MASONITE SIDING EXTERIOR PAINT COATING

Masonite hardboard siding fails where water gets past the finish: the bottom edges, the butt joints and the nail heads. Rhino Shield replaces the boards that are too far gone, seals every edge, and bonds a multi-coat ceramic system over the rest. Your home stays protected, and the work is backed by a 25-year transferable warranty.

Why Masonite Siding Needs More Than Paint


Masonite is pressed wood fiber, not solid lumber. It looks like lap siding from the street, but once water reaches the core the fibers swell, and a swollen board doesn't shrink back. Chicago's freeze-thaw winters make that worse every year.


Standard exterior paint goes on thin and cracks at the joints within a few seasons. Every crack is a new way in for water, and you're back to repainting every 5 to 7 years. On hardboard, that cycle is what turns a cosmetic problem into rot.

Our Masonite Coating Process


  • Board-by-board inspection. We probe every elevation and mark each board that's soft or swollen. Most homes have a handful, clustered where water collects.


  • Replace the failed boards. Damaged boards come out, and new material is primed on all six sides before it goes up.


  • Seal edges and fasteners. Exposed bottom edges get sealed directly, nail heads are reset or sealed, and joints are recaulked with a flexible elastomeric caulk.


  • Clean and prime. A thorough wash removes chalk and mildew, then a primer matched to hardboard creates the bond.


  • Multi-coat ceramic finish. Rhino Shield goes on at 8–10x the thickness of conventional paint and stays flexible as the boards move through the seasons.

Coat or Replace? We'll Tell You Straight


If most of your boards are firm and the damage sits in a few predictable spots, repairing and coating is usually the better investment than a full tear-off. If soft boards are spread across every wall, or there's rot behind the siding, replacement is the right call and we'll say so.


A transferable 25-year warranty also helps at resale, when a buyer's inspector would otherwise write "Masonite siding" in the report.

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Masonite Siding FAQs

  • What is Masonite siding?

    Hardboard siding made from wood fibers pressed under heat and pressure with resin binders. It was installed on many Chicagoland homes from the 1970s into the 1990s.

  • Can Masonite siding be painted?

    Yes, as long as the boards are still sound. Failed boards need to be replaced and all edges sealed first, then a thick, flexible coating keeps water out.

  • How do I know if my Masonite needs replacing?

    Press a screwdriver into the bottom edge of a few boards on the north side. If it sinks in, that board has failed. Firm boards that are only faded or peeling can be coated.

  • What areas do you serve?

    Homes across Cook, DuPage, Lake and Kane counties, from our office in Elmhurst.