HardiePlank Siding is the creation of a Canadian company called James Hardie Industries. It features detailing that mimics traditional wood siding, it’s fire-resistant, and is easily painted. Though not as cheap as some other varieties of siding, HardiePlank siding is built to last and is often a huge plus for potential buyers if you should ever decide to sell your home. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of HardiePlank siding and see if it may be a good option for your next siding project.

What Is James Hardie's  HardiePlank Siding? 

The foundation of HardiePlank siding panels is a combination of wood cellulose fibers, cement, and other minerals. How those elements are combined as well as the formula for the concrete and mineral mixture is a secret only known by the engineers at James Hardie Industries. Once the panel has been set, it contains hundreds of small wood fibers suspended inside of the concrete mixture.

Once the initial panel has been created, it will be sent through a separate process that will add the distinctive wood grain pattern to the outside. While the panel is structurally sound after going through the initial manufacturing process, the wood grain embossing gives each panel character and helps to break up the visual appearance when it is installed in someone’s home. You can discuss the textures available to you with us before the project begins to make sure the chosen style will look the way you want it to once installed.

Benefits of HardiePlank Siding

• High Resale Value

When you are ready to sell your home, the goal is to recoup all the costs that you have incurred renovating and improving the home over the years while making some profit on top of that. One of the areas where most homeowners never see a return on their investment is in their siding. That is not the case with HardiePlank siding, which potential buyers often see as a huge plus because of its durability and aesthetic appeal. For more ways to increase your home value check out our windows, doors, gutters, and roofing pages.

• Fire Resistance

HardiePlank is not completely fireproof, but it does not significantly add to the flames in the unfortunate case of a house fire. The only flammable material inside a panel is the wood fibers, which are suspended under layers of non-combustible concrete.

• Insect Resistant

Common bugs like termites and ants, which typically feed on and build nests inside of traditional wood siding are not an issue with HardiePlank siding. Because of the concrete used to create the panels, HardiePlank siding is naturally insect-repellent.

How Much Does HardiePlank Siding Cost?

When comparing costs between different siding materials it’s often best to use the cheapest and most widely available option as a base which is vinyl siding. On a typical siding project, HardiePlank siding is going to be 2 - 3 times more expensive than vinyl siding. There are several different factors that drive up the costs of HardiePlank siding as well as other similar fiber cement products, such as higher demand, fewer siding contractors willing to install it, and higher shipping costs. HardiePlank also comes unpainted and will need to be painted after installation, while vinyl siding comes pre-colored.