As you begin the process of updating the exterior of your home make sure to protect your investment by hiring the right fiber cement siding installer.
The two most common fiber cement sidings in Central Iowa are WeatherBoards from Certainteed and Hardie Plank from James Hardie. Both have detailed installation instructions that if not followed can void the warranties which can create a huge mess if an issue develops with your siding installation.
Currently, unlike vinyl siding there are not industry standards or certifications for the installation of fiber cement siding or cement siding like most home owners call it. Also, just because a siding contractor is listed as a Preferred Contractor that doesn’t mean they install siding properly or better than other siding contractors. It usually means they have committed to focusing on selling that particular siding over other types. At Buresh Home Solutions, Inc we offer a variety siding options with varying siding cost so we can meet our customer’s needs. I do not want to have to sell a particular product that might not meet the needs of all of our potential siding customers.
The first thing you can do when beginning the process of hiring a fiber cement contractor is become educated on the actual installation. Visit www.jameshardie.com and you can easily find the installation instructions.
As with most siding options, all warranties clearly state that if improperly installed or handled the entire fiber cement siding warranty could be voided. I will touch on two real easy installation must for Hardie Plank siding. The sad thing is these two things are not also done by siding contractors and could potentially hurt home owners in the future.
The hardest part for me to figure out is why are they not being done at times? If you look at the installation instructions there are pictures showing exactly how to handle these situations. I am not saying Buresh Home Solutions, Inc is the only company addressing proper installation, but there are too many examples of it being done wrong and it is not worth the risk. It may mean paying a little more up-front for your siding installation (or maybe not) or potentially paying more later for repairs.
With decks and roof lines there is a required clearance of 2” from those surfaces. This means the fiber cement siding cannot be within 2” of those surfaces for proper installation. Ask the fiber cement siding contractors about clearances before hiring them. There are also special considerations for horizontal flashing details above windows and doors. I don’t want to get to technical in this blog, but Hardie Plank siding requires a ¼” gap above z-flashing and then they do not want that gap to be sealed (caulk) to allow moisture to escape. In driving around providing siding estimates I see so many jobs where the siding installers have sealed that area when all they would have to do is look at the current installation instructions to see an easy diagram explaining the proper siding installation.
Storage is also important Hardie Plank Fiber Cement siding cannot be installed wet as stated in installation instructions, but every day I see siding that was sitting in a driveway during a rainstorm uncovered only to be installed during or shortly after the rain fall.
Pick the right siding contractor and enjoy your cement siding for years to come.