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.

Can James Hardie Siding Handle the Summer Heat?

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…]

Vinyl siding remains a popular choice for many homeowners and home builders.  The main appeal seems to be its low price, but in this article, we’ll give you six good reasons not to use vinyl siding.

1) Vinyl Fades

Vinyl is among the thinnest siding materials. Because of this, its color fades faster than other siding material. Some sources suggest in as little as five years it can fade significantly from its original color.

2) Vinyl Warps

Whether it is direct exposure to sunlight, a reflection, or a fire, vinyl has a greater capacity to warp and melt when compared to other siding materials. [Read more…]

One of our most frequently asked questions is what color siding homeowners should have us install on their home.  Our honest answer is to review the type of style your home is and base your color decision off of that.  Stay away from the trendy colors and choose a classic color that matches the home’s existing exterior.

Craftsman Style Home

The craftsman home features handcrafted design with natural materials and is one of the most popular home style in the United States in recent years.  

Craftsman siding colors typically reflect a nature feel including beiges, greens, and browns.  A strong contrasting trim color calls attention to the style’s unique rooflines.

Farmhouse Style Home

Farmhouse homes are designed with functionality and durability in mind with flexible and comforting characteristics. 

Think farmhouse colors like white, barn reds, and sky blues to compliment the clean lines and unadorned aesthetics of the simple, farmhouse design. [Read more…]

Curb appeal refers to the attractiveness of the exterior of a residential property. It is most often used to describe first impressions of a home and may refer to the yard, porch, siding, front door, or any other outdoor property feature. Curb appeal can play a major factor when reselling your home by attracting potential buyers. Increasing your curb appeal can raise the value of your property by almost ten to twenty thousand dollars.

Add Immediate Curb Appeal with James Hardie Siding

James Hardie siding is a valuable solution to update the exterior and increase your home’s curb appeal instantly. Fiber cement siding has the biggest return on investment when it comes to exterior siding options. On an average, James Hardie siding has an eighty percent return on investment once you go to sell your home. It has the highest ROI of any home renovation, including bathroom remodels, window replacement, kitchen remodels, and roof replacements.

James Hardie has been voted the number one siding in American for consecutive years and its due to their unique siding benefits and value added to the home. Instant curb appeal comes from the siding’s resemblance to wood without any of the negative affects like decay or warping, common with vinyl siding. It’s also durable, weather and fire resistant, and comes with an excellent warranty of 30 years. [Read more…]

When choosing a James Hardie contractor, simply asking contractors questions about timing and cost such as “When can you start? When will the project be completed?  How much will it cost me?,” is not enough for a successful project.  Instead homeowners, should focus on the right questions concerning contractor trust and quality.

Here is a short list of questions recommended from the National Association of Remodeling Industry that we field from homeowners and suggest you should ask when choosing a James Hardie contractor.

Questions to Ask A James Hardie Contractor

Start out interviewing a contractor about their experience in a similar project of your own.

How long have you been in business?

How many years a contracting company has been in business will give you a better idea of their past experience. [Read more…]

There are many home projects that owners can “do-it-yourself,” installing a fiber cement siding, is not typically one of them. 

One of the cons homeowners notice of James Hardie siding initially is its’ high installation costs. James Hardie siding has installation demands that rise up this costs, but the outcome is a home with enormous esthetic appeal and siding that is more durable and resilient than vinyl options.  For these reasons, it is recommended to hire a professional to install the product.

Inspecting and Preparing the Siding

While style and color choices of fiber cement siding are typically left to the homeowner to decide, professional installers inspect each piece of siding upon arrival to the home for any cracks or sign of damage.  Once declared in good condition, each piece will need to be carried (by the edges only to prevent breaking) to a cool, dark place flat and above ground.  This is due to the sidings composition of sand, cellulose fibers, and cement. [Read more…]

EMA Construction is proud to be a part of the James Hardie Contractor Alliance™ program.  The program is designed to match homeowners with contractors who are available in their area to hire for siding repair and replacement. 

James Hardie partners with contractors to ensure homeowners are getting quality siding installation at affordable prices.  Contractor Alliance members are educated on the most advanced building sciences to ensure proper installation of Hardie Board products.  Resources include full James Hardie ® product online training and access to the James Hardie Contractor Alliance Portal.  Proper installation can greatly improve a home’s siding lifespan compared to poorly installed siding.

To qualify to become a member of James Hardie Contractor Alliance™, contractors must show a general knowledge of Hardie Siding and its’ installation.  James Hardie representatives will also visit previously completed and in-progress projects to view the quality of the contractor’s work.  Reviews and testimonials of homeowners are also considered.

With the James Hardie Contractor Alliance™ program, contractors can hone their skills, have access to exclusive business development tools, and attend James Hardie events.  There are five levels of program membership, so any size contractor can participate.  Contractors can receive:

• James Hardie one-on-one business planning
• Recommendations from the James Hardie Contractor Locator
• Contractor Alliance badges based on design excellence, GuildQuality ranking, sales, training and membership longevity
• HardieReward points and bonuses
• Access to the James Hardie Contractor Alliance Portal

The program demonstrates James Hardie’s commitment to contractors who bring their brand to local markets.  Status within the program is depended on the number of James Hardie re-siding jobs submitted into the Contractor Alliance tracker and corresponding business metrics. 

EMA Construction is proud to have partnered with the lad fiber cement siding company in the United States to deliver excellent siding and re-siding work to homeowners.  As a happy member of the James Hardie Contractor Alliance™, we look forward to improving on our membership with each homeowner we have the privilege of meeting and working with.  Review our previous James Hardie siding projects or contact us for a free estimate.