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Factory-Finished Siding

Factory finishes for wood and fiber cement offer countless color choices and a paint job guaranteed for up to 25 years

by John Ross

Is it possible for the paint job on a house to last for 25 or even 50 years? If the paint is applied to siding in a climate-controlled factory setting, it's quite possible. Fine Homebuilding associate editor John Ross takes a look at the world of factory-finished siding: the materials used for this type of siding (western red cedar and fiber cement), the process of applying paint to the siding, and the proper installation techniques to ensure longevity and to keep warranties valid. This article includes a couple of sidebars, one by green-building expert Alex Wilson, who compares the greenness of wood and fiber cement; and one about solid PVC clapboard.