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Choosing new siding for your home is a huge decision. There are so many options, not just for material, but for brands, colors, contractors, and more. It can be a bit overwhelming. In this article, we’ll answer some of the most popular questions on the internet about James Hardie siding. For an overview of fiber cement siding, you may want to start with our 6 Frequently Asked Questions about Fiber Cement Siding.
According to the James Hardie website, “Fiber cement is made up of a few simple ingredients: Portland cement, sand, water, and cellulose fibers. However, the composition will change depending on the manufacturer. James Hardie’s formulation includes propriety additives that enhance the performance of the product.” That means that even if you’ve decided on fiber cement siding, there are advantages to choosing James Hardie above other options.
To see how it is made you can watch this video provided by James Hardie:
James Hardie materials are made in 11 manufacturing facilities in the United States with locations in Illinois, Flordia, Nevada, Txas, and Virginia. James Hardie operates globally and also has locations overseas. If you live in the United States and want to support U.S. workers then James Hardie is a great choice from manufacturing, front-office, all the way to your contractors.
This is a common question, but it is somewhat subjective. On the whole, James Hardie siding is considered relatively affordable. There are definitely cheaper options like vinyl which have a proportionate diminisnhing return on your investment. In terms of the cost-to-value ratio, James Hardie may be the best. It provides almost any look you want, is cheaper than other options like cedar, has a long life, is durable, helps with insulation, is resistant to sun and weather damage, and is paintable so you can transform your home’s appearance without even replacing siding.
As a premier brand, James Hardie can be purchased most place like Lowes or Home Depot, although it frequently takes a special order. Contractors who specialize in James Hardie products may have access to bulk discounts or special incentives that a do-it-yourself homeowner won’t have access to.
James Hardie cement board is 100% waterproof. It has a naturally long life and, when installed properly, will protect your home from leaks and moisture build-up.
Is it fire-rated? The James Hardie website says, “While JamesHardie® products will not ignite when exposed to direct flame or contribute fuel to a fire, heat will transfer through them.” To learn more, visit the James Hardie Fire Prevention FAQ.
To learn more about James Hardie products visit the official site. If you’re interested in talking about James Hardie for your home or getting a free quote in the Greater Cincinnati area then contact EMA Construction today!
In the video below we’ll show you some before and after photos and videos of a home that transformed its appearance by painting the brick, replacing the siding with James Hardie fiber cement siding, and using some stained cedar accents. Take a look and then we’ll walk you through the changes:
The first thing that you’ll see is that the front of the house was transformed by painting the brick white. As you spend more time with it you’ll notice that the gutter, soffit, and trim have all been upgraded to James Hardie. The windows have been replaced. And the front porch was extended forward using a stained cedar. The window directly above the porch is outlined in cedar and the gable has some cedar accents to introduce some color.
Next, the left side of the house had a beige horizontal vinyl siding that was upgraded to a white vertically-oriented James Hardie siding. Similarly, the back of the house had its beige siding replaced with the same white vertically-oriented James Hardie siding. The right side of the house received the same treatment with just a bit of cedar trim above the garage. Later in the video, you can see a close-up of the before and after footage of the gables on the front of the house. The cedar accents make a huge difference to give this home a warmer feeling. The back porch was constructed with white painted wood, but after this renovation, it got a cleaner and more open look by using larger and fewer cedar posts and a cedar ceiling.
If your home needs new siding, then why not take the opportunity to transform its appearance? You can replace vinyl siding with cedar to give your home a natural look or you can use a fiber cement James Hardie siding for versatility and virtually endless color and texture options. James Hardie and Cedar both offer better durability, reliability, sustainability, and longevity than vinyl siding. If you’re interested in the Greater Cincinnati or Dayton area and are interested in receiving a free quote from EMA Construction then let us know and we can help you plan your home’s transformation! Contact Us Today ⇒
Cedar is a popular choice for siding, but you can enhance your home with cedar even without replacing all of your siding. Even a small amount of cedar trim can enhance your home’s beauty whether your house uses siding or natural brick. Cedar is loved because it can provide your house with a natural look, especially when blended with stone or landscaping.
In the project below you’ll see some stained cedar used to accent the gable, back porch, and front porch of this home. The result is some great curbside appeal and adding the natural aesthetic of cedar to an otherwise monochromatic home.
Here is the gable before and after. In the after picture you can see that the brick has been painted white, the trim has been upgraded to James Hardie, and the cedar accents sit at the top of the gable to provide an accent.
Is it too late in 2021 to start your new siding project? Many homeowners carefully plan their big decisions like replacing their home’s siding. If you live in a state with four seasons, you may think you’ve missed your opportunity to replace your siding this year. But this begs the question, which season is the best for working on your house’s exterior?
Hot summer weather might seem like the ideal time, but extremely warm temperatures can have negative effects on the installation of vinyl siding. Then again, there are other reasons not to install vinyl regardless of the season. See our article 6 Compelling Reasons NOT To Use Vinyl Siding. If you’re looking at cedar siding or James Hardie siding, then summer can be a great time to schedule an installation. The only downside for summer installation with other siding materials is that contractors tend to get a lot of calls in the summer and can be very busy. It might be hard to find someone to do the work in the summer or it may cost more because of the increased demand. [Read more…]
Cincinnati is one of many U.S. cities that has four distinct seasons. Summer temperatures can routinely be in the 90s with lots of humidity, while winter can get into single digits and even below zero with the wind chill. When you’re building or renovating your home in a city with four seasons you need to be sure that your building materials can handle the extreme low and high ends of the temperature spectrum.
The short answer is yes. Some people are concerned that siding will melt, warp, or otherwise suffer damage when in direct sunlight and high temperatures. James Hardie is not affected by even extreme heat. Fiber-cement will hold up even in the case of a fire. Whereas wood siding will burn and vinyl siding will melt. In fact, some fire insurance companies offer a discount to customers with James Hardie siding.
Other summer weather like tornadoes, thunderstorms, and hail also concern homeowners. But James Hardie is one of the most durable siding options and offers advantages over vinyl siding in each of these scenarios. [Read more…]
EMA Construction recently completed a job for Citygate Church in Lebanon, Ohio. This church building is primarily painted brick and it had some stone in the door entryway and over the front entrance. We replaced the stone with new cedar siding and the results speak for themselves.
Here you can see the before and after of the main entrance, in which stone was replaced with a beautiful cedar design.
Before
After
Anyone who is researching siding for their home knows that James Hardie can make a beautiful addition to your home and has great return-on-investment. However, that is only true if it is properly installed. Not only will it ruin your investment, but James Hardie warranties are also only valid when it is installation follows James Hardie specifications. Sometimes a lower bid for installation isn’t as good of a deal as it appears. In this article, we’ll show you some signs of a poor installation job and how you can avoid them.
The siding was not caulked where it meets the trim.
Many of the pros and cons for cedar and vinyl siding are documented in other entries in this blog. In this case, we’re going to walk through the pros and cons of cedar siding vs vinyl siding. We’ll compare sustainability, appearance, cost, home value/return on investment, and the x factors.
Cedar siding is often heralded as one of the most environmentally-friendly siding materials whereas vinyl siding is not regarded as environmentally friendly in its production or application.
Anytime appearance is compared there is a great deal of subjectivity. There is little dispute that cedar siding has an attractive look on almost any home. Vinyl siding is one of the cheapest materials for siding and even when it applied well it still gives the impression of being an economic choice. While premium vinyl siding can mimic other materials, there is generally no hiding that it is vinyl. There is no accounting for personal taste, but for a consistently better appearance [Read more…]
