James Hardie, fiber cement siding, is manufactured two different ways.
1) Hardie Primed- The pre-primed board is coated and ready for installation. Once the installation is complete, the product may be painted the desired color that the homeowner has chosen.
2) ColorPlus- This product is one of James Hardie’s newer creations.
The ColorPlus is offered in multiple colors to suit both the Midwest and the coastal regions. The color is not only painted onto the product at the manufacturing plant but baked on instead using a polyannealing process. Poly- meaning many
Annealing- meaning heat.
This process ensures that the color is applied evenly to the product.
Each style has added benefits as well as a few cons too.
Preprimed Pros:
1)Can be painted any color
2) The product is produced in all different styles from lap, panels, shingle shakes.
3) The initial price of the product is not as expensive as ColorPlus
Preprimed Cons:
1) Only specific type of paint can be used
2) Paint is not evenly applied
3) Once the siding is installed, an exterior painting company must come out to apply the paint which is an additional cost.
ColorPlus Pros:
1) Durable finish
2) Baked on color
3) Resistant to UV rays
4) The product can easily be painted if you would like to change the color
ColorPlus Cons
1) Pricier than Preprimed
2) Not every company that has the experience in installing Preprimed has experience with ColorPlus.
3) Darker ColorPlus colors tend to fade quicker even with the UV ray protection.
4) Touch Up kit is required after every cut to seal the edges and to cover nail holes, however, incorrect usage or over applying product can result in an uneven look.
The benefits of course always outweigh the cons. Let this list help you decide which one is right for the exterior of your home remodel. Hatch Homes would be happy to help answer any of your James Hardie questions as well as set up a consultation for your specific project. Contact us today to get started!