While the Windy City isn’t known for its tropical weather patterns, there’s plenty of heat and humidity to go around in the summer months. Sure, you can crank up the air conditioner to beat the heat. If your home’s walls and windows aren’t well insulated, however, you’ll lose the benefits. The associated increased energy costs – not to mention the toll on the environment – makes the situation less than ideal.
One of the ways to deal with the problem is to tackle it at its source – by improving your home’s structure itself with Siding and Windows Group. Consider investing in fiber cement siding to protect your home from the elements.
Resistance to Damage – No Matter the Weather
Fiber cement siding resists the problems that commonly damage a home’s exterior. As a result, it has become the material of choice for homes built in environments that experience extreme weather – including high humidity, heavy rains, and more.
In countries like Malaysia and the Philippines, for example, homes need to withstand the challenges of the rainy season. Poorly weatherproofed structures experience cracking, leakage, mold, mildew, and rot. Fiber cement siding from James Hardie, on the other hand, is designed to hold its own against harsh weather conditions.
The technology is actually well equipped for almost any climate. In the United States, fiber cement holds up against the regional differences between climates all over the nation. The material is noncombustible and unaffected by high levels of UV radiation, making it ideal in the West and Southwest regions. Coastal areas also benefit from fiber cement’s resistance to heavy winds, salty air, and humid atmosphere.
Termites, carpenter ants, and fungi are a huge problem in humid areas, as in the Southeast. Unlike wood and organic materials, fiber cement won’t be home to these pests. In the North and Midwest, vinyl siding can become brittle and break due to freeze-thaw cycles in winter – but fiber cement holds its own against cold weather as well as it does in the heat.
HardieZone technology is to thank for these advantages. The company engineers both HZ5 for cold, wet conditions and HZ10 products for hot and humid climates – making fiber cement the material of choice across the nation.
Insulating Your Home
Siding materials on their own don’t generally do much to stop the transference of hot or cold air in and out of your home. Because fiber cement resists cracking, warping, and other kinds of external damage, it will help seal your home – so you can keep cool air in during the summer, and warm air in during the winter. You’ll want to supplement these qualities with excellent insulation to ensure you enjoy the full extent of the benefits offered by fiber cement.
Thermal bridging is the transfer of heat transferring through the walls. Heat always moves towards cold, so in the winter the heat from your home naturally moves outside, and in the summer the heat from outdoors moves in.
During daytime in the summer months, sunlight can heat your home’s exterior walls to as high as 200 degrees, making it harder for your system to keep a consistent cool temperature. As a result, the cost of cooling your home increases – or you’re stuck dealing with an uncomfortable indoor environment.
At Siding & Windows Group, we’ve partnered not only with the James Hardie brand but also with Progressive Foam Technologies, which is why we can offer the unbeatable combination of HardiePlank siding with insulation technology, like Fullback and Pro-Fold insulation, from Progressive Foam. Foam insulation is contoured to perfectly fill the gap between fiber cement siding and your walls, which keeps thermal bridging at a minimum.
A Solution that Lasts a Lifetime
If the above benefits of fiber cement siding aren’t enough to sway you in favor of this material, consider other advantages of this material. Most siding materials will last around 15 or 20 years, with various needs for upkeep and maintenance. Wood, for example, will need to be re-stained and repainted every few years, which can add thousands of dollars to the original material’s cost.
Fiber cement siding from the James Hardie brand, on the other hand, has a guaranteed warranty of 30 years – lasting up to twice as long as other siding materials. Research has shown that this material can last upwards of 50 years or more.
Fiber cement is made of a simple combination of wood pulp, Portland cement, fly ash or silica sand, and water. The James Hardie brand has committed to sustainable practices wherever possible, like using recycled and sustainable materials as well as catching and reusing water. As a result, fiber cement has a much smaller environmental footprint than materials like vinyl – which, as a plastic, is likely to end up in a landfill.
An Attractive Siding Option
The look of classic wood siding is certainly appealing, but the lifespan of the material is decidedly off-putting. Fiber cement siding is available in clapboard and shingle styles like HardiePlank, HardieShingle, and HardiePanel that look just like natural wood – without the environmental consequences or maintenance requirements.
While some materials are only available in a few limited shades, James Hardie siding comes in a variety of colors infused with the brand’s very own ColorPlus technology, which comes with a 15-year warranty. You can even paint and repaint fiber cement, unlike vinyl or aluminum.
Choose James Hardie Siding from Siding & Windows Group
Are you considering an exterior remodel for your home? If you’re interested in HardiePlank siding, you have a few contractors to choose from. At Siding & Windows Group, we serve as the top James Hardie Elite Preferred Remodeler in the Chicago metro area. This is a special designation only given to the brand’s preferred partners.
A full service home construction and renovation company, Siding & Windows Group can help with any aspect of your home remodeling project. From roofing and door installation to porch and deck construction, we’ll complete your project with the utmost combination of high quality materials and superior workmanship.
For more information or to request a free quote for your project, contact Siding & Windows Group today. We look forward to learning more about your project!