James Hardie Siding Styles and Products
The main James Hardie products, what each looks like, and where it works best on a Calgary home.
Product lines, textures, sizes and colours offered in Canada change over time. Confirm current availability for the Calgary market with your estimator before finalizing a design.
HardiePlank lap siding
Read the full HardiePlank guide
Illustrative photo of horizontal lap siding (Josh Lemmon, Unsplash). Not a Raico project.
What it is: horizontal planks that overlap, the most common James Hardie product.
Look: smooth for a clean modern line, or Cedarmill for a wood-grain texture.
Best for: the main walls of almost any home, from bungalows to two-storeys.
Keep in mind: the exposed width of each plank changes the look a lot. Narrow reads traditional, wide reads modern.
HardiePanel vertical siding and board-and-batten
Read the full HardiePanel guide
Illustrative photo of vertical board-and-batten siding (Roger Starnes Sr, Unsplash). Not a Raico project.
What it is: large vertical panels. Add HardieTrim batten strips over the seams and you get board-and-batten.
Look: tall, clean lines. The modern farmhouse signature.
Best for: feature walls, gables, entries, infills and whole-house modern designs.
Keep in mind: panel joints and batten spacing need planning so they line up with windows and doors.
HardieShingle siding
Read the full HardieShingle guide
Illustrative photo of a shingle-style exterior (Lumin Osity, Unsplash). Not a Raico project.
What it is: fibre cement made to look like cedar shingles.
Look: textured and traditional, with straight or staggered edges.
Best for: gables, dormers and accents paired with lap siding below.
Keep in mind: it’s usually an accent. Covering a whole house in shingle takes more labour.
HardieTrim boards
Read the full HardieTrim guide
What it is: fibre cement boards for corners, window and door surrounds, fascia, band boards and battens.
Why it matters: trim is what makes siding look finished. Contrasting trim sharpens a design. Matching trim calms it down.
Keep in mind: trim warranty terms have changed over time, so check which warranty applies to your purchase. See the warranty page.
HardieSoffit panels
Read the full HardieSoffit guide
What it is: panels that close in the underside of the eaves, in vented and non-vented versions.
Why it matters: soffit venting is part of how your attic breathes, which matters in Calgary winters. Vent area should be planned with the roof’s ventilation, not guessed.
ColorPlus Technology
What it is: colour applied and cured at the factory, instead of painting on site.
Why people choose it: a consistent finish, no painting weather to wait for, and a 15-year limited finish warranty.
The alternative: primed boards painted on site, which lets you pick any colour. The paint finish is then covered by the paint maker and painter, not by the ColorPlus warranty.
Choosing colours: always look at physical samples outdoors, in sun and shade, next to your roof, stone and window colours.
Popular combinations
| Style | Typical mix |
|---|---|
| Modern farmhouse | Light board-and-batten, dark trim and windows |
| Contemporary | Smooth panels or wide smooth lap in a dark tone, minimal trim |
| Traditional | Cedarmill lap siding with shingle in the gables and white trim |
| Two-tone | Lap siding in one colour with a contrasting panel feature wall |