James Hardie Siding Glossary
The words that turn up in quotes, brochures and conversations with installers, in plain language.
Products and materials
Fibre cement. A building material made from Portland cement, sand and cellulose fibre. James Hardie is the best-known manufacturer.
Hardie board. The everyday name for James Hardie fibre cement siding.
HZ5. The James Hardie formulation engineered for climates with freezing temperatures, including Canada.
HardiePlank. Horizontal lap siding. Guide.
HardiePanel. Large vertical sheets, used flat or with battens. Guide.
HardieShingle. Fibre cement made to look like cedar shingles. Guide.
HardieTrim. Boards for corners, openings, bands and battens. Guide.
HardieSoffit. Panels for the underside of roof overhangs. Guide.
ColorPlus. James Hardie’s factory-applied colour finish. Guide.
Primed. Boards supplied with primer only, to be painted on site.
Looks and layouts
Lap siding. Horizontal boards, each overlapping the one below.
Exposure or reveal. The height of each board that shows once the next one overlaps it.
Board and batten. Vertical siding with narrow strips over the joints. Guide.
Batten. The narrow vertical strip in board and batten.
Select Cedarmill. The wood-grain texture.
Smooth. The flat, untextured face. Comparison.
Staggered edge. A shingle pattern with an uneven bottom line.
Elevation. One face of the house: front, rear, left or right.
Gable. The triangular wall under a pitched roof.
Trim and edges
Corner board. Vertical trim where two walls meet.
Band board. A horizontal trim board, often at a floor line.
Frieze. Trim at the top of a wall under the soffit.
Fascia. The board along the roof edge that the eavestrough fixes to.
Soffit. The underside of the roof overhang.
Casing or surround. Trim around a window or door.
Behind the siding
Sheathing. The plywood or OSB layer fixed to the wall framing.
Weather-resistive barrier (WRB). The membrane over the sheathing that sheds water. Often called house wrap.
Flashing. Metal or membrane pieces that direct water out at openings and joints.
Head flashing. Flashing over the top of a window or door.
Kick-out flashing. A piece at the bottom of a roof-to-wall joint that steers water into the eavestrough.
Rainscreen. A drainage gap behind the siding.
Furring strips. Vertical strips that create that gap or provide fastening over insulation. More in weather barrier and flashing.
Installation terms
Blind nailing. Fastening through the top of a board so the next board hides the nail.
Face nailing. Fastening through the visible face.
Butt joint. Where two boards meet end to end.
Clearance. The required gap between siding and the ground, roof, deck or flashing. Guide.
Tear-off. Removing the existing cladding.
Touch-up. Colour-matched product for nail heads and cut edges.
Paperwork
Limited warranty. A warranty with stated conditions and exclusions.
Non-prorated. Coverage that doesn’t reduce over the warranty period.
Workmanship warranty. The installer’s warranty on the installation. See the warranty guide.
Something missing? Try the FAQ.