Painting Asbestos Cement Board Siding

When the asbestos cement siding is soiled or moldy or has an algae coating we prefer to gently clean the surface with a sprayer perhaps a deck cleaner solution.

Painting asbestos cement board siding.

Left on your house it s a darn good insulator and fire retardant. Disadvantages asbestos cement siding is very brittle and can be easily chipped cracked or broken. This version allows you to paint the fiber cement siding in whatever color scheme you choose after installation. The primer creates an adhesive surface for the paint and helps seal the color of the old paint.

Many cement board siding options are pre finished in a variety of colors. To help your paint adhere to the fiber cement siding and to get the most uniform looking finish on your paint job the best practice is to apply one coat of a quality exterior latex stain blocking or masonry primer to all of the siding. There are two common versions for use on homes apartment buildings or commercial structures. Apply a coat of primer to the newly cleaned siding.

Our method of choice to first apply zinsser peel stop triple thick primer which is a water based acrylic binding primer designed to penetrate and stop previous coatings from peeling. Siding is cement impregnated asbestos it s going nowhere unless you grind or pulverize it. Unfortunately as with any product repainting can become a necessity. Painting asbestos siding is often a much better alternative than trying to remove it.

Two fire marshals i work with one in texas the other in nj have both opined that in their experience fires spread slower in asbestos clad houses than vinyl. This is due to the fact that fiber cement does not soak in the painting products like cedar pine or other wood siding products. Cement board manufacturers have really turned this product into an attractive siding choice. Unlike more porous siding materials such as wood clapboard asbestos cement siding will not quickly soak up paint which allows it to be painted more easily.

You can roll it or brush it on but make sure you get under the small lip at the bottom of each asbestos siding shingle. It s not difficult at all to paint asbestos siding as one of its benefits is that paint easily adheres to it and it is very durable and can last for decades without chipping or cracking. Allow the primer to dry completely. Painting cement board siding can take care of faded colors or give you new ones if color trends change.