James Hardie Siding FAQ

It’s fibre cement siding made by James Hardie Building Products. The boards are a mix of Portland cement, sand and cellulose fibre, formed into planks, panels and shingles and finished to look like painted wood. People often call it Hardie board. It was developed as a tougher, lower-upkeep alternative to wood siding, and it has become the best-known fibre cement brand in North America.

Hardie board is one brand of fibre cement. Fibre cement is the material; James Hardie is the manufacturer most people have heard of. Other companies make fibre cement siding too, with their own formulas and warranties. This site is only about James Hardie products.

Usually a combination. HardiePlank lap siding on the main walls, sometimes HardiePanel for board-and-batten or HardieShingle in the gables, with HardieTrim at corners and openings and HardieSoffit under the eaves. The finish is either factory ColorPlus or paint applied on site.

James Hardie makes different formulations for different climates. HZ5 is the one for the northern United States and Canada. It’s engineered to resist the shrinking, swelling and cracking that come with wet, freezing conditions. If you’re getting a quote in Calgary, it should be for HZ5 products.

No. Tricon is an independent information site. It isn’t operated, sponsored or endorsed by James Hardie. Estimates and installations requested through the site are handled by Raico Roofing and Exteriors, a Calgary contractor.

No, and no siding is. It’s hail-resistant. James Hardie’s warranty describes the product as resisting damage from hail, and the City of Calgary’s climate-ready home guide lists fibre cement among the most resilient siding types for hail. A big enough stone can still chip the finish or crack a board.

Generally not. The product warranty excludes damage from severe weather events. Hail damage to your exterior is normally a claim on your home insurance. It’s worth asking your insurer how your policy treats siding before you need to know.

That’s what the HZ5 formulation is designed for. Chinooks melt snow against the wall and it refreezes overnight, again and again through the winter. Materials that absorb water break down under that cycle. Fibre cement made for cold climates holds up well, provided the bottom of the siding is kept clear of the ground and of roof and deck surfaces.

Yes, in most conditions. Boards with a ColorPlus factory finish don’t need painting on site, which removes the main weather obstacle. Sealants and touch-up products have minimum temperatures, and deep cold or heavy snow can pause work, so winter jobs sometimes take a bit longer.

Properly fastened fibre cement is rigid and heavy and doesn’t flap or rattle the way lighter claddings can. The City of Calgary’s guide rates it among the more wind-resilient options. The key phrase is properly fastened: nails into framing, at the spacing the manufacturer specifies.

Fibre cement siding is non-combustible. It won’t ignite from direct flame or add fuel to a fire. That’s one part of a fire-resilient home, along with the roof, vents, decks and what’s planted near the house.

All exterior colours shift slowly with UV exposure, and Calgary gets plenty. Factory ColorPlus finishes are made to hold colour well and come with a finish warranty. You’ll notice change sooner on dark colours and on south and west walls.

It depends on your house: how much wall there is, how tall and how cut-up it is, what has to come off first, what the sheathing is like underneath, how much trim there is and which products you choose. We don’t post a per-square-foot figure because it would mislead more people than it helped. An on-site estimate is free. The cost guide explains each factor.

The material costs more, and so does the labour. Fibre cement is heavy, it’s cut with special tools, and it’s fastened and flashed with more care. There’s usually more trim work as well. You’re paying for a thicker, more durable wall and the time it takes to build one.

For many Calgary homeowners, yes, particularly if you plan to stay in the house, you live where hail is frequent, or you care about how the place looks. If money is tight or you’re selling within a couple of years, a simpler option may be the sensible choice. A decent estimator will say so.

New siding generally helps a home show and sell, and fibre cement is seen as a premium exterior. We won’t put a number on it, because resale depends on the house, the neighbourhood and the market that month.

Insurers typically cover replacing what you had with something similar. Whether they’ll contribute to an upgrade, and how much, depends on your policy. Talk to your insurer or broker before work begins.

Make sure each one names the same products, textures and finish, and includes tear-off, disposal, weather barrier, flashing and trim. Ask how hidden damage will be priced. Compare the workmanship warranties. A quote that’s far cheaper than the others is usually missing something.

It varies with the size and shape of the house, the season and what’s found under the old siding. A simple bungalow is a much shorter job than a tall two-storey with lots of windows. Your written quote should give an expected schedule.

In most replacements, yes. Removing it lets the installer inspect the sheathing, repair any damage and put on a proper weather barrier and flashing. What’s allowed is set by the manufacturer’s instructions and the condition of the wall.

It gets repaired before the new siding goes on. Nobody can see through a wall at the quoting stage, so a good quote explains in advance how that kind of extra work will be priced and approved.

Not for most of it. Plan to be there at the start to go over details and at the end for the walkthrough. Crews need access around the house and to power.

Some of both. Cutting fibre cement creates dust that contains silica, so professional crews use shears or saws with dust collection and cut away from open windows. Keep windows closed on cutting days and move cars and patio furniture back from the walls.

If your windows are due, doing them with the siding is the best time. The openings can be flashed properly and trimmed once. Replacing windows after new siding is on means cutting into finished work.

Yes, and it’s the ideal moment. Exterior insulation changes wall thickness, trim depths and fastening, so it has to be planned as part of the job, not added on the day.

It’s possible for a skilled, well-equipped person, but it isn’t a casual weekend project. The boards are heavy and brittle to handle, cutting needs dust control, and the flashing and clearance details are easy to get wrong. Mistakes can affect both performance and warranty.

ColorPlus finishes are offered in a palette that varies by region and is updated from time to time. Your estimator can bring current samples for Calgary. If you want a colour outside that range, primed boards can be painted any colour. See colours.

ColorPlus is colour applied and cured at the factory, with a 15-year limited finish warranty. Primed boards are painted on site after installation, in any colour, with the finish covered by the paint maker and painter. Details on the ColorPlus page.

Smooth looks cleaner and more modern. Cedarmill wood grain is more traditional and hides dust and small marks a little better. They perform the same. Look at full-size samples outdoors.

Vertical siding made by fastening narrow batten strips over flat panels at regular spacing. In the James Hardie line that’s HardiePanel with HardieTrim battens. It’s the signature look of the modern farmhouse style.

Yes, and it often looks better than one material everywhere. A common mix is lap siding on the main walls, shingle in the gables and a board-and-batten feature at the entry. Two or three textures is plenty.

Yes. Fibre cement takes paint well. Clean and prepare the surface and use a quality exterior acrylic. Repainting a ColorPlus finish means the new paint is covered by its own manufacturer.

The siding carries a 30-year limited product warranty, and well-installed fibre cement commonly lasts longer than that. How long yours lasts comes down to installation quality, exposure and basic upkeep.

Rinse it with a garden hose once or twice a year, check the caulking around windows, doors and trim, and keep soil, mulch and snow from sitting against the bottom edge. That’s most of it. The maintenance guide has a checklist.

James Hardie’s care guidance advises against high-pressure washing and acid cleaners because they can damage the surface. A garden hose and a soft brush are enough for nearly everything.

Yes. Individual boards can be removed and replaced. Small chips and dents can often be patched and touched up. A new board may look slightly fresher than the weathered ones around it for a while.

No. It’s cement-based, so it doesn’t rot, and there’s nothing in it for insects or woodpeckers to feed on.

HZ5 siding has a 30-year limited, non-prorated product warranty. ColorPlus finishes have a separate 15-year limited finish warranty. Trim coverage depends on the warranty in effect when it was bought. These cover the product, with conditions and exclusions. Read the current document; our warranty page summarises it.

No. The manufacturer covers the product. Problems caused by how it was installed fall under your installer’s workmanship warranty. Get that in writing.

James Hardie’s published warranty extends to the original purchaser, the first owner of the building and the first person it’s transferred to. Check the current wording for the details and any conditions.

Raico Roofing and Exteriors, a family-run Calgary exterior contractor operating since 2014. They provide a free on-site inspection, an itemized written quote and a written workmanship warranty.

Which exact products and finish are being quoted. Whether they follow James Hardie’s current installation instructions. How they handle weather barrier, flashing and clearances. What their workmanship warranty is. Whether you can see local James Hardie projects they’ve done.

Calgary and nearby communities, including Airdrie, Cochrane, Chestermere and Okotoks.

No. Someone comes out, looks at the house, measures, and sends an itemized written quote. What you do with it is up to you. If the timing or the price isn’t right, you say so and that’s the end of it.

Not much. It helps to know roughly how old the current siding is, whether you’ve had leaks or hail claims, and whether windows, soffit or eavestrough are part of what you want done. If you’ve seen a house you like, a photo of it saves a lot of describing.