Painting fiber-cement and LP SmartSide siding around Brighton.
Most houses built around Brighton since 2000 are clad in fiber cement or engineered wood, not the cedar or vinyl people picture. Both paint well. They just fail in different places, and the prep that saves one can damage the other.
By Painter Hotline Brighton · Updated
Yes, both are made to be painted. Fiber cement (James Hardie and similar) and engineered wood (LP SmartSide) both take a quality 100% acrylic exterior paint over clean, sound primer or old paint. Fiber cement should never be blasted with a pressure washer; engineered wood fails at unsealed edges and the bottom course, so that is where the prep goes.
Which kind of siding is on your house?
In the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey for 2020–2024, 49.0% of Brighton’s homes were built in 2000 or later. On those houses, and on the newer streets in Lochbuie, Henderson and Todd Creek, the lap siding is almost always one of two manufactured products. Older 1980s and 1990s subdivisions often have a third: hardboard. They look alike from the sidewalk, so here is how we tell them apart on a walkaround.
| Siding | How to recognize it | Where it fails first | What it needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiber cement (James Hardie and others) | Heavy and rigid; a knock sounds like stone, not wood. Cut ends look gray and gritty. Often a printed or stamped mark on the back where you can see one in the garage or attic. | Caulk at butt joints and around windows cracks open; paint chalks on south and west walls. The board itself rarely rots. | Gentle wash, new caulk where it has split, spot primer on bare cut ends, two coats of 100% acrylic. |
| Engineered wood (LP SmartSide) | Lighter than fiber cement, with a crisp embossed grain. Cut edges look like compressed wood strands. Feels a little softer when pressed with a fingernail at the bottom edge. | Bottom edges of the lowest course, cut ends at corners and trim, and anywhere sprinklers or snow sit against it. Swelling starts at the edges. | Every exposed edge sealed and painted; swollen pieces replaced; a 100% acrylic latex made for wood and engineered wood. |
| Hardboard (older “Masonite”-type) | Thin and dense, with a smooth or shallow-grain face. Bottom edges often look puffy or mushroomed, and nail heads may sit in dimples. | Drip edges swell and flake; once the fibers soften, paint will not hold there. | Soft boards replaced, sound boards sealed and primed with an oil or alkyd-modified primer where the maker allows, then acrylic finish. |
Not sure after reading that? The quick check below narrows it down from three things you can see without a ladder. Photos of a corner and the bottom course settle it on an estimate.
What do James Hardie and LP actually say about paint?
Both makers publish their own rules, and those rules matter more than any painter’s habit because they tie into the siding warranty. The short version:
James Hardie fiber cement
- Acrylic topcoat. Hardie’s homeowner FAQ says primed siding should be finished with an acrylic top coat. Its technical bulletin on finishing primed siding recommends high-quality waterborne 100% acrylic exterior paint and tells installers to apply the finish within 180 days of installation.
- No pressure washer. The FAQ warns that a pressure washer can damage the surface and recommends a low-pressure garden hose and a soft brush instead, once or twice a year.
- Factory color can be changed. Hardie’s ColorPlus boards come finished from the plant with a 15-year limited warranty on that finish covering paint and labor. The same FAQ says the siding can be repainted if you want a new color.
LP SmartSide engineered wood
- The right paint. LP’s guidance calls for an exterior-quality 100% acrylic latex formulated for wood and engineered wood. Its care instructions also accept satin or semi-gloss oil or alkyd paints.
- Edges first. LP says all exposed edges of the siding and trim must be painted, the back side is not meant to be back-primed, and transparent stains should not be used.
- Yearly check and keep water off. LP asks owners to look the siding over at least once a year, avoid pressure washers, keep gutters working and make sure sprinklers are not watering the walls. When recaulking, its care guide specifies a paintable, non-hardening sealant meeting ASTM C920, Class 25 or better.
If your siding is still under its manufacturer warranty, keep the paperwork the builder gave you and ask us to note the paint product and number of coats on your invoice. That record is what a siding claim asks for later.
Why does siding fail at the bottom row on newer Brighton homes?
Walk almost any 2000s subdivision in Brighton and you will see the same pattern: the top of the wall looks fine, and the lowest one or two courses are faded, blotchy or swelling. That is not bad luck. It is where water sits.
- Sprinklers. Rotor heads set to throw across a narrow side yard hit the siding every morning all summer. LP names sprinklers specifically for this reason.
- Snow against the wall. Wind on the open plains drifts snow along north and east walls and against fences, and it sits there for days while it melts.
- Landscaping rock and mulch built up over the years until it nearly touches the bottom course, so splash-back keeps the edge wet.
- Downspouts that dump next to the foundation instead of out onto the lawn.
- Hail. A storm can crack fiber cement or dent and fracture the face of engineered wood, opening it to water. If you have had a hailstorm since the last paint job, read what hail does to each kind of siding before anyone paints over the evidence.
Paint alone does not fix any of those. On our estimates we point out the sprinkler head, the downspout or the rock bed that is causing the damage, because fixing the cause is free and it doubles how long the new paint lasts on that wall.
How is fiber cement prepared and painted?
- Soft wash, not blast. We clean with a low-pressure rinse, a mild cleaner and brushes on chalky walls, following Hardie’s no-pressure-washer advice. Chalk has to come off or new paint bonds to powder.
- Caulk where it has failed. Split caulk at butt joints, window casings and corner boards is cut out and replaced. Joints that are designed to drain, like the gap above horizontal flashing, are left open on purpose.
- Prime what is bare. Factory primer that has weathered off, fresh cut ends and repairs get spot primer. Sound old paint does not need a full prime coat.
- Two finish coats of 100% acrylic exterior paint, brushed into the lap edges so the drip line is fully covered.
How is LP SmartSide prepared and painted?
- Probe the edges. We press along the bottom course and the cut ends at every corner, window and door. Swollen or soft pieces are marked and priced for replacement, because paint will not glue swollen fibers back together.
- Gentle cleaning. Same as fiber cement: low pressure, no wand held close to the board.
- Seal every exposed edge. Bottom drip edges and field-cut ends get primer and paint worked into them, which is where builder paint is usually thinnest.
- Two coats of a 100% acrylic latex made for wood and engineered wood, at the spread rate on the can.
On both, we do the trim, fascia and garage door in the same visit if they need it; our trim and garage door page explains what that adds. The full exterior process, including how we work around wind, is on the exterior painting page.
When is a first repaint due on manufactured siding?
It depends more on the paint than the siding. Where the builder finished primed boards with a single economy coat, south and west walls usually show it first: rub your palm across the wall and look for white or colored powder. Our guide to why builder-grade paint gives up early walks through that test.
Factory-finished boards, such as Hardie ColorPlus, are on a different clock, since the finish carries its own warranty. Many owners on those houses only need trim, caulk and touch-ups for years, then repaint when they want a color change. Siding that came primed and was painted on site, often with one thin coat, is the group that tends to need help soonest. Our new-build repaint page covers what that job includes.
What about older hardboard siding?
Hardboard was widely used on 1980s and 1990s housing, and several makers settled class-action lawsuits over failing hardboard in the late 1990s, according to Seattle Times reporting from the time. Around Brighton it turns up in the older subdivisions and in town. It can be painted for years if the edges are kept sealed. Once a board has swollen and gone soft at the bottom, though, the honest answer is replacement of that board, and we will say so rather than paint over it.
Common questions
Can you paint James Hardie siding?
Yes. Primed Hardie boards are made to be painted, and James Hardie says even its factory-finished ColorPlus siding can be repainted if you want a new color. Use a quality 100% acrylic exterior paint over clean, sound surfaces, and avoid pressure washing, which Hardie warns can damage the board. Two finish coats is our standard.
Can LP SmartSide be painted a different color?
Yes. LP recommends an exterior 100% acrylic latex made for wood and engineered wood, and its care guide also accepts satin or semi-gloss alkyd paints. The important part is sealing every exposed edge, especially the bottom drip edge and cut ends, because that is where engineered wood takes on water. Transparent stains are not recommended by LP.
Is it okay to pressure wash fiber-cement or LP siding before painting?
Not with a high-pressure wand. James Hardie and LP both advise against pressure washers on their siding. Hardie suggests a low-pressure garden hose with a soft brush instead. We clean with low pressure, a mild cleaner and brushes on chalky areas, which removes the chalk without scarring the face or forcing water behind the boards.
How long does paint last on fiber cement in Colorado?
A good acrylic system on properly prepared fiber cement usually outlasts the same paint on wood, because the board does not swell and shrink much. South and west walls in full sun fade first. Hardie puts a 15-year limited warranty on its factory ColorPlus finish; field-applied paint is covered by the paint maker’s terms plus our 5-year workmanship warranty.
Why is the bottom row of my siding swelling?
On engineered wood or hardboard, swelling at the lowest course almost always means water is sitting on the edge: sprinklers hitting the wall, snow drifting against it, rock or mulch piled too high, or a downspout dumping nearby. Swollen boards should be replaced before painting, and the water source fixed, or the new paint will fail in the same spot.
Will painting my siding void the manufacturer warranty?
Painting with the products and methods the manufacturer calls for should not. Problems come from shortcuts: unsealed edges on LP, the wrong paint type, or damage from high-pressure washing. Keep your builder’s siding paperwork, and we will list the paint product and number of coats on your invoice so you have a record if a siding claim ever comes up.
Manufacturer guidance and figures on this page come from the sources listed. Checked October 25, 2026. Product instructions change; your siding’s own installation and care documents take priority.
- Frequently Asked Questions, James Hardie (acrylic top coat on primed siding, repainting, no pressure washer, ColorPlus 15-year limited finish warranty).
- Technical Bulletin 22: Finishing James Hardie primed siding, James Hardie (finish within 180 days of installation; waterborne 100% acrylic paint).
- All about exterior paint for LP engineered wood siding, LP Building Solutions (acrylic latex, painting all exposed edges, no back-priming, no transparent stains).
- Tips for care and maintenance of LP SmartSide siding, LP Building Solutions (yearly inspection, no pressure washer, sprinklers and gutters).
- LP SmartSide care and maintenance instructions, LP Building Solutions, distributor copy (100% acrylic latex or satin/semi-gloss alkyd; ASTM C920 Class 25 sealant).
- Year structure built (table B25034), Brighton, CO, U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, via Census Reporter.
- Why home sidings can’t take the damp, The Seattle Times, August 6, 2000 (hardboard siding class-action settlements).
Get your siding looked at
Send a photo of each side of the house plus a close-up of a corner and the bottom row of siding, or ask us to walk it with you. We will tell you what it is and what it needs. Free either way.
Rather talk? 720-208-5645