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Seal the Deal With Fiber Cement Siding
Chameleon-like, durable and low maintenance, fiber cement gives home exteriors of all shapes and styles a winning edge
Houzz Contributor. My name is Bud Dietrich and I am an architect located in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. I am licensed to practice architecture in Illinois, Florida, New Jersey & Wisconsin and I am a certificate holder from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). Since 1996 I have worked from my home office and provide full architectural services exclusively to the single family residential market. My passion is to transform my clients' houses into their homes. I strive to have the "new" home accommodate my clients' lives without fighting them at every junction. I look to add curb appeal to encourage a beautiful streetscape. And I design any addition to look and feel like it has always been there.
Our projects have won numerous design awards as well as having...
Houzz Contributor. My name is Bud Dietrich and I am an architect located... More »
Hardie board: Just about everyone who has considered re-siding their house or building an addition or a new home has heard of it. But what is Hardie board, or more properly, fiber cement board?
Fiber cement board in its current form was developed in the 1980s by the James Hardie corporation as a replacement for asbestos cement board. A combination of sand, cement and cellulose, it can be produced in panels, as lap siding and as trim pieces. Because it's durable (many manufacturers warranty the product for 50 years and the finish for 15), low maintenance, available in many sizes and textures, and easily painted any color, fiber cement is an ideal siding choice.
Architects and designers have taken to this material's adaptability. Not only is fiber cement available as a horizontal lap siding for traditional-style homes, but it also comes in panels that mimic stucco for Prairie and Craftsman-style homes, shingle panels for Arts and Crafts-style homes and smooth panels for more contemporary designs.
Although the longest-lasting finishes are factory applied, the material can be painted onsite just like wood siding. This makes for easy touch-ups and repairs as well as the ability to change color. Below are ways to use fiber cement board on home exteriors in a variety of styles.
Fiber cement board in its current form was developed in the 1980s by the James Hardie corporation as a replacement for asbestos cement board. A combination of sand, cement and cellulose, it can be produced in panels, as lap siding and as trim pieces. Because it's durable (many manufacturers warranty the product for 50 years and the finish for 15), low maintenance, available in many sizes and textures, and easily painted any color, fiber cement is an ideal siding choice.
Architects and designers have taken to this material's adaptability. Not only is fiber cement available as a horizontal lap siding for traditional-style homes, but it also comes in panels that mimic stucco for Prairie and Craftsman-style homes, shingle panels for Arts and Crafts-style homes and smooth panels for more contemporary designs.
Although the longest-lasting finishes are factory applied, the material can be painted onsite just like wood siding. This makes for easy touch-ups and repairs as well as the ability to change color. Below are ways to use fiber cement board on home exteriors in a variety of styles.
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| Color it modern and bold. Available in large, smooth panels, fiber cement board is ideal for the exterior of a modern house. The rectangular grid created by the joints between panels gives the exterior structure and order. The ability to finish the material in any color enabled the architect of this home to articulate each volume so that the design of interlocked cubes is readily apparent. |
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by Nic Darling
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| Use it to blend in. Fiber cement is a chameleon-like material. Whether your site is a high-end suburb, a bucolic country field or a gritty urban zone, it can be colored and arranged to suit the setting. |
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The secret's in the joint. The fiber cement panels can be butted to each other or can be installed with a reveal between each panel. The James Hardie company has developed a simple installation system when a reveal is desired. While this reveal creates a distinct shadow line that is perfect for a contemporary design, the joints between panels can be treated in several ways.
| Joints can be filled with a contrasting color to create a two-dimensional look. |
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| Panel joints can be covered with a contrasting colored fiber cement trim to create a Prairie-style look. |
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| Fiber cement trim also can be colored to match the panels for a contemporary aesthetic. |
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| Mix it up. An especially effective way of using fiber cement panels is to combine them with other materials. Or you can combine fiber cement lap siding with fiber cement panels. The vertical and gridded panels here create orthogonality with the lap siding. |
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The ability to combine this siding with other materials is one of its great features. It works in a slick and machined look ...
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| ... and in a more rustic and vernacular approach. |
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| The panels, which can be quite large, can be cut, stacked vertically or placed horizontally in a stack bond pattern. |
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| Make mine traditional. Most fiber cement board is used as horizontal lap siding, ideal for traditional and colonial-style homes. |
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| Many newer homes with traditional styling use fiber cement siding. For a house with a large exterior surface area, the material can be used in a variety of textures as well as for shingles in the upper gables. |
It's also available in a board-and-batten configuration.
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| The material can be finished in a wide selection of colors. |
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One of my favorite approaches is to use both the lap siding and the panels in a Craftsman-style configuration. This can be especially effective when re-siding an existing house to create something unique.
More:
Fiber Cement Siding in Modern Architecture
9 Top Siding Materials
Fiber Cement Board in Modern Architecture
More:
Fiber Cement Siding in Modern Architecture
9 Top Siding Materials
Fiber Cement Board in Modern Architecture
Comments
departure: architecture planning interiors llc We used a factory-finished color here (at the sleeping penthouse, and also below at the first floor garage facade and soffit) as part of a long-lasting and low-maintenance exterior material palette. 
14 months ago · Like
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inak I used Hardi-Plank shingles for accent on my 8 year old house in Alaska and it appears to be fine (but is 30 feet above ground so I haven't looked closely). Just heard from a local lumber yard that Hardi-Plank no longer warranties for sale in Alaska, nor allows their dealers to sell Hardi-Plank in Alaska. Hmmm... if you live in a wet climate I would do some research before investing.
14 months ago · Like
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Fine Art & Portraits by Laurel You have several interesting examples in your article, but gosh, the second one is the most breath-takingly God awful house I've ever seen.
14 months ago · Like
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ideapoacher We installed a Hardi-shake "50 year roof" that crumbled after 2 years in SF Bay Area. Hardishake stalled and stalled on warranty and declared bankruptcy in roofing division- will NEVER buy any of their products again
14 months ago · Like
Moore About... Design I specialize in re-hab'ing manufactured houses, and Hardie board is the go-to siding! To get this contemporary cottage vibe, we used smooth "board" and wood grained "batten" and then painted the whole thing a deep mushroom. 
14 months ago · Like
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Straight Up Productions You need to be very careful in using this product. Here in New Zealand and, I understand, Canada, Hardie board is implicated in a major leaky homes scandal that has a $20-40 billion implication. There are numerous homeowners who have lost everything, including their health, through poorly designed, poorly built and poorly maintained homes, many of which used this monolithic cladding material. Homes in New Zealand using this material are now regarded as very difficult to sell.
14 months ago · Like
festus Laurel Murals, I don't think your critique of the second home is accurate or enlightening. Do you understand the urban context, the massing, contrast of old and new? This is not my work and it is not the most awe-inspiring thing I have ever seen. But I understand the intent and appreciate the statement.
14 months ago · Like
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Fine Art & Portraits by Laurel Festus, you're right, my comment wasn't enlightening. Sorry.
14 months ago · Like
Ideabook updated on March 17, 2012.
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