Hardieboard....Paint or Stain

[Jimmy C.]

Hardieboard....Paint or Stain
The Hardieboard I bought had a note saying that it is factory primed.
Does this mean I can paint it or stain it right out of the box?
Has anyone here had experience with this material?
I know that Micky applied a stain to his, but everything I have read is telling me to use 100% acrylic or laytex paint.
What is better and why?

[Billy Bob]

I can take a shot at this one, Jimmy.
Factory primed means you're good to go, though it would be a good idea to make sure nothing got on the siding,(oil, etc.) that will compromise your final finish.  A little soap and water wash will usually take care of anything like that.

Stains are designed to let the natural appearance of the wood substrate show through.  Even the heavier opaque stains are meant to allow vivibility of natural wood gain.  Since they are "lighter" than paints they are thinner and more porous, and so less durable.  It also means that, on an opaque surface, it takes a considerable degree of skill to get an attractive, uniform appearance,( think "blotchy".)  Stains are also designed to penetrate a wood surface, so have a different drying character than paint, (runs.)  They typically give only about half the coverage per gallon, if I recall.

The most telling argument is the manufacturer's suggestions; they spent a lot of dough developing their product, and want it to look good so you tell all your pals, "Hey, ya gotta try this stuff!"  I know not all companies are 100% on this, but I bet Hardie has the scoop on this angle.

Good luck, and send more pics when the deed is done! [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

[bayview]

   We used Hardi-Plank for siding on our garage.  

  Even though the siding comes primed, we primed again before paint.  The primer looked a little "weak".   It took 3 gals primer and 3 gals Behr Latex paint for a 22X24 garage.  We used a sprayer.  We thinned the primer with a little water otherwise it would clog the sprayer tip.

  Took about 1/2 day on Saturday for primer coat.  And about 1/2 day on Sunday.

  Total cost $60.00 for primer and $75.00 for paint.

[Amanda_931]

If you had to have the stained look with Hardieboard, you could paint it some reasonable wood color, then use one or more faux grain techniques, and then stain or glaze or something.  

There are a lot of odd painting techniques, many of which look pretty good on interior walls.  At a guess somebody's either tried them or is fixing to for the exterior.    

[PEG688]

This is what Jame's Hardi sez:

PAINTING
James Hardie products must be painted.* 100% acrylic topcoats are recommended. Do not paint when wet. For application rates refer to paint manufacturers specifications. Back-rolling is recommended if the siding is sprayed.
*within 180 days for primed product and 90 days for unprimed


 

       Must be painted , 100% acrylic topcoats recommended.

 Our painter ALWAYS re- prime , they say the factory primer is not very good , to thin,  so if you do not prime you'll just be putting on more expensive paint as it will not cover  to most people satifaction.

 Some folks tint thier primer if the color you choose is going to be hard to cover the existing primer, say a red or deep blue , something with a lot of color, might not cover so a tinted primer starts to lay color right away.

 Other than on this site have I heard you can stain Hardi, web site here:

 http://www.jameshardie.com/homeowner/installation/hardiplank_installation.php

 Does not mention staining , maybe Micky can add more to the staining process.

 Good luck , PEG

BTW we use big stretch brand caulking

 

 Site : http://www.sashcosealants.com/products/hi/Big-Stretch-6-Pak-P3C0.aspx



goes on good , usually takes one touchup coat to get all the gaps filled , caulk wait at least one week , tune it up.    

[Okie_Bob]

Jimmy, as you may recall, I used Hardiboard on my lake place and I spray painted it with Behr paint per Hardie's recommendations. I did not re-prime, simply went with what came on it. Paint went on exceptionally well and I've been very pleased with the results. I'd post some pics but, don't know how.
Again, you are welcome to come see my place on Cedar Creek Lake anytime.
Okie Bob

[Billy Bob]

Jimmy, I think Okie Bob's experience tells the story.  I would have to respectfully disagree with PEG's painter on the subject of primer.  The main purpose of a primer coat, (in house painting) is to promote adhesion between the base material and the finish coats.  There ARE some secondary functions, such as mildew elimination, tinting to help with color change, etc., that can be incorporated into the primer coat. but they are secondary purposes.  The factory surface may seem "thin" to guys who have spent years applying a good thick coat of primer on bare wood to hide the grain, but it should be fine.
Now I will contradict myself a little bit; [smiley=lolk.gif] with regard to caulking and sealing, it IS a good idea to prime both under and over the caulked area.  Prime first to promote adhesion of the caulk, then prime the caulk to get the paint to stick.  I have not had great results from some "paintable" caulks, and prefer to prime them.
Again, no beef with PEG's guy... different experiences, etc.  Personally I would rather put the time and money into another finish coat of paint if that's what it takes, as primer is not paint, and doesn't offer the protection. (IMHO  [smiley=wink.gif])

Oops, more exceptions:
Primer as basecoat for an automotive finish-
Any corroded metallic surface might also benefit from additional primer coats.

[Micky]

I should clarify what they are calling "pre-stained".  This is more of a faux stain.  I think the trick is that it is semi-transparent.  So more of the "stain" settles in the faux grain of the siding and makes that area look darker.

I had this pre-applied by a local operation.  They had a special machine the applied a measured amount with the board horizontal so the "stain" could flow into the low spots.

http://www.superdeck.com/masonsselect/6700spec.htm#6700colors

It is all about making fake siding and fake stain look like real stained wood.  I think it does a pretty good job of that (from a distance).

[PEG688]

 Thanks Micky .

 From a distance   I like that