A question you may be asking yourself as a homeowner is: How do I keep maintenance on my home low while still having a quality exterior? Maintenance is perhaps the biggest headache for homeowners, and one major portion of exterior maintenance is dealing with the aftermath of storms or the wear and tear of harsh weather conditions. As a replacement siding contractor, our Lakeside Renovations and Design team has worked with thousands of homeowners in the St. Louis area who have pondered this same question.
The best way to combat this issue is with a siding built to endure your specific climate. Choosing the right siding for your specific weather conditions does not have to be difficult.
In fact, the number one siding in America, James Hardie® fiber cement, has taken the guesswork out of searching for your specific siding needs. It is designed to stand up to harsh weather and so much more.
How James Hardie Siding’s Makeup Withstands the Weather
Fiber cement is a great weather-resistant replacement siding option due to its quality performance and durability. As a combination of cement, sand, and cellulose fibers, the material is extremely durable, especially since it is cured with pressurized steam for extreme resiliency. As the number one siding brand, James Hardie is the top-of-the-line choice for fiber cement, which is an outstanding product. Here are a few ways it performs well with regard to weather.
Wind Resistance
James Hardie fiber cement is a heftier material than many other forms of replacement siding. Its dense makeup helps combat heavy windstorms, which can rear their ugly head during certain seasons in St. Louis.
As a thicker and more durable material that has been securely fastened to your home, Hardie Board will not lift or curl due to heavy winds like siding such as vinyl can.
Moisture Resistance
Moisture can be a nightmare term for many forms of siding that succumb to rot and damage. The fiber cement of James Hardie is engineered to withstand moisture, and its durable makeup—which does not easily, crack, warp, or break—keeps the moisture from being able to penetrate its surface and make its way into your home.
Impact Resistance
Fiber cement’s durable makeup keeps it impact resistant. Other forms of replacement siding such as vinyl or Masonite can easily be damaged by heavy impacts from hail or wind debris, but James Hardie will not crack or dent from the impacts. This makes it a great siding option for areas like St. Louis that experience harsh wind storms during tornado season.
ColorPlus® Technology
In harsh climates, paint can fade due to UV rays from the sun. However, James Hardie’s baked-on ColorPlus technology is designed to last for years without the need for repainting. The technology creates a paint finish that resists fading from UV damage, keeping your house vibrant and true to color.
The paint finishes are cured during the manufacturing process to keep the paint from chipping or cracking, which can occur with other paints in harsh climates.
Engineered for Climate®
Temperature fluctuations can cause siding materials, like vinyl, to become brittle and crack. James Hardie replacement siding will not succumb to the mood swings of your weather climate. In fact, the company has taken great strides to identify weather patterns across the country and create siding specific to the needs of those climates through its HardieZone® system.
What Is the HardieZone System?
The HardieZone system is a climate-based system designed to provide your home with the highest performing exterior it can have. James Hardie spent time researching the various regions of the country and the climate aspects associated with those regions. Assessing the data, they organized the country into ten specific climate zones, which were determined by eight weather-related factors, including:
- humidity
- temperature range
- types of precipitation
- UV exposure
- and more
James Hardie then designed the aspects of their siding to provide performance characteristics specific to a climate. They created a climatic map, categorizing areas of the country in zones ranging from one to ten. From this research, they created two distinct product zones: HZ5® and HZ10®. The HZ5 product line covers zones one through five while zones six through ten will require the HZ10 siding.
The St. Louis region requires HZ5 siding due to the extreme seasonal temperature changes as well as the snow and rain the area receives. This specifically zoned siding is engineered with more adhesion for the painted surface, and the siding has a hardier resistance to moisture to best combat these weather elements and keep your siding looking its best.
Install Lasting Siding that Protects
You shouldn’t have to fight the temperature swings of the St. Louis area. Let your siding fight for you and save yourself the hassle. We desire to make your life as a homeowner as simple as possible, which is why we are a James Hardie Elite Preferred contractor. Our team is specifically trained to give you the perfect installation of this durable product.
Installing James Hardie fiber cement will provide you with peace of mind during any weather conditions St. Louis throws your way. And with our Lifetime Workmanship Warranty covering your installation, you will know that your siding is a sound investment.
Schedule a free consultation with our team of replacement siding contractor experts. We can help you achieve solutions to your exterior’s greatest challenges.
