To paint Hardie board, wash it gently, let it dry, seal any cut edges and failed caulk, and apply a 100% acrylic exterior topcoat. Never use stain, oil or alkyd paint, or powder coating, and paint factory-primed boards within 180 days of installation. Those are James Hardie’s own rules. In Colorado Springs, three more things decide how long the job lasts: painting only when the surface will stay above the dew point for two days, giving the south and west walls the best prep, and fixing hail chips before they let water into the board. Integrity Roofing and Painting paints fiber cement siding across the Pikes Peak region.
James Hardie’s painting rules, in one list
From James Hardie’s installation instructions and homeowner FAQ:
- Clean, dry and free of dust, dirt or mildew before any coat goes on.
- No pressure washer. James Hardie says one can damage the surface; use a low-pressure hose and a soft, medium-bristle brush.
- 100% acrylic topcoats. No stain, no oil or alkyd base paint, no powder coating.
- Primed boards within 180 days of installation.
- Do not paint when the siding is wet, and back-roll if the paint is sprayed.
- Caulk, paint or prime every field-cut edge. Cut edges are where fiber cement takes on water.
- Sealant: an elastomeric joint sealant meeting ASTM C920 Grade NS, Class 25 or higher, or a latex sealant meeting ASTM C834.
- Small cracks, chips and dents can be repaired with a cementitious patching compound.
Primed board or ColorPlus: which do you have?
Hardie siding comes two ways. Primed boards arrive with a primer coat and need a finish coat on site. ColorPlus boards arrive with a baked-on factory finish that James Hardie backs with a 15-year limited warranty covering paint and labor against peeling, cracking and chipping. The board itself carries a separate 30-year, non-prorated substrate warranty.
That difference changes the job:
| Primed board | ColorPlus board | |
|---|---|---|
| First paint | Required, within 180 days of install | Not needed; it is already finished |
| Repaint prep | Clean, dry, spot-prime bare spots and cut edges | Clean and dry; repriming normally not necessary |
| Nicks and nail heads | Caulk and paint | ColorPlus touch-up kit; do not caulk nail heads |
| Large damaged areas | Patch, prime and paint | James Hardie says to replace the boards with new ColorPlus siding |
James Hardie does not warrant third-party paint used as touch-up on ColorPlus, and problems from it are not covered by the ColorPlus finish warranty. If your siding is fairly new ColorPlus with a few chips, use the matching touch-up kit or replace the boards before choosing to repaint the whole house. Find your install date and paperwork first.
What Colorado Springs changes about the job
Sun on the south and west walls. The EPA notes that the UV reaching the ground rises with altitude. On fiber cement here, the sun-facing walls chalk and fade years before the north side. Rub a dark cloth on the south wall; if it comes away colored, the paint is chalking and needs a thorough wash before a new coat will stick.
Cold nights and dew. Sherwin-Williams says paint should stay in its temperature range and above the dew point for at least 48 hours after it goes on, and warns that a warm afternoon followed by a cool night puts dew on fresh paint and can stop it curing. Traditional latex paints need temperatures above 60°F to cure properly; some premium lines are rated down to 35°F. In spring and fall here, that means starting after the morning dew burns off and stopping early enough for at least four hours of dry time before evening moisture. See how exterior paint holds up in Colorado Springs for the rest of our exterior prep.
Hail. Fiber cement does not dent like vinyl or aluminum, but hail chips paint and can crack or break boards, and a chip at a lap edge lets water reach the board. After a storm, check the siding and window trim along with the roof; our Colorado Springs hail damage page covers what to look for. If you file a claim, the claim is yours; our photos and written scope make sure nothing gets missed in the scope, including the siding and paint.
Roof and gutter edges. James Hardie’s installation details call for a clearance gap between a roof and the siding above it, and kickout flashing where a roof edge meets a sidewall, so water is thrown into the gutter instead of down behind the siding. Paint and caulk should not close that gap. If the roof is being replaced, schedule the paint after the roofers finish, so the new flashing and the paint line meet cleanly. Overflowing gutters soak the lowest courses first; see when to replace your gutters.
Wildfire rules. After the 2012 Waldo Canyon fire, the Colorado Springs Fire Department published its Ignition Resistant Construction Design Manual for homes in the wildland urban interface (WUI). Under ordinance section K104.1(2), siding, eaves and soffits on new or reconstructed homes there must be approved ignition-resistant materials, and the list includes fiber-cement board, stucco, masonry and manufactured stone. Natural wood, hardboard and vinyl siding are not allowed. James Hardie notes that fiber cement’s fire resistance does not extend to the paint on it, so a repaint does not change the siding’s rating either way.
Signs it is time to repaint
- Chalk on a cloth rubbed across the south or west wall.
- Color on the sun side that no longer matches the shaded side.
- Open or cracked caulk at butt joints, trim and window edges.
- Bare cut edges or chips at the bottom courses, near downspouts and above the roofline.
- Hail chips you can see from the driveway.
Fiber cement usually outlasts several paint jobs, so a repaint is maintenance on the paint, not the board.
Our process for fiber cement
- Walk the house with you, mark chips, cracks, failed caulk and bare edges, and check the roof-to-wall flashing.
- Wash at low pressure and let the siding dry fully.
- Repair small damage with cementitious patch, and flag boards that are cracked through for replacement before any paint goes on.
- Re-caulk joints and trim with a sealant that meets James Hardie’s spec.
- Prime bare spots and every cut edge on primed siding.
- Apply a 100% acrylic topcoat at the paint maker’s spread rate, back-rolling where we spray, in weather that stays inside the paint’s limits.
- Walk it again with you and touch up anything you point out.
For budgeting, read what professional painting costs in Colorado Springs.
Some problems need more than paint. Crumbling bottom edges and failed butt-joint caulk are covered in fiber cement clearance and caulk problems, storm chips in hail on fiber cement and wood siding, and general paint failures in peeling and blistering, chalking and mildew.
Get a fiber cement painting estimate
Integrity Roofing and Painting is veteran-owned and family-run since 1990, an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred roofing contractor with 650+ Google reviews, so one team can handle your roof, gutters and siding paint. Our office is at 115 N Union Blvd. Ask about financing for larger projects, call (719) 488-2800, or book a free walkthrough. We respond the same business day.
Sources: James Hardie, HardiePanel Vertical Siding installation instructions HS1237 (04/18): painting, ColorPlus, caulking and cut-edge sections; James Hardie, Frequently Asked Questions; Sherwin-Williams, Exterior product application FAQs; Colorado Springs Fire Department, Ignition Resistant Construction Design Manual (fourth printing, March 2020); EPA, Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation and Sun Exposure.
