A home’s appearance can play a huge role in its value. Painting or staining exterior siding is a great way to maintain property value, and it’s one of the first things homeowners think about when evaluating their home’s style and appearance.
Interested in getting the best curb appeal you can for your home? Read on to learn about the advantages fiber cement siding has over other materials when it comes to color, style, and painting techniques.
Most Siding Materials Can Be Difficult to Maintain
Maintenance is always a pressing topic when evaluating the longevity of a product and how much work you can expect to keep an attractive appearance.
Naturally, some siding materials are more difficult to maintain. Homeowners can expect to paint or stain these materials more frequently, which translates to more time, money, and effort funneled into the maintenance of the home.
Traditional siding materials need a lot more maintenance and attention than modern materials, like fiber cement. Wood can flake off or become rotten, and vinyl siding can crack or show paint chips from hail damage. Feeble-natured traditional siding materials tend to wear and tear faster than stronger materials, like fiber cement. Your home will require constant touch-up, and regular comprehensive repainting will be needed.
Fiber Cement Siding is Low-Maintenance — Including Color Longevity
The beauty of fiber cement siding is that it is specifically built to be more durable — and that goes for the color, too. Painting or staining fiber cement siding every few seasons isn’t necessary because it is sold already primed and finished in the factory with paint made to last. The 15-year factory-applied paint warranty is a clear sign that you can count on fiber cement siding to keep its aesthetic appearance without much effort.
In fact, fiber cement siding is low-maintenance in all regards when compared with traditional siding materials. Wood, vinyl, and other materials may require sanding or power washing, but fiber cement siding doesn’t. A simple rinse with a garden hose is all that’s needed to keep fiber cement siding clean and attractive and show off a consistent color.
The Smart Approach to Painting Fiber Cement
Though homeowners typically won’t need to worry about the color fading on factory-painted fiber cement siding, they can paint fiber cement if a color change is desired. When painting fiber cement siding, it’s important to keep a few points in mind.
For example, fiber cement should not be power-washed prior to painting, as the high pressure can actually damage the siding and create imperfections in the smooth surface appearance. A bucket of soapy water and a soft sponge are the best tools for clearing off exterior debris before applying a fresh coat of paint.
Another point to keep in mind when painting fiber cement is to only use paints that are compatible with the material. Most fiber cement manufacturers can provide good resources for the types of paint recommended for fiber cement exteriors. It’s also important to remember that fiber cement siding is already primed, so most jobs won’t require a primer before applying the appropriate paint type.
Attractive Siding Styles to Consider
Color selection is also key to painting fiber cement siding in a way that beautifies the home and enhances curb appeal. Keep in mind that choosing a color goes way beyond picking out a hue that you find nice. Color should be coordinated with the trim, roofing, and other features found throughout the home’s exterior.
There are many different types of styles available with fiber cement. Board and batten, shake, lap — all of these fiber cement siding styles can be painted, but some may require a little more effort than others. The more edges a siding style has, the more opportunity for missing a spot while painting the fiber cement siding. Just think about the complex surface of shake siding compared to the smooth surface of lap siding. Always take the time to inspect every siding angle to ensure that the paint covers the exterior completely.
Get A Beautiful Exterior with Allura
Allura has fiber cement siding products in a wide array of colors and styles, including wood-look siding with natural-style wood grain patterns. Allura’s factory-applied finishes create a thicker, more uniform finish on their fiber cement products, which means that the original color will keep for years.
Fiber cement products come pre-painted, so homeowners don’t even need to worry about painting or staining their fiber cement siding in the color they like! In fact, with 25 colors to choose from, including traditional tones and more trendy hues, Allura makes it easy to get the color you want right from the get-go.
Contact Allura today to browse through our beautiful fiber cement siding products in a wide range of colors and styles.
