Complete James Hardie HardiePlank Smooth 8.25" Fiber Cement Re-Clad | Full Sherwin Williams Satin Exterior Painting With Beadboard Porch Ceiling
This Old West Austin project replaced aging exterior cladding with James Hardie fiber cement siding, specifically HardiePlank Smooth 8.25" lap boards primed and ready for finish. Our scope included new 1/2" OSB sheathing behind the boards, JH soffit with H-mold, fascia, and a beadboard finish on the porch ceiling for a period-correct look. Fiber cement was the right call for an older home in 78703 because it resists rot, holds up to Austin's brutal summer heat, and won't feed the moisture and pests that plague wood siding here. The finished exterior is dimensionally stable, low-maintenance, and built to outlast the home's previous wood cladding by decades.
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Once the new James Hardie siding was up, we coated the entire exterior with Sherwin Williams Exterior Latex in a satin finish, billed and applied per square. Painting covered the siding, soffit, fascia, beadboard porch ceiling, and any new surface added during the build. Satin was chosen deliberately for Austin homes because it resists UV fade through relentless summer sun and cleans easily when cedar pollen and limestone dust settle each season. The new coating gives the home a uniform, durable finish that protects the fiber cement and keeps it looking sharp for years.
The homeowner found us through an internet search and first reached out in August of 2022. They were dealing with failing wood cladding and a worn-out paint job on their Old West Austin home and wanted a permanent solution rather than another temporary patch. Our first conversation focused on the condition of the exterior and what a full fiber cement re-clad would involve.
We walked the property and inspected the exterior in detail, taking measurements section by section. The assessment revealed failing wood siding, compromised sheathing that would need new 1/2" OSB, and worn fascia and soffit. We also flagged the porch ceiling for a proper beadboard rebuild, which shaped the final scope.
The project was approved and moved into the prospect stage on October 10, 2022. We selected James Hardie HardiePlank Smooth 8.25" for the cladding and Sherwin Williams Exterior Latex in satin for the finish, and coordinated permitting through the City of Austin along with licensed electrical support. Material was sourced through ABC Supply and the paint vendor.
Our crew started with structural prep, installing fresh 1/2" OSB sheathing, fascia, and soffit before the new boards went up. They then installed the HardiePlank lap siding, fit the JH soffit with H-mold, and finished the porch ceiling in beadboard. Sherwin Williams satin exterior paint was applied per square across every new surface, with work completed on April 19, 2023.
After installation, we ran two rounds of yard clean and a full punch-out to catch every detail and leave the site spotless. The homeowner walked the finished exterior and signed off on a clean, durable result built for Austin's climate. The project was formally closed in early July 2023.
The homeowner reached out to us through an online search back in August of 2022, frustrated by an exterior that had stopped doing its job. This is a home in Old West Austin, one of the city's older inner-loop neighborhoods, and like a lot of houses in the 78703 zip code, the original wood-based cladding had spent decades taking abuse from Central Texas weather. Summers here regularly push past 100 degrees, and the humidity swings combined with cedar season do a number on wood siding. By the time the homeowner called, sections were failing and the paint was long past its service life.
The goal was straightforward: a permanent fix, not another short-term patch. That meant replacing the cladding with something that wouldn't rot, wouldn't warp in the heat, and wouldn't need to be repainted every few years. We walked the property, took our measurements, and built a plan around siding and a full exterior painting refresh.
When we inspected the exterior, the problems went deeper than the surface boards. Sheathing in spots had to be addressed, which is why the final scope included new 1/2" OSB sheathing behind the new cladding. The soffit and fascia were also due for replacement, and the porch ceiling needed attention to bring it back to a clean, finished look.
A few key findings shaped the scope:
This kind of layered repair is common on older Austin homes. You can't just slap new boards over tired sheathing and expect it to last. We addressed the structure first, then built the new exterior on top of it.
For the cladding, we went with James Hardie fiber cement siding, using the HardiePlank Smooth 8.25" lap profile. Fiber cement is one of the best materials we install on Central Texas homes, and the reasons line up perfectly with the problems this house had.
Fiber cement doesn't rot. It doesn't feed insects. It holds its shape through the brutal heat cycles we get every summer, and it stands up to hail far better than wood. The 8.25" Prime Smooth boards we used came factory-primed, giving us a clean, consistent surface to finish. For an older home in a historic-feel neighborhood like Old West Austin, the smooth profile delivers a crisp, classic look without the maintenance headaches of real wood.
The siding scope included:
Material came in through ABC Supply, and our build-out moved efficiently once everything was on site.
New siding deserves a finish that protects it and lasts. We coated every new surface with Sherwin Williams Exterior Latex in a satin sheen, billed and applied per square. That covered the siding, the soffit, the fascia, the beadboard porch ceiling, and any other new surface added during the build.
Satin is our go-to for Austin exteriors for a couple of practical reasons. It resists UV fade through months of relentless summer sun, and it's easy to wipe down when cedar pollen and limestone dust settle across the surface each spring. A flat finish would chalk and stain faster; a high gloss would highlight every imperfection. Satin lands in the sweet spot — durable, clean, and easy to maintain.
The paint any surface per SQ line item in the scope meant we weren't cutting corners on coverage. Every exposed face of the new exterior got proper finish, which is what makes fiber cement perform the way it's supposed to for the long haul.
The build itself was tightly scheduled. After the structural prep — new 1/2" OSB sheathing, fascia, and soffit — our crew installed the HardiePlank lap boards, fit the JH soffit with H-mold, and finished the porch ceiling in beadboard. Painting followed across every new surface.
We also coordinated the trades this kind of job requires. Electrical work ran through a licensed contractor, the City of Austin handled permitting, and material logistics flowed through ABC Supply and our paint vendor. The scope included two rounds of yard clean and punch items, because we don't consider a job done until the site is spotless and every detail is squared away. The final punch out caught the small stuff most contractors skip.
Work was invoiced and completed on April 19, 2023, with the project formally closed in early July after the punch list was fully signed off.
The homeowner ended up with an exterior that's genuinely built for Central Texas. The fiber cement won't rot, the satin finish will hold its color through summer after summer, and the new sheathing and soffit mean the whole assembly is protecting the home the way it should.
If you own an older home in Austin — especially anything built in the '80s, '90s, or early 2000s — there's a good chance your original siding is reaching the end of its life. Wood cladding simply doesn't survive our climate forever. Pairing James Hardie fiber cement with a quality Sherwin Williams finish is one of the most durable, lowest-maintenance exterior upgrades you can make here.
If you're thinking about a similar project, Austin Pro is happy to come take a look and tell you straight what your home actually needs.
Austin Pro crafts exteriors that not only captivate but also promise steadfast protection and reliability, embodying the vibrant spirit of Austin in every facade. Your home's exterior is its silent storyteller and first impression; let us help it speak volumes without uttering a word.
