Why Choose James Hardie Fiber Cement Siding?

09/24/2014
12:00 am

James Hardie is an extremely popular siding manufacturer known to millions of US homeowners. On the Internet, you are sure to read about the advantages of fiber cement siding, such as durability, low price and UV resistance. But is it really worth paying more to buy James Hardie fiber cement siding? Our experts will try to answer this question.

What does James Hardie offer?

James Hardie’s offering is much more than just Hardie board exterior siding boards:

Hardie Plank Lap Siding

Hardie Plank concrete siding is the cornerstone of James Hardie sales and also the most popular fiber cement siding model in the United States. Available in 6 distinctly different textures and 18 colors, it is perfect for most home exteriors.

Hardie Artisan Siding

Artisan siding is offered exclusively in one cream color. In fact, it is a primer that you can customize yourself. Customization is facilitated by a palette of as many as 4 available textures. It’s the perfect solution for modern homeowners unwilling to compromise.

Hardie Panel

James Hardie also offers vertical siding panels. Hardie Panel, like Hardie Plank, is available in many styles (Select Cedarmill, Smooth, Stucco, Sierra 8) and 18 colors. The big advantage of Hardie Panel siding is the huge palette of available specialty shades that you can order. If you opt for Stucco finishing, your Hardie Panel fiber cement siding can be painted in one of 674 shades.

Hardie Architectural Panel

Hardie Architectural Panel Siding is an excellent alternative to ACM panels. Unlike them, however, they are made of fiber cement, which offers much better durability, but provides inferior insulation performance.

Hardie Architectural Panel is a series of products that will work well in both commercial and residential applications. The large, smooth panels are available in many colors and 3 textures to suit a wide range of tastes.

Hardie Shingle

Hardie Shingle Siding is a James Hardie offering for those looking for a classic-looking wall cladding. The typical cedar siding layout perfectly enhances the aesthetic qualities of homes in classic styles such as Cape Cod and Colonial Revival.

Hardie Trim

Unlike WindsorONE wooden trim, Hardie Trim boards are manufactured from fiber cement, so their lifespan is much longer than that of their vinyl and wood counterparts. On top of that, current trim board manufacturing technologies allow for excellent reproduction of wood grain – Hardie Trim Boards with Roughsawn and Rustic Grain textures look very realistic, while maintaining the durability of concrete. On the other hand, Smooth texture is great for finishing modern homes.

Hardie Soffit

The availability of soffit panels from James Hardie is also very wide, with as many as seven textures available – Cedarmill with or without vents, Smooth with or without vents, Beaded Porch Panel, and VentedPlus with Cedarmill and Smooth textures.

As with Hardie Trim, the range of available colors is very wide. The manufacturer has thought of everything so that the entire trim of your home is a cohesive, aesthetic whole. We should add, however, that fiber cement soffit panels tend to perform worse than metal soffit boards.

Hardie Weather Barrier

Hardie Weather Barrier is a series of products used for waterproofing (Pro-Flashing, Flex Flashing, Seam Tape) and vapor removal (Housewrap). Although siding underlayment from James Hardie is not overly popular, as a wall cladding contractor we can say that we occasionally encounter its use and it is a quality product.

Does James Hardie Siding Look Better Than Allura?

In terms of visual appearance, the most commonly sold models, namely the Hardie Plank Select Cedarmill from James Hardie and the Traditional Lap from Allura, are very similar. In our opinion, Allura looks a bit more realistic, mainly due to the stronger grain and texture of the wood. For many homeowners, this effect may even be too strong, as it is downright unnatural.

On the other hand, James Hardie offers many more finishes – in addition to the classic Cedarmill, you can also order Roughsawn texture, which is distinguished by an uneven surface and a more customized pattern. Allura does not offer a similar model, so it should be thought that its Traditional Lap Siding is positioned between Hardie Plank Select Cedarmill and Hardie Plank Roughsawn.

In terms of colors, Allulu wins over James Hardie – as many as 25 shades are available, while you can order Hardie Plank siding in just 18. In practice, however, the differences between the two brands’ offerings are limited to the availability of very rare, non-standard colors. The most important shades of white, gray and brown are available in both James Hardie and Allura.

Both Allura and James Hardie offer a 15-year paint warranty on their basic model fiber cement siding boards. While we do not have exact statistics, it should therefore be assumed that the durability of the exterior coatings is quite similar in both cases.

Is James Hardie Siding More Durable Than Other Fiber Cement Siding Brands?

Although the availability of data on the durability of specific brands of fiber cement siding is very limited, it can be assumed that Hardie Lap Siding will last no less than 30 years, as this is how long the manufacturer’s warranty lasts. However, it is worth remembering that competing siding brands such as Nichiha and Allura are covered by the same level of protection.

From our perspective, a very important parameter describing concrete siding is its thickness. In most cases it is 5/16“, although Artisan siding stands out with a thickness as thick as 5/8”. While siding twice as thick won’t last twice as long, Hardie Artisan Siding actually offers above-average durability, beating virtually all vinyl or wood counterparts.

Why Choose James Hardie Fiber Cement Siding?

A lot of Hardie board exterior siding comes with a 50-year, restricted negotiable service warranty. These shades are generally gone along with by a 10 to 15 year guarantee on the coating. Hardie board exterior siding is 90 percent sand as well as concrete which makes it fireproof.

Sight this remarkable tale & job. A lot of Hardie board exterior siding comes with a 50-year, restricted negotiable guarantee. These shades are usually come with by a 10 to 15 year service warranty on the surface. Hardie board home siding is 90 percent sand and also concrete which makes it fireproof.