'Learn about Fiber Cement Siding' Articles

EXPLORE SIDING COLORS

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James Hardie® is a highly recognized brand if you are thinking of installing fiber cement siding over other fiber cement products. Over 8 million homes in North America have James Hardie® fiber cement siding. James Hardie® is an easy pick for many homeowners given the brand's durability, low maintenance, and long term beauty.

However, choosing between different James Hardie® products can be challenging. Here’s what you should know when deciding between pre-painted and pre-primed products.

Pre-Primed Products

Pre-primed products are products (such as siding) that haven’t been painted but coated with a high-quality primer. James Hardie® uses a climate-tested primer that offers consistent and long-lasting paint adhesion in the most demanding weather conditions.

Pre-Painted Products

Pre-painted products are products such as siding that are painted in the factory (with consistently applied coats) and color baked on before being sold to customers. James Hardie® uses ColorPlus technology that delivers products with unmatched color aesthetics and performance.

Pre-painted products have a consistent finish, brighter look, and long-lasting appeal.

James Hardie® is so confident about the durability of their pre-primed and pre-painted products that they offer a 15-year warranty for both.

James Hardie® Pre-painted vs Pre-primed

If you don't know whether to buy pre-painted or pre-primed James Hardie® fiber cement siding among other products, you need to consider three main factors:

1. Color Options

Pre-painted products fall under the James Hardie® Statement Collection™, which is composed of 15 plank colors, eight-panel and Batten board colors, and 5 trim and soffit colors. If you can't find a pre-painted color option that you like, you can consider installing a pre-primed product and painting the color you want on-site.

Products such as soffit and trim (are available in five out of fifteen colors only) i.e. Arctic White, Khaki Brown, Cobblestone, Timber Bark and Monterey Taupe.

Panel and batten boards are available in seven colors (all the five soffit and trim colors above plus Navajo beige, evening blue, and light mist colors). You can find pre-painted planks in the same 7 colors as panel and batten boards plus an additional eight colors namely: Pearly Gray, Boothbay Blue, Gray Slate, Aged Pewter, Evening Blue, Iron Gray, Night Gray, and Mountain Sage.

If you want your home to have pre-painted James Hardie® products featuring one color, you need to select any of the five colors (Arctic White, Khaki Brown, Cobblestone, Timber Bark, and Monterey Taupe). Otherwise, you can mix up colors based on availability.

Alternatively, you can choose pre-primed products and pick any color option you want for your siding, trim, soffit, etc. and have that color painted on-site.

2. Install Finish Expectation

Your choice between James Hardie® pre-painted and pre-primed should also be informed by the final product. Which is better after the job is done?

Pre-painted products such as fiber cement planks are manufactured and painted in the factory. When they reach the job site (your home), they are handled by hand and touched many times during cutting, nailing and in between.

The numerous contact points of the planks during the installation process can leave dirt and marks on finished boards. This can be a problem with pre-painted products that have bright colors (such as artic white).

Pre-painted products don't have this problem. The finish is better because painting happens in the last stage. While James Hardie® offers a touch up kit alongside all pre-painted products to get rid of imperfections, touching up has its cons.

For instance, a touched-up section of a plank can fade with time. The fading is usually inconsistent with the rest of the plank color resulting in uneven color. Factory supplied touch up paint fades differently. Pre-primed products are better in this regard.

Pre-primed products are also better in regards to joint maintenance. James Hardie® sells 12-foot long planks. For a 20-foot wall, you need two planks that are joined together to form a butt joint, yet the planks don't come with a sealant for the butt joint.

Pre-primed planks are an alternative to pronounced joints since such joints can be sealed using paintable sealant and then painted with a fresh coat of paint to give a seamless appearance.

However, you may have to deal with caulked butt joints in the future since caulking is bound to shrink and crack over time.

3. Product Size and Selection Offering

James Hardie® pre-painted vs. pre-primed products can also be explored in regard to product size and selection. The James Hardie® Statement Collection™of colors is offered in specific sizes only.

Products which don’t fall within the sizing offers of the Statement Collection™can’t be bought pre-painted. For Example, you may be forced to buy more soffit than needed just because James Hardie® pre-painted soffits are only available in specific sizes.

Product styles are also limited for pre-painted products. While the finishing has been engineered to resist fading and adhere firmly for years regardless of the climate/weather, it's only available in wood-grain. Homeowners who want smooth textures or modern farmhouses design should consider pre-primed products.

Verdict: Pre-painted vs Pre-primed James Hardie® products?

If you don't want to be limited by the 15 colors offered with pre-painted products, you are better off buying pre-primed products and painting them as you wish on site.

Both products are great.

However, it's advisable to understand their unique pros and cons and what works best for you.

With a seasoned James Hardie® approved contractor like Preview construction, you can rely on decades of expert advice when making a decision between pre-primed and pre-painted James Hardie's products in Dallas, Texas and throughout the all of Texas.