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. Whatever your reason, you will eventually want to repaint your beautiful James Hardie exterior.
The good news is, Hardie siding is easy to repaint!
1. Prepare to paint
Whether you've got a ColorPlus finish or custom paint on your existing Hardie siding, you don't have to use primer when re-painting Hardie. All you should have to do is rinse your siding (use a garden hose - no pressure washers here!) to clean off any dust or dirt. If you have the time, lightly sanding your Hardie before rinsing will help your new coat of paint to last longer.
The other thing to check before you start painting is your caulking. Most James Hardie siding is installed with colour matched caulking around windows and at corners. The caulking that most Hardie installers use comes with a 15-year warranty, so depending on how old your Hardie siding is this might be the perfect time to save money and replace your caulking at the same time.
2. Choosing your paint
Once your siding is clean and dry, you're ready to choose your paint. To find out what paint to use when re-painting Hardie siding, check the link below.
Finishing James Hardie Siding Products
Most exterior paints that are commercially available these days will work, but always remember to select a 100% acrylic exterior paint - no oil-based paints or stains. If you aren't sure if the paint you've chosen meets James Hardie’s standards check with the paint manufacturer; they should be able to confirm for you.
3. Will re-painting affect my hardie warranty?
Before you start painting, you should be aware that repainting James Hardie ColorPlus siding will void your existing finish warranty.
However, repainting only voids your 15-year ColorPlus warranty, not your full James Hardie material warranty! Assuming you've selected a paint that meets James Hardie’s recommendations, your product warranty will still be valid.
Depending on the paint you choose, you may get warranty coverage from the paint manufacturer or paint contractor you choose for your project.
4. Tips for repainting James Hardie siding
Finally, here are a few tips for repainting your James Hardie siding. You'll want to make sure you apply the paint as evenly as possible across each piece of material. The thickness of the paint applied will affect how quickly and evenly it will fade over time.
When re-painting siding that’s already been installed, there is no fool proof way to ensure an even paint application. This is something to be aware of as you or your painter get started. Anything you can do to keep track of the application of paint will help your repainted James Hardie siding look great for another 10 to 12 years.
One of the biggest advantages in using James Hardie siding and trim is that it is dimensionally stable: it doesn’t expand or contract very much. Since James Hardie products move much less than traditional siding products, you can expect your new paint to last much longer than you might be used to with older wood siding! 10 or more years is a realistic timeline for your repainted Hardie siding in Edmonton.
Get Painting!
We hope this helps clarify some of the questions you might have about repainting your fiber cement siding. If you have any more questions, feel free to reach out! We have lots of experience helping homeowners with their Hardie fiber cement siding, and would be happy to chat with you about your home or project.