When it comes to exterior renovations, the choice of siding material is crucial.
Fiber cement siding has emerged as a popular choice among homeowners, contractors, and builders. This durable and low-maintenance material offers a blend of aesthetics and practicality. It's resistant to fire, termites, rot, and warping, making it a long-lasting investment.
But with several brands on the market, how do you choose the best one?
In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the top brands for fiber cement siding. We'll delve into their features, benefits, and considerations for installation, including the use of specific nails and screws.
Lifetime Remodeling Systems has been installing fiber cement siding for over 25 years and has extensive knowledge of the different manufactures, proper installation techniques and how to ensure that your fiber cement siding will stand the test of time.
Fiber cement siding is a composite material used for exterior cladding. It's made from a mix of wood pulp, cement, clay, and sand. This unique composition gives it a robust and durable nature against the harshest elements like rain, wind, and the expansion and contraction caused by the freeze thaw cycle.
Moreover, fiber cement siding offers aesthetic versatility coming in a range of textures and colors, allowing homeowners to achieve the desired look for the exterior of their home while adding tremendous protection from the elements.
In the following sections, we'll delve deeper into the composition, benefits, and installation considerations of fiber cement siding.
Fiber cement siding is primarily composed of cement and cellulose fibers. The cement provides strength and durability, while the cellulose fibers add flexibility and resilience. Lesser quality fiber cement will have more cellulose versus higher quality fiber cement such as Hardieplank which allows less cellulose into their formula than lower quality options. This is incredibly important as the silica component is what gives fiber cement its cement like qualities allowing for less expansion and contraction, water absorption, and ability to rot versus wood siding option such as pine or cedar. This combination results in a siding material that's tough yet flexible. It can withstand high winds, heavy rains, and extreme temperatures without cracking or warping. Moreover, fiber cement siding is non-combustible. It's highly resistant to fire, providing an added layer of safety for your home. Lastly, it's impervious to expansion & contraction, termites and rot, reducing the need for frequent maintenance and repairs.
Fiber cement siding is considered a green building material. It's made from abundant and renewable resources, reducing its environmental impact. Silica is one of the most abundant minerals on the planet and easily mined. Unlike vinyl siding which is very harmful to the environment (both in manufacturing as well as adding to the waste stream) fiber cement is a wonderful choice to protect your homes exterior while being environmentally conscious.
Moreover, its durability and long lifespan mean less frequent replacement, further reducing its ecological footprint.
The market for fiber cement siding is competitive, with several brands vying for the top spot. Each brand offers unique features and benefits, catering to different needs and preferences.
James Hardie is a market leader in fiber cement siding.
The brand is known for its HardiePlank® Lap Siding, HardiePanel® Vertical Siding, Hardie Architectural Collection modern paneling, and the Artisan lineup featuring both modern and traditional style lines. These products are engineered for climate, ensuring optimal performance in different weather conditions.
James Hardie siding is also available in a variety of textures and colors and sizes allowing it to be used for almost any exterior design a homeowner can come up with. This allows homeowners to achieve a customized look that suits their style.
The brand offers a 30-year non-prorated warranty, demonstrating their confidence in the product's durability.
Lastly, James Hardie is committed to sustainability, with manufacturing processes designed to minimize environmental impact.
Allura is another top brand in the fiber cement siding market. They offer a wide selection of textures and colors, providing homeowners with numerous design options.
Their product range includes traditional lap siding, shingles, and vertical siding. Allura siding is known for its deep, realistic wood grain textures. This gives the siding a natural, authentic look. The brand also offers a 50-year limited warranty, ensuring long-term peace of mind for homeowners.
Allura is thicker than Hardie making it tougher to install, and it runs on average about 20% more expensive than applicable Hardieplank products. Allura also isn't as readily available at local distributors than Hardieplank.
Nichiha is recognized for its architectural wall panels and unique clip installation system. Their products are designed to provide superior performance and aesthetic appeal. Nichiha siding is available in a variety of textures and finishes, including wood, stone, and brick. This allows homeowners to achieve a distinctive look that sets their home apart. Moreover, Nichiha offers a 50-year limited warranty, demonstrating their commitment to quality and durability. Nichiha tends to be more of a niche product in the fiber cement lineup however for certain applications it is a great choice.
GAF is known for their WeatherSide™ fiber cement shingles, ideal for replacing old asbestos siding. Their products are designed for easy installation and long-lasting. GAF siding is available in a variety of styles and sizes, providing homeowners with numerous design options. The brand also offers a 25-year limited warranty, ensuring long-term peace of mind for homeowners. Lastly, GAF is committed to sustainability, with manufacturing processes designed to minimize environmental impact. If you're looking to replace your asbestos shingles than GAF Weatherside is the industry leader.
Installing fiber cement siding requires careful planning and execution. First, you'll need the right tools and safety equipment. This includes a fiber cement shears for and specialized masonry blades cutting the siding, and safety glasses and a dust mask for protection. It's crucial to follow the manufacturer's guidelines for installation. This ensures the siding is installed correctly and the warranty remains valid. We recommend using a new blade on every project to ensure clean, and precise cuts are achieved.
The type of nails and screws used also plays a significant role in the siding's longevity and performance. We'll discuss this in more detail in a later section.
Lastly, consider the potential health risks from silica dust when cutting fiber cement siding. Implement a dust-reduction strategy to protect yourself and others. Silica dust is very harmful to ones lungs so anybody working with fiber cement should wear dust protection at all times.
When it comes to fiber cement siding, not all nails are created equal. Hot-dipped galvanized or stainless steel options are often recommended. These materials offer superior corrosion resistance, ensuring the durability of the siding. The length and diameter of the nails and screws are also important considerations. These factors can affect the siding's ability to withstand different climates and exposures.
Fiber cement siding is known for its durability and low maintenance requirements. However, like any exterior material, it requires some care to maintain its appearance and performance. Regular cleaning and periodic repainting can help prolong the lifespan of fiber cement siding. We recommend stainless steel fasteners, drainable housewrap such as Benjamin Obdyke HydroGap or true rain-screens for drainage and airflow and premium grade latex paint such as Benjamin Moore Regal Select High Build to extend your fiber cement sidings durability and longevity. Proper installation also plays a huge part in the longevity of your fiber cement cladding including proper nailing (nailing at too high of a pressure leads to cracking and failure), back-flashing field seams (not "buttering the seam"), and proper installation and overlap of flashing systems.
Most top brands offer warranties on their fiber cement siding products. These warranties can range from 30 to 50 years on most fiber cement products.
When considering the cost of fiber cement siding, it's important to factor in these warranties and the siding's longevity.
At Lifetime Remodeling Systems we've been installing fiber cement siding for 25 years and have installed it on well over 4,500 homes. After this extensive experience we prefer HardiePlank over the other manufacturers for the following reasons;
While other fiber cement product lines certainly have their place in the siding world, we feel that James Hardie is an industry leader for a reason. They check all of the boxes for our company and we will continue to use their products as long as they continue to innovate.
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