Cement doesn’t have to be one-note
You can paint fiber cement siding to give your home a new look.
For this project, you’ll need 100% acrylic paint or acrylic latex paint.
You should repaint your fiber cement siding every 10 to 15 years.
The cost to hire a pro for this job costs around $2 per square foot.
Yes, you can paint your cement boards since they have pores that allow them to soak up paint more easily than traditional cement. But that doesn’t mean you can roll out the paintbrushes and get to work just yet.
You need to know what specific type of paint to buy, how to prep your siding for painting, and how often to repaint your cement board to get the best results—aesthetically and for your ROI. Since painting cement boards isn’t as simple as painting your interior walls, you want to go into this with all the knowledge you can get.
You’ll need to wash the siding before painting it, starting from the top down. Inspect the caulking and repair any cracks, splits, or holes in it before painting (repair kits start at around $15, or you can hire a local siding repair professional to tackle larger repairs). When painting your cement board siding, you should also work from top to bottom and go with the grain.
Here’s a simple step-by-step breakdown of how to paint your cement boards:
Thoroughly clean your cement board and remove stubborn dirt, dust, and debris with cement-specific cleaners and gentle water pressure.
Let the cement board completely dry before painting.
Apply a primer made for cement and let it dry.
Paint your cement board in thin layers using a roller or brush.
Wait a few hours between each coat and repeat the process until you achieve the desired color and thickness.
Allow the paint to dry for two to three days, then apply a sealant.
One of the benefits of fiber cement siding is that it can last for around 50 years. However, a cement board paint job only lasts 10 to 15 years. That means you’ll likely need to repaint your siding a few times during its lifetime.
That said, you’ll still end up repainting less often than you would with similarly priced alternatives, like vinyl, which you must repaint every five to 10 years. This makes cement board a comparably low-maintenance choice.
The materials you use will make or break this project. For fiber cement siding, you should use 100% acrylic paint or acrylic latex paint. Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore®, and Dunn-Edwards sell acrylic paint that is compatible with cement board siding, which you can find at most local home improvement stores.
Before you buy your paint, make sure you know how much you need. Measure the exterior of your home or review your initial building plans (if you have them) to get the total square footage. Once you have that number, multiply it by two. Why? When repainting your fiber cement siding, you must apply two coats for full coverage because cement likes to absorb some of the paint.
A gallon of paint will cover 350 to 400 square feet of space, so divide the total square footage by the amount of coverage your chosen paint offers.
Fiber cement siding can be purchased pre-primed and pre-painted, removing the need to prime and paint it after installation. But what if you want to choose your own unique shade of paint? In that case, you can customize pre-primed cement board siding to your aesthetic goals, depending on your retailer and manufacturer.
Pre-painted and primed siding has the color baked into the material during the manufacturing process, making the color last even longer than a post-installation application. You can also get fiber cement siding with a UV-resistant finish, which pros almost always recommend since it will help protect your home from sun damage.
However, you’ll need to paint unpainted fiber cement siding shortly after installation. Plus, you’ll likely need to paint your soffit and fascia (not to mention your trim) to coordinate or match. Use a paintable caulk before painting the exterior to bond your trim to the siding.
Painting cement board is a job you can DIY if you have some experience and feel up to the labor required. You’ll save a bit of cash by doing it yourself, but if you’re inexperienced or rushing through the work, you may find the end result doesn’t look as good as if you had hired a local painting pro to do it. A professional painter can get the job done quickly, expertly, and safely—you won’t need to climb a ladder and risk a fall.
A paint job for cement board siding generally costs around $2 per square foot, with an average total cost of $4,000 for a 2,000-square-foot exterior. The cost of exterior painting, including cement board siding, depends on a variety of factors, such as the size of the home, the type of paint, and the general cost of labor in your location relative to the area’s cost of living.
Professionals recommend acrylic primers for cement board. What’s more, the best option for priming your cement board is a high-quality exterior masonry primer that’s 100% acrylic. You don’t have to prime your cement board in every instance, but if you do decide to go for it, you’ll be making the right choice with an acrylic exterior primer.
Fiber cement siding installation averages $13,300 for materials and labor, ranging from $6,100 to $20,500 or $5 to $25 per square foot, including labor. Fiber cement siding materials are $0.70 to $15 without labor fees. Fiber cement is heavier than some other siding materials, so expect labor costs to be slightly higher to account for that.
You may only need to repaint fiber cement siding every decade or so, but you should clean it every six to 12 months, depending on your local climate. First, wash with a garden hose or similar low-pressure device (not a high-pressure washer, which can damage the material) to remove dirt and any large debris. Then, gently wipe down the surface with a soft brush or cloth in a side-to-side motion, following the grain of the fiber cement.
Yes. Suppose you own a historic home or already have another type of siding that’s in good condition and want to add to the structure. In that case, fiber cement siding is a good choice. It can be painted or customized to match almost any other material, like wood or stone, and follow an existing color scheme.
