Siding & Exterior Painting in South Austin, Austin, TX (September 2024)

Why did this South Austin home need new siding?

The old siding had taken a beating from years of Central Texas weather. Sun, hail, and shifting limestone soil all wear exteriors down fast in 78745.

• Original boards showed splitting and moisture damage
• Trim and fascia had soft spots from repeated wetting
• The finish had faded unevenly across sun-facing walls
• The homeowner wanted a wood look without cedar's upkeep

What did the crew find on site?

Once we pulled the old boards, the story got clearer. Homes built in the 1980s and 1990s around South Austin often hide damage behind the siding, and this one was no exception. We found spots where past moisture had crept in behind the trim, which is exactly why cheap patch jobs fail here. The limestone soil under these neighborhoods moves with the wet-dry cycle, and that movement stresses any exterior that can't flex or shed water. Catching this before installing new siding saved the homeowner a repeat job in a few years.

What materials did we use, and why?

We chose James Hardie HardiePlank Select Cedar Mill in the 8.25-inch profile. Fiber cement is engineered for climates like ours, and the Cedar Mill grain gives real wood character without the drawbacks.

Real cedar looks great on day one. Then Austin summers hit 100-plus degrees, cedar pollen coats everything each spring, and the wood starts to cup, split, and rot. Fiber cement skips all of that. It holds paint far longer, shrugs off hail that would dent lesser materials, and won't feed termites. That's the trade-off worth explaining to any homeowner weighing cost against lifespan.

• 8.25-inch primed Select Cedar Mill boards for a clean, wide reveal
• Materials delivered through ABC Supply Co.
• Installed over multiple days in mid-September
• Two yard cleanups plus a punch list to catch every detail

How did the exterior painting come together?

With new siding up, we coated the entire exterior in Sherwin Williams SuperPaint. This paint is built to hold color and flex through big temperature swings.

• Full siding coat in the homeowner's chosen color
• Fascia and soffit painted up to 24 inches
• Brick sealed with a primer coat, then two finish coats
• Garage doors and entry doors painted to match

The brick step matters most here. Bare or old-painted brick soaks up rain and holds it, so we sealed it before the two color coats. That barrier keeps South Austin moisture from working its way back into the wall.

What were the results?

The home now reads as one unified exterior instead of mismatched patches. Every surface, from doors to soffit, wears the same fresh finish. The siding and paint were both wrapped by September 24, 2024, and the job closed out on October 15, 2024.

• A durable cedar look with none of the wood maintenance
• Sealed brick and trim for better moisture protection
• Uniform color across siding, doors, and fascia
• A punch-out walkthrough to confirm the finish