Fiber Cement Siding in New England

What To Look For In a Siding Contractor

admin — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 15:15:11 +0000

Siding is a big part of the overall look of your house, and if you’re in the market for a siding contractor, you need to ensure:

a) You’re properly educated on the types of siding available to you, and what the different choices mean in terms of maintenance and longevity.

b) That you choose a contractor who will help fully explain your options, and will execute your work at the highest level.

In this article, we wanted to give you a few handy guidelines on what to look for in a siding contractor.

1. Look for a siding contractor with a wide range of experience:

When it comes to siding, experience really is key. You need a contractor who has a broad history with many different types of siding, so that when they advise you on the implications of each type, you know that they’re not trying to sell you on their strengths, but instead making sure you have the best siding for your needs.

For instance, wood siding is an attractive option to some, but buyers must be aware that they will need to be scraping and re-painting every 4 to 7 years. If you’re planning on updating the colors of your home every few years (at some point in the future), then you’ll definitely need to stay away from vinyl, which can’t be painted.

2. Make sure the scope of work is clearly defined:

As with all things, it’s important to make sure you and your contractor know EXACTLY what your expectations are before you start, to avoid any issues down the line.

Take the time to communicate with your contractor and make sure you’re completely on the same page in terms of the scope of the work. Be sure that you’re fully comfortable before agreeing to begin the work.

3. Try to look at other work the contractor has done in the past:

Nothing speaks more clearly about the quality of a contractor’s work than prior examples. Ask your contractor for sites that he or she has worked on previously. Once they provide them, go ahead and take a look at a few in your area. If the workmanship looks strong, then you’re in good shape!

If your contractor refuses to provide local home siding examples, this should be a big alarm bell – either they don’t have much experience, or they’re intentionally not wanting you to see the final results of their work!

4. Understand the warranty on the work:

This ties in with point number 2, but it’s important to make sure that you’re fully aware of the warranty on the work, as it may vary from contractor to contractor. Make sure you’re fully comfortable with the warranty before proceeding.

With these handy tips, you’ll have a smooth experience installing your siding!

About the Author

Peter Martino is a project consultant for United Home Experts, which is a full-service home improvement company specializing in siding, roofing, painting, windows and doors in Eastern and Central MA, RI and Southern NH. United Home Experts was founded in 1997, and has served over 5000 customers. Their focus is on quality craftsmanship and excellent customer service.

Project Highlight: Hardieplank Siding in Boston

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 02:21:25 +0000

We recently had the privilege to complete an interesting Hardieplank siding project in Boston (Cambridge to be exact). Boston is home to so many traditional buildings that date back decades and even centuries in many cases. It’s a shame to see many of them being defaced with vinyl and aluminum siding. Hardieplank siding is an excellent option for traditional Boston homes and commercial buildings.

The project in Boston was on a multi-unit residential condo building in Cambridge (The home of Harvard University and M.I.T.). Although we work on about one hundred Hardieplank siding projects in the Boston area every year, this one was especially interesting because of all the different styles the home has and all the products we used.

Boston is home to many interesting buildings that are perfect candidates for Hardieplank siding.

This building is a more modern Condo building in Cambridge, but the fact remains that vinyl siding wouldn’t be an appropriate solution for this building.

To see more siding work we’ve done in Cambridge visit this page on our website: Hardieplank Siding in Cambridge, MA

Click here to request an estimate for Hardieplank Fiber Cement siding

Hardieplank Siding Options and Styles in New England

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 02:10:35 +0000

When it comes to Hardieplank Siding, there are several different options and styles, but only some are available in New England. When choosing Hardieplank Siding for your New England home, the first question you have to ask yourself is do I want shingles or lap siding (clapboards)? Traditional New England homes display both options depending the style of home and location. Typically coastal homes, such as those on the South Shore, North Shore, South Coast, or Cape Cod are more likely to adorn wood shingles, so you might consider requesting HardieShingles from your New England siding contractor. Cape styles homes almost always have shingles. Country homes, such as Colonials, and Ranches often have lap siding. You’ll find these types of homes in Metrowest, Middlesex county, Worcester county, Southern New Hampshire, and much of Rhode Island.

The next question you might want to ponder is whether or not you want a wood grain textured Hardieplank, which is called Select Cedarmill, or whether you prefer smooth. An estimated 75% of Hardieplank installed in New England is Select Cedarmill. Traditionally homes closer to the city have smooth siding, while more rural New England homes have siding with a heavier texture.

The final question to consider when re-siding your New England home with Hardieplank is, how large of an exposure do you prefer? Exposure, or reveal, is the amount of siding that shows of each board. The most common exposure in New England is 4 inches, but Hardieplank is also available in 5, 6, and 7 inches. In General you’ll see wider exposures closer to Boston such as in Newton, Cambridge, Brookline, Brighton, Roslindale, Jamaica Plain, Milton, and Charlestown.

Click here to request an estimate for Hardieplank Fiber Cement siding

Is Fiber Cement Siding Used in Massachusetts?

admin — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:20:48 +0000

Although it’s still fairly new to the area fiber cement siding is used more each year in Massachusetts. In other parts of the country including Texas, the Southeast, and Southwest, fiber cement siding is the most common siding of choice. However here in Massachusetts it still only makes up about an estimated 10-15% of the siding installed, but that percentage is growing each year. Massachusetts residents are very traditional in our taste for the appearance of our homes. Many homes in Massachusetts are 75-100 years old or more. That is both the reason why fiber cement siding has taken a while to gain popularity and the reason it will be the siding of choice in the future. Fiber cement siding offers homeowners in Massachusetts the look and feel of hand-painted wood siding but with far less maintenance required. Because of this Massachusetts residents are getting more and more excited about fiber cement is a great option for their homes. Keep your eyes open. There’s a good chance you’ve seen it already and didn’t even realize it.

Click here to request an estimate for Hardieplank Fiber Cement siding

Fiber Cement Siding vs. Vinyl Siding

admin — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:15:39 +0000

When it comes to replacing your siding, the question will inevitably be, “What’s the difference between Fiber Cement siding and vinyl siding?” Although in general fiber cement siding costs a little bit more to have installed then most vinyl siding products, you may find it is well worth the added expense to choose fiber cement. You may have heard the statement and “vinyl is final”. But the truth of the matter is that statement is far from the truth. Take a look at a home at the vinyl siding that was installed more than 15 years ago. What do you think? Chances are you notice fading, chalking, warping and other unfavorable defects. Not to mention the fact that the color is probably outdated. Often times people settle for vinyl siding as a means to an end. They are sick of painting their house every 4 to 6 years, and are just looking for something that has lower maintenance. When comparing fiber cement versus vinyl siding, evaluate if you think you will be okay with one color for the rest of your life, or if you want the option to change the color in the future. Unlike vinyl siding, with fiber cement siding you have the option to refresh the house with an easy coat of paint in the future. You might be wondering, “why would I want to paint?” Fiber cement siding holds paint 2 to 3 times longer than wood siding, so it’s not as if you are painting frequently. In fact the average homeowner lives in a home less than 10 years.

Click here to request an estimate for Hardieplank Fiber Cement siding

Exciting Fiber Cement Siding Projects in Boston

admin — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:03:13 +0000

Although Fiber Cement siding has only been used in the Boston area for about 12 years, we’ve had the opportunity to work on some exciting projects. As a fiber cement siding contractor in Boston many times we are presenting fiber cement siding to home, condo, and business owners as a great replacement or alternative to wood, masonite, asbestos, vinyl or aluminum. What fiber cement siding offers the Boston market that those other alternatives can’t is the look and feel of traditional hand-painted wood without all the maintenance of hand-painted wood. Many homeowners in Boston don’t want to compromise the look of their house with vinyl siding just to have a lower maintenance solution. See pictures of some of our noteworthy fiber cement projects in the Boston area below. United Home Experts has completed over 500 fiber cement siding projects in the Boston area.

: Whitney Ave. Cambridge (In Progress)

Hancock St. Cambridge

Click here to request an estimate for Hardieplank Fiber Cement siding

Fiber Cement Siding IS Right for New England

admin — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 03:27:16 +0000

If you haven’t seen or heard of it already… you will! In many regions of the U.S. Fiber cement siding is widely used. But in New England it’s still a relatively new building material. Fiber cement siding is a composite material made of mostly Portland cement, sand and water. It’s an incredibly durable alternative to other siding materials. Why is fiber cement siding the best alternative for New England? For two major reasons. #1. It is in most authentic looking synthetic siding available. Other siding options such as vinyl, pressed board, and aluminum just don’t deliver the same traditional appearance that New England homeowners desire. #2. It stands up to the elements. Fiber cement siding resists damage from our constantly changing climate here in New England. Fiber cement won’t warp in high and humid temperatures, and is also resistant to damage from ice, snow, and hail. Although New England doesn’t deal with as many termites as other parts of the country, there are some and they do cause problems. New England is also home to a lot of woodpeckers which can wreak havoc on wood trim and siding. You’ll never find a woodpecker going after fiber cement siding.

Click here to request an estimate for Hardieplank Fiber Cement siding