonder if it’s passable to paint the prefinished Hardie board on-spot or a few days after completing the exterior of your home.
Let’s have a look at the clarifications discussed ahead to learn the facts.
Painting Hardie Board
Hardie board can be painted because it has pores that absorb paint effortlessly and faster than any other traditional cement board. But the Hardie board has to be pre-primed before applying paint on it, and only 100% acrylic paint that matches James Hardie’s standard should be used for painting it.
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Whether or not you can paint Hardie board siding and Hardie board trim has been described in brief below, check the explanations to clarify your queries.
Hardie Board Siding:
As stated on the top that you can certainly paint the Hardie board siding, it already is making the answer clear that you can paint the Hardie board siding as well without having anything to worry about.
The Hardie board siding is a siding product manufactured by James Hardie, it comes with pores that help to soak up paint better than any other traditional siding made of cement.
In fact, if you don’t purchase already painted Hardie board siding, you are suggested to paint the pre-primed Hardie board siding after installing them to enhance the overall look of your home. Painting the Hardie board siding also boosts its durability and prevents mildew growth.
Just make sure to use 100% acrylic paint and do not prime the Hardie board siding prior to applying paint.
Hardie Board Trim:
You are allowed to paint the Hardie board trim as well and it’s considered totally fine to paint the trim.
The Hardie board trim is also a product made by the James Hardie company and it’s basically an ornamental non-load tolerating trim product used for blocking construct light, decoration, and column wraps.
Similar to the Hardie board siding, the Hardie board trim has pores too, thereby, the trim will absorb paint easily too. So, you really should paint the Hardie board trim after installing and giving your home the finishing touch using it.
However, before painting the trim, you’ll be needing to seal any crevices, joints, and gaps with caulk, and while doing so follow the manufacturer’s instructions. And again use acrylic paint only.
How Often To Paint Hardie Board Siding?
You are required to paint the Hardie board every 10 to 15 years to properly maintain its durability and overall appearance for a prolonged time. Know that repainting your Hardie board once every 10-15 years is the best way to protect your house.
However, sometimes the paint on Hardie siding can last up to 20 years too, and whenever you decide to repaint you must do the basic repairs to repair seams, joints, and gaps. Also, use 100% acrylic paint every time to repaint the Hardie board.
Painting Hardie Board: Things To Consider
Before you start painting Hardie board, a few things you must consider so that the process of painting Hardie siding goes well without any trouble.
Below a list of the points that you must take into consideration have been listed and explained in detail, go through the points and be wary about them.
No Need To Use A Primer:
Hardie siding from the famous James Hardie company comes in a prefinished condition, which means the Hardie siding you will use has already been pre-primed by the company, thereby, you must bear in mind that you shouldn’t use a primer on Hardie board before painting it.
Even though the Hardie board doesn’t need to be primed again, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have to prepare it before painting. You must consider preparing the Hardie board slightly by sanding it a little and cleaning off dirt and dust by rinsing it with a garden hose
Take Caulking Into Consideration:
You should consider checking the caulking before you begin to paint the Hardie board.
Most of the Hardie board is put in place with a color-matched caulk around the corners of windows, however, you may need to replace the caulking if the color doesn’t match or the Hardie siding is old.
Also, pay attention to the warranty of the caulking as most caulking is sold with a 15-year warranty that Hardie installers apply.
Choose The Right Paint:
Choosing the right paint is the most important point that you must take into consideration because a long-lasting result depends on what paint you’ve chosen. And you only should choose 100% acrylic paint to paint Hardie siding, using oil exterior paint is absolutely prohibited.
Moreover, make sure the chosen paint goes well with the James Hardie board’s standard.
James Hardie ColorPlus Warranty Will Be Voided:
As you know that Hardie board comes with 15 years of James Hardie ColorPlus warranty, reckon with the fact that painting Hardie board will void its finish warranty. But this won’t nullify the full warranty of material given by the James Hardie company.
So if you want to paint/repaint the Hardie board, always consider choosing a paint that matches James Hardie’s suggestion so that the product warranty remains valid.
Paint Must Be Applied Evenly:
You must apply even coats of paint across every piece of Hardie board while painting it because the opacity of paint will decide how fastly and evenly the paint will fade away over time.
However, know that there isn’t any infallible manner of even application of paint on the Hardie board once it’s installed, you or any professional should know about it. And, consider keeping a track of painting Hardie boards for future purposes.
What Type Of Exterior Paint Finish Is Best For Hardie Board?
The best of best kind of exterior paint to paint Hardie board would be a high quality 100% acrylic exterior paint because acrylic paint 100% acrylic exterior paint adheres very strongly on Hardie board.
Also, it keeps up a hard holding on the Hardie siding to avert early peeling off of the paint, as well as the additives in this paint prevent mildew formation.
You should ask for professional recommendations before choosing 100% acrylic paint for the Hardie board. However, Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore’s 100% acrylic exterior paints are our recommendations for you.
How To Paint Hardie Board Siding?
Only if you are a DIY expert and are sure to accomplish this job smoothly, you are suggested to paint Hardie siding. Anyway, detailed steps of painting the Hardie board have been discussed below so that you can follow them while considering painting the Hardie board by yourself.
Remove Dirt And Mildew:
Start off the procedure by preparing the Hardie board surface which includes cleaning any dust, dirt, and mildew from the surface before applying paint to it. Use a garden hose or a pressure washer to clean any dust and dirt from the siding’s surface.
If there’s a presence of mildew, apply a solution of bleach and water to the mildew-affected areas and leave the solution for 20 minutes, then rinse with plain water.
Remove Any Flaking:
If the Hardie board has any flakes or shows signs of bad adhesion, you must remove it by doing a wire-brushing. Also, sand down any remaining rough areas in the Hardie siding to get a smooth surface.
Seal Cracks, Open Seams, Joints, Or Gaps:
It’s time to apply caulk and seal all the big and small crevices in the Hardie siding, as well as seams, joints, and any gaps to avert moisture from penetrating the wall. Also, you must seal areas around windows, doors, and eaves.
While caulking always uses a siliconized acrylic caulk or a good quality acrylic caulk to get the best result and enhance the completed look of your paint task.
Note that you must not caulk any side or bottom rims of the Hardie board unless it’s recommended by the manufacturer.
Apply Paint:
Lastly, finish this tricky painting task by applying a top-notch quality and 100% acrylic exterior paint that meets James Hardie’s standard. Start painting from the top of the board and go down gradually, and paint in the direction of the grain of the board’s material.
Remember to apply two even coats of 100% acrylic paint to the Hardie board for the best outcome. And apply the second coat only after the first coat has dried completely.
Note – Do not use a primer, Hardie board should come as pre-primed.
Final Thoughts
It’s possible to paint Hardie board as the pores in it absorb paint quite fast and easily, plus, painting it improves its appearance and longevity. However, before painting the Hardie board, it needs to be sealed well with a quality caulk, and only 100% acrylic paint must be used for painting it.