HardiePlank Siding – What is it?

September 7, 2011 By Mike 1 Comment

WHAT IS HARDIEPLANK SIDING

“Not so long ago James Hardie decided to come up with a new form of fiber cement siding and the rest was history.”

Why Hardieplank Siding

Nowadays you can find hardieplank siding on over four million homes alone throughout the U.S.. Why? Because HardiePlank Siding is an industry standard of excellence and does with it was designed to do, protect one’s home or structure and do so with that creative flair that has come to be a standard in the industry.

Benefits of Hardieplank Siding

The HardiePlank Siding revolution has homeowners far more than pleased and satisfied. That’s because no other siding solution comes close to this product. There is protection against water, wind, debris, fire, and insects. Fiber cement siding is so strong that it acts as weatherization proofing as well. Cold and inclement weather doesn’t stand a chance against this product. A very strong addition to your energy saving needs. Think of HardiePlank Siding as your shield against when Mother Nature when it turns on you and that’s not an understatement. It’s designed to stand up to winds of 140 miles per hour! Waterproof, fireproof, resistant to heat, cold, insects, and mold this company has provided some powerful products for the homeowner that are affordable and boosts the property’s value and equity from the start.

Hardieplank Siding has unbeatable warranties

Not only that, but the company is one of the most comprehensive full service companies you’ll find. They work with their customers from the first step and stay with them for decades to come and back it up with warranties that stunned the home improvement industry. That’s right, HardiePlank Siding has a 50 year warranty on it. That’s standing by a product and then some! You’ll be rest assured that the money you invest in their siding will have them standing by you along the way. They want to see your home look nice, keep those energy bills down and furthermore, give their company a boost in deserved recognition. Word of mouth has had the company rolling on the momentum of its products, customer care and expertise. They’ll sit down with you and assess how much siding you’ll need,Hardieplank Siding Cost, what kind of siding is best, the color, How to Install Hardieplank Siding configuration and more. They’ve even got software that you can use to customize your home to your specs. Once that’s done you choose whether to install the Hardieplank lap siding yourself or have them do it. Either way you win out because the improvement in your home will result in nothing less than breathtaking results and peace of mind.

In addition, the company just doesn’t have siding, they have several other products and designs. Each is engineered for the longevity and efficiency of the product. From trim to weather proofing you’ll find the James Hardieplank siding collection of home improvement products second to none.

Hardieplank Siding Cost

They’re aware that the traditional siding solutions are cheaper but they also know they’re not as reliable as HardiePlank Siding. Sure the Hardie products call for a bit more elbow grease to handle during installation but that’s a small price to pay considering what the provide and continue to pay back for decades to come. You’re not just spending money when it comes to this siding, you’re doing more than investing too. You’ve got your write-offs and insurance premiums that should drop so adding the discounts and other factors you’re getting away with a bargain you just can’t turn down when considering Hardieplank siding cost.

Extremely attractive Hardieplank colors with styles to fit every taste, durable enough to last for decades, protection against the elements including fire and debris and you’re talking a siding solution that will be the smartest decision you’ve made for your home since buying it.

Filed Under: Home Improvement Resources & Tips, Siding Tagged With: fiber cement siding, hardieplank cost, hardieplank siding, hardiplank prices, hardiplank siding, James hardieplank siding

Cleaning Vinyl Siding – What Not to do! Pros & Cons

April 28, 2010 By Mike 5 Comments

Cleaning Vinyl Siding Made Easy

Vinyl siding is one of the easiest ways to go if you want an exterior that is easy to clean. Cleaning vinyl siding often includes little more than a pressure washer or a soapy bucket of water and elbow grease. Choosing which cleaning method is really up to the individual homeowner, though most agree that the soapy water and elbow grease method is the best way to go. Either way, cleaning vinyl siding is a breeze.

Which method is best for my home?

When choosing the method of how to clean your vinyl siding, you really need only look at two options. One is pressure washing the vinyl, and the other is by hand. The vinyl siding really determines which one you should go with. If the vinyl is well done, and the corners, creases and seams of the vinyl are done properly, you can likely clean using a pressure washer. If you have many creases and poorly done corners, you need to do it by hand. The reason for this is because a pressure washer will usually be powerful enough to get into the creases of the siding and wet the wooden parts underneath, if your homes exterior walls doesn’t have a protective vapor barrier between the siding and the walls sheathing. This can lead to mold and other serious problems. You have to be careful either way you are cleaning vinyl siding, because even a water hose can shoot water behind the siding if you are careless.

How do I clean my vinyl siding with a pressure washer?

The key to cleaning vinyl siding with a pressure washer is to use the right solution. The commercial vinyl siding cleaners are great, but household dishwashing liquid mixed with water is just as good. Regardless, you want to make certain you are not using bleach. Bleach is loaded with toxins that will kill your plants, shrubs and trees quickly when the water seeps into the ground, and also can eat away at the protective coating layers of your vinyl siding. Oxygen bleach is better if you must use bleach on bad stains or mildew.

Begin by spraying the vinyl siding in sections of 2 to 4 feet at a downward motion, never, I repeat never spray upwards at your siding, you’ll risk water seeping in through behind the siding. Do not move on to another section of vinyl siding until you rinse the current one. This will leave ugly patches if the solution dries before rinsing. You will clean your siding from bottom to top, taking careful precautions to spray at 45 degree downward angle. Also, you want to avoid direct spray from the pressure washer, direct spray can seep into the cracks and crevices easily. Shoot away from the edges of windows and doors to avoid seepage as well.

How do I clean my vinyl siding by hand?

This is considered the safest way to clean vinyl siding because it is the least intrusive on the crevices and seams. You can set your water hose to the low setting so you are not using a direct spray on the vinyl. While this is good, it does mean that you will be cleaning vinyl siding the old fashioned way – by hand. No worries though – vinyl siding is super easy to get clean. Get that soap filled bucket (the same as used with the pressure washer above) and a nice extend-arm soft brush and get busy!

Cleaning by hand is similar in most ways to pressure washing. You will wet the section, work from bottom to top, and then rinse at a 45 degree angle. You can use a ladder and traditional soft brush, but an extend-arm is much easier when cleaning vinyl siding. Take special care around windows, doors and seams and you will be just fine.

Regardless of your method of cleaning vinyl siding, you will find that it is easy as can be. No other form of housing material comes close, and that is one of the many reasons that vinyl siding is so popular.

To learn more about vinyl siding and vinyl siding prices or hardie board prices – visit anyone of the highlighted links.

Filed Under: Siding Tagged With: cleaning vinyl siding, how to clean vinyl siding, vinyl siding cleaner

Cedar Shake Siding – Benefits of Shingle Siding, Prices & styles

April 25, 2010 By Mike 5 Comments

If you’re considering investing into new siding for your home this article will go over the benefits of choosing cedar shake siding. This type of siding has less maintenance involved with maintaining a high quality appearance when you compare it to wood house sidings. Cedar shake siding is a very cost effective way to give your home a rustic appearance. Also cedar has strong resistances to insect damage, weathering, rot, and warping.

Appearance

This type of siding is just one of many types that are available to the buying public today. You can always distinguish this type of siding because it is made up of cut pieces of cedar. When you install the siding on your home, the shingles are laid down in an overlapping pattern giving a great rustic visual appeal. The one single drawback of this type of siding would be that it can be slightly labor intensive to install.

Benefits and Durability of Cedar Shingle Siding

Warping is one of the main enemies of any type of wood product, especially one in constant contact with the outdoor elements. However, cedar is renown for its ability to resist warping even when its used in severe weather climates. For this reason many homeowners in the Atlantic northeastern region of the United States of America choose to use cedar shake siding on their homes. Nearly all siding contractors are also aware of this, and they tend to promote this type of siding for its many benefits and protection against salt spray along the shorelines of Cape Cod, MA..

Shrinkage can also cause headaches to other types of wooden products, however cedar is also far more resistance to this issue than other types of wood. When other wooden siding shrinks it causes gaps to form in the siding of the home, which doesn’t look good visually. Also these gaps cause the exterior of your home to become exposed and this can lead to many headaches down the road. If you live in a wet climate, shrinkage can be a big issue, so this is just another reason to choose cedar shake siding.

Many different types of insects also like to feast on wood. However, the cedar tree naturally produces an oil that is infused into its wood. This oil acts a natural insect repellent and many wood eating bugs won’t even come near a home covered in cedar shake siding. This helps keep your home bug free, but also you won’t need to worry about termites or other nasty critters eating away at your home. The cedar oil present in the siding also keeps the wood lubricated and it resists wood rot a lot more than other types of siding do. Many homeowners also use cedarwood in places like spa’s which are constantly exposed to humid conditions because of this.

Quality

When you are in the market for cedar shake siding, you need to be aware of the different ways to identify great product. This way you can stay away from a lower quality cut that is going to give you problems. Most companies and suppliers use a grading system to identify the best products. Grade A cedar, or, #1 choice cedar is generally considered the best cut, but at the same time it can be quite expensive. Grade B cedar, or often called #2 cedar is often used in siding applications because of the balance between cost and performance. Anything lower than that usually is not used for siding.

In addition to grading, you also need to visually inspect the wood itself. Cedar has several key features that you should use to identify a good cut. The main two are the clarity and knots of the cedar shingle. Grade A cedar shake siding is usually smooth, and has a uniform visual appearance with little to no imperfections or knots. Grade B cedar will generally have more noticeable visual issues and a little knotting, but it will generally maintain a smooth feeling to the hand.

In conclusion, cedar shake siding can be a great addition to any home. It will increase the value of your home, keep wood eating bugs away, and give your home a visually appealing rustic look. While it may cost more and be more labor intensive to get it installed, if you want one of the best sidings available, you simply cannot go wrong with cedar.

Filed Under: Siding

Hardie Board Siding: Pros, Cons & Hardy plank prices

April 9, 2010 By Mike 20 Comments

Hardie board siding has been growing in popularity due to families whom have less time to properly maintain their homes because of hectic work and family schedules often opted for a more low-maintenance exterior siding products. Hardi board siding has been giving the relief many are looking for, low-maintenance and long lasting, but does it measure up to its reputation? Or, is this just pure “Grade-A marketing” as usual?

How about an actual point of view from a siding contractor and not from some marketing company? I’ll give you my siding professional opinion here with the pros, cons, and prices of Hardie board siding to see how it looks under scrutiny.

Hardie Board Siding: The Pros

• Longevity — When it comes to exterior hardy plank siding, James Hardie Industries offers one of the best warranties on the market, a 50-year limited transferable warranty. When a company offers a huge warranty as that, it’s hard to say no to their siding options. So how can they offer a big warranty? It’s simple really, Hardie plank siding is completely rot and insect resistant, and can even withstand the corrosive salt spray near the coastlines.

• Appearance— Another great quality of Hardie board siding is that it can be made to look like any type of wood house siding out on the market. You can have the look of cedar shingle siding, clapboard siding, etc.. The siding color options are unlimited to your tastes and these colors are usually warrantied to up to 15 years on the finish.

• Fire Resistance— James Hardie Building Products, states that fiber cement siding “is comprised of more than 90% sand and cement, making it inherently resistant to flames.” Watch this video below to see how well hardiepanel siding compares to vinyl siding and wood house siding — I’ll let you decide the rest!

• Storm Resistance— As a siding contractor in Massachusetts, I’ve witnessed some harsh weather, be it the brutal winters, Nor’easters, hot humid summers, fiber cement siding has proven its ability to withstand the brutal punishment mother nature tends to throw at her..

Okay, so let’s discuss the Cons of Hardie board siding..

So what’s not to like about this type of house siding? Well, as a siding contractor and installer, I’ll tell you that a couple things come to mind due to experience in siding installation. First, Hardie plank siding installation is much more labor intensive because of its weight when compared to other types of siding. Second, nothing is maintenance-free! Hardipanel siding does require painting every 10-15 years.

• High Installation and Labor Costs— Due to its composition, fiber cement siding requires more time to install and resources required for proper installation. When compared to vinyl siding cost, fiber cement siding out weights its comparison by three times.

• Maintenance— Just because Hardi board siding comes backed by a 50- year warranty, doesn’t mean it will look the same as it did the day you installed it. The baked on finishes sold by most lumber yards are only guaranteed for 15 years. Please note, the siding will most likely outlive you, but it does require a paint job every 10-15 years – that’s better than wood siding, every 7-10 years.

The Cost

The one thing that still boggles my mind as a siding contractor and installer, the prices of fiber cement siding! It’s still way to high in price to justify not using and other type of siding. I mean sure, fiber cement siding has a lot of great qualities, but so doesn’t any other type of siding. Having fiber cement siding installed on your home when comparing prices to vinyl siding, you’re looking to pay almost double!

So in my honest opinion, the quality finish in fiber cement siding looks great, but the high cost in installation and siding prices need to come down, so if you’re willing to pay the high premium, go for it, it’s still a great product..

Filed Under: Siding Tagged With: fiber cement siding, hardie board siding, house siding options

Vinyl Siding Cost – colors, prices & siding installation

March 23, 2010 By Mike 7 Comments

Vinyl siding has risen in popularity due to home improvement contractors and home-owners for many reasons and here’s why. The biggest reason has to do with vinyl siding prices and most importantly, durability. Vinyl siding cost have remained the cheapest siding option due to its manufacturing process speed, and for the high demand of vinyl siding. Not only for that reason, but for the many vinyl siding colors available to choose from. When you combine the vinyl siding cost, colors, durability, and low-maintenance, it’s know wonder why many new and older homes are having vinyl siding installed.

How much does Vinyl Siding Cost?

The cost of vinyl siding can vary from supplier to supplier, so, to answer this question can be a little tricky. There’s no “one size fits all” scenario here, only ballpark figures. Having said that, when you’re out shopping for vinyl siding prices, you must consider that vinyl siding cost will be solely dependent upon the quality, thickness, manufacture, insulated backed siding, or not insulated, colors, siding installation prices, etc..

For ballpark siding prices, you can expect to pay anywhere from $4 – $8 per linear foot to have a siding company do the installation for you. However, if you’re looking for real cheap vinyl siding prices, you can expect to pay $1 -$2 per linear foot, but expect to do the siding installation yourself, keep in mind that this would be for cheap vinyl siding and not something many siding contractors will recommend you to install.

How to calculate the total vinyl siding cost for your home

Since we’ve already discussed what you can expect to pay for vinyl siding price $4 – $8 per linear foot, let’s figure out how much this will cost you when it comes time to have vinyl siding installed. As a siding contractor in Massachusetts, we give siding prices by the “square” but I’ll explain that later. What you want to do to figure out is the total area coverage of your homes exterior walls, by adding ( width ) x2 + ( length ) x2 x( height ) equals..

For a better more clearer example, try this:

Let’s say your house is a one level ranch that is 60′ feet in length and 10′ feet in height and 20′ feet in width, take those numbers and calculate like so, (60 + 60 + 20 + 20) x 10= 1,600 total linear feet..

Now, let’s take the total linear exterior foot coverage and calculate your total vinyl siding cost based on the ballpark numbers above…

1,600 x $4 – $8 per square foot would equal $6,400 – or – 12,800, this wouldn’t include extras or any unforeseen problems that might arise during the siding installation process. But, just as any other type of house remodeling project, there are almost always something unexpected that can’t bee seen until the old siding has been removed.

Going back to the part when I stated siding contractors use terms like “SQUARE” what do I mean by that? Instead of saying your home has 1,600 linear feet, we say your home needs 16 square of siding. A square to a siding company, is basically ( 10′ by 10′ square foot area of siding equals 1 square or 100′ linear feet squared) it’s a shorter version of the math we did above.

What to Look for in Vinyl Siding

To have the best possible outcome and most importantly, a professional grade A curb appeal, one must start with the vinyl siding quality. We’ve all heard “you get what you pay for” well this principal holds true for the quality of vinyl siding you choose. So, how do we choose which vinyl siding is low, to mid, to high quality grade vinyl siding? The first thing you’ll want to look for is the thickness of the vinyl siding. Vinyl siding usually comes in thicknesses of .035 to .055 inches thick, and the more high quality top vinyl siding brands have a thickness ranging between .040 to .048 inches. A rule of thumb would be, the thicker the better when it comes to vinyl siding and that holds true to the Northeast where we can see high winds from nor’easters in the winter. Other more important things to consider is proper siding installation. Having the thickest vinyl siding panel won’t stop the wind from blowing the siding off in a storm if it isn’t installed correctly! You want to be sure of proper nail spacing, vinyl panel spacing, temperature of the day you install your siding, etc.. If you feel you can handle this job yourself, you can save a lot of money of the total vinyl siding cost of installation.

Vinyl Siding Prices and “Extras”

Take into consideration that the above example on vinyl siding prices doesn’t include “extras.” What are extras? You should expect to pay more for certain vinyl siding colors, trim packages, insulated vinyl siding, corner-board details, shutters, etc.. Trim details are different for every house, so we have to custom bend aluminum or use azek trim boards to give you the complete low maintenance package. And when it comes to vinyl siding colors, make sure you buy a product that is has a true color through out or extruded for sun protection. One of the biggest faults of vinyl siding is fading, when vinyl siding colors are exposed to sunlight. Buy a vinyl siding brand that has UV protection that will keep your new siding from fading over time — When it comes to vinyl siding colors, this is one extra that is definitely worth the extra cost.

For any reason one should feel uncertain about installing vinyl siding on their home, one should contact a professional siding company.

Filed Under: Siding Tagged With: vinyl house siding cost, Vinyl Siding Colors, vinyl siding options, vinyl siding prices

House Siding Options – Let’s weigh the Pro’s & Cons of Exterior Siding

March 19, 2010 By Mike 1 Comment

Many home owners are always looking to improve the appearance of their homes exterior, and most importantly add more house value. One of the most easiest and cost effective home improvements you could make would be to change the look of your home siding.. So what kind of house siding options are there? Well, that will all depend upon your lifestyle and taste. You could start with vinyl siding for its long-lasting and low-maintenance qualities, or choose the traditional colonial style clapboard siding, to the rustic look of cedar shake siding commonly found on homes along the shorelines.

Let’s explore all of the possibilities of house siding options and what they could do for you and your next siding replacement.

Cedar Shingle Siding

Cedar shingles, or “shakes” as they’re called in the siding contractor world are a New England style tradition along the coastlines from Cape-cod, to Manchester “by the sea” Massachusetts.

In its natural unfinished state, it has a wonderful looking textured tactile grain, combined with warm light brown and deep brown colors. Cedar siding also remains subtly aromatic, and the appealing fragrance of cedar adds another benefit to the ever so popular wood.

Cedar shingle siding also contains natural oils that help protect the wood against rot, decay, and insects. Cedar siding is also a stable type of wood that never buckles or curls. When properly maintained, cedar siding will last for years to come and will age gracefully.

Wood Clapboard Siding

Wood clapboard siding had been a traditional favorite among Massachusetts colonial style homes, and still remain a favored choice in fine homes. Clapboard siding comes in a variety of wood species from cedar, spruce, redwood, cypress and pine. If maintained properly, clapboard siding can last a lifetime with the proper staining or painting. Many colonial homes from the bygone era still hold its original beauty today.

Fiber Cement Siding

Fiber cement house siding has been growing in popularity in recent years, due to its appearance and durability. Fiber cement siding has the look of real wood, without the high maintenance of wood house siding. This type of house siding is relatively strong, fire resistant and insect proof and commonly has a great warranty attached with it.

A favorable fiber cement manufacture would be Hardie-plank siding (hardiepanel), there siding prices are reasonable and warranties are great!

Vinyl Siding

Vinyl siding is a wonderful choice for home-owners that are looking for low-maintenance while increasing their homes energy efficiency. Over the years, vinyl siding has become very popular because of its ability to resist rot, lower energy costs, resist the brutal New England weather, and increased re-sale value. Not only for those reason, but of its affordability when compared to other home siding options.

There are many Vinyl siding options to choose from and an array of vinyl siding styles, ranging from the looks of cedar shakes, to the looks of traditional clapboard siding. Vinyl siding also has a lot of color options too, with the colors being baked through the vinyl instead of applied. What that means is the color stays true over a long period of time, resisting the signs of scratches or small imperfections.

Aluminum Siding

Aluminum siding has been seen by many as out-of-date option, although some siding and home improvement contractors still offer this type of siding for its many benefits to urban areas; others like aluminum standing seam metal siding for its contemporary and aesthetically pleasing looks. You can expect aluminum metal siding to last more than 40 years to the life of your home with very minimal care and maintenance. Repairing metal siding can also be a simple task, by unsnapping the metal locking clips and prying up the nailing flange, you can easily repair a damaged metal panel.

Choosing the right siding contractor for your home

Your home is your biggest investment that you will make in your lifetime, so by choosing the right siding contractor for your home can be a daunting task. Well, I’ll try to make it easy for you in choosing the right siding company that will treat your home as if it where theirs!

When you’re in the process of choosing a siding company, verify that the contractor has a “certificate of Insurance” ( this will protect you from any damages on your property) ALSO, ask to see a current “worker’s compensation certificate” ( this will protect their employees in-case of injuries, and protect you the homeowner from law-suites)..
Ask for references, most siding contractors will be proud to showcase their lastest projects. Try to get atleast a couple of verifiable past clients to speak with.
Be sure to check for the appropriate state licensing needed to pull permits on your behalf. These license’s should include a “Contractor’s supervisors license” (CSL) Also a Home improvement contractors licence ( H.I.C).. Verify that their licenses are current and in good standings with the state..
What type of written warranty will they offer you?
Above all, choose a home improvement contractor in which you feel comfortable with and is willing to walk you through the whole exterior house siding process without hesitation – Good communication is key to a successful project!

Common Home Siding Problems and Questions

What should I do about the loose siding or siding falling off my house?

The decision to repair or replace your worn out house siding can become a daunting task. You could either call a siding contractor to evaluate your homes siding or you can assess the damage yourself and make the attempt to repair your siding. In your assessment, you want to locate problem areas and also figure out what might be causing the problems in the first place.

When is the best time of year to install house siding?

Most siding companies install siding all year long and if you’re looking for good deals, fall and winter are usually the best time to have your siding installed on your home; most siding companies can compensate for temperature adjustments required with some types of siding, including vinyl house siding.

How long does it take to install siding?

Every project requires a different approach and solution before work commences, this involves choosing the right equipment and materials to solve and produce the best outcome for your homes exterior siding project. As a siding contractor in Massachusetts our team of siding professionals know exactly what it takes to get the job done correctly, and most importantly, to your up most satisfaction! We’re constantly on the look out for the new and improved vinyl siding products that can provide you with the best looking and long-lasting exterior house siding in the neighborhood. Our time frames on siding installation can usually run between 2-4wks depending on size and difficulty of your house.

Is it okay to add vinyl siding over existing siding?

It most certainly is okay if there isn’t any signs of rot, mold or termite damage on your home existing siding. But, from a contractor’s point of view, it’s always best to remove your old siding before installing new wood or vinyl siding.

What siding colors and choices do I have and what will it look like?

If you’re curious on how a certain type of siding will look on your home, test drive our interactive house siding designer for an interactive look and feel. Choose a house that fits your home style and architecture — and begin designing!

For a professional house siding contractor estimate call us today at 781-856-2001 or fill out our easy contact form

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Filed Under: Siding Tagged With: home siding colors, home siding options, house siding colors, house siding options, siding colors, siding options