Is it better to brush or airless spray the exterior finish on smooth hardboard siding? What would be the longest lasting paint?
The key thing to consider when repainting aluminum siding is not the method of application, but the surface prep. Aluminum siding is normally painted only after it has faded and chalked. If the chalkiness is not removed, the paint will not adhere properly. Spraying will be much quicker than brushing, and as long as the proper tip size and pressure are used, it will produce excellent results. Duration®, or SuperPaint Exterior Acrylic, applied to a properly prepared surface will produce a quality long lasting finish.
Spraying is faster. Brushing is neater. Many painters use a combination of the two methods by spraying to quickly get paint on the surface, followed by back brushing to spread the paint out evenly, resulting in a good looking finish. It may depend on how wide the surface is that you’re painting as well. If you’re painting big surfaces, cut in with a brush and roll the rest of the panel. For most siding areas, if you can’t spray and backbrush, stick with a brush. Most siding areas are not wide enough to use a roller, so a good 4″ brush that holds a lot of paint will work much better.
