Posted by Peter Martino on Tue, Nov 10, 2009 @ 09:18 AM
I was recently asked by Jim Cory from Replacement Contractor Magazine to comment on the growth of fiber cement siding in New England, specifically Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. Here's the article:
High Fiber
by Jim Cory
Demand for fiber cement set to grow at twice the rate of the replacement siding marketBy Jim Cory
Bob Birner, vice president of Amazing Siding, a home improvement company headquartered in Houston, calls Texas "the Holy Land" of fiber-cement siding. Five years ago, he estimates, 5% of the company's siding jobs were fiber cement. Now, he says, "it's the majority of our siding business." Amazing Siding, with branches in other states as well, also sells an acrylic siding product and composite windows.
Onward and Upward
A report on the U.S. siding market issued earlier this year by the Freedonia Group suggests that by 2017 fiber-cement sales will increase to $2.065 million, with a 14% market share, and use of fiber-cement siding "will expand 7.7% annually" in improvement and repair applications. Up to now, much of that growth has been regional, focused in the South and Southwest. Freedonia suggests stronger future growth in the Northeast and Midwest. Peter Martino, marketing manager and project consultant for United Home Experts, in Boston, says that before his company took on the product in 2002, it was "rare" to see a fiber-cement replacement job in Massa-chusetts. But, he says, in the last three or four years, "it's become increasingly widespread as a siding option." So widespread that United Home Experts, on its website, estimates that fiber-cement siding "is approaching a market share of 10% in Massachusetts and other parts of New England."
Slow Market
This year the overall siding market is slower, and contractors have noticed that consumers who have money to invest in the exterior of their home prefer to spend those dollars on windows or a new roof. At Weatherguard Systems, a Wisconsin company that sells gutter protection, windows, and siding, 2009 has been a lean year in the siding department. "We've done one job in vinyl and five or six in fiber cement," company president Jared Murray says. Residential siding customers, Murray has noticed, are those who have "saved and want to upgrade." Last year siding jobs at the company were 60% vinyl, 40% fiber cement.
In the past, home improvement companies tended to offer consumers one product or another. Today many companies carry several products, an arrangement that Birner compares to auto dealerships that carry products from multiple manufacturers. Exterior Home Improvement, in Indianapolis, for instance, offers insulated-vinyl, fiber-cement, or a wood-vinyl composite siding. For companies with fiber cement as a core product, quality installation is the appeal. At United Home Experts, where 80% of jobs are fiber cement, reps show prospects pictures of the company's fiber-cement jobs versus the less-than-stellar installs of others.
Birner guesses that 5% to 7% of Amazing Siding's fiber-cement projects in Houston involve rescuing botched do-it-yourself projects. Typically, the homeowner starts, then realizes what's involved and calls Birner's company to come over and begin again from scratch.
Article Source
Posted by Peter Martino on Thu, Nov 05, 2009 @ 03:10 PM
As houses continue to be built closer together, this question is becoming more and more important. James Hardie Fiber Cement siding is in fact flame proof. With enough heat, anything can be damaged, but fiber cement will not carry a flame or ignite in contact with fire. Many insurance companies give reductions on home owners insurance for this type of siding. Fiber Cement is fairly new to New England, but we've been installing it for about 10 years. Fire resistance is just one of the many benefits of Hardiplank. It looks just like wood, but with much less maintenance required. Check out this video from James Hardie which compares which is more fire resistant: Cedar, Fiber Cement, or Vinyl.
Posted by Peter Martino on Fri, Sep 11, 2009 @ 02:03 PM
New England is a region known for its traditional buildings. Although many local historical councils have strict regulations on what building materials can be used to restore a building, many traditional buildings are not regulated by these commissions. In such cases it's becoming more and more prevalent for building owners to have fiber cement siding installed to replace old wood siding. Fiber cement offers low maintenance and durability but maintains the traditional appearance of wood. Many traditional building owners like the idea of having a beautiful and traditionally accurate siding with out the upkeep and maintenance costs of wood. To the average person fiber cement siding is indistinguishable from wood siding even upon close inspection. Up until recent years when fiber cement siding became more readily available in New England, building owners did not have a viable solutions to decrease maintenance and up keep costs. Vinyl siding just has not been an aesthetically accurate. Where as wood siding needs to be maintained on a regular basis, fiber cement siding has a much longer maintenance cycle. We have installed fiber cement siding on traditional homes in such towns and communities in Massachusetts as Cambridge, Newton, Brookline Brighton, Wayland, Weston, Jamaica Plain, Dedham, Milton, and West Roxbury.
In the past, owners of traditional homes and buildings only had one option when it came to replacing their siding. But now fiber cement siding may be a great solution for many of these homes and buildings.
Posted by Peter Martino on Thu, May 21, 2009 @ 03:32 PM
James Hardie Siding is the perfect product for homes in New England because of two main benefits:
The first category is weather resistance and durability. In New England homes can see a range of weather conditions throughout the year including extreme heat and humidity, and extreme cold and dry air. As the old saying goes, "Don't like the weather in New England? Just wait around a minute." James Hardie siding gives New England homes durability that other siding products can't offer. It offers strength and durability in 3 significant areas:
- Resistance to Moisture damage
- Resistance to flying debris
- Resistance to insect and animal damage
The second benefit of James Hardie siding for New England Homeowners is the traditional appearance. Many homeowners in New England are hesitant to replace their siding with anything but wood because they don't want to lose the charm of their traditional New England Home. James Hardie Siding is perfect in this regard because it has a truly authentic woodgrain appearance even a close distances.
As a company we install all types of siding products including traditional cedar and vinyl. Our New England customers are constantly satisfied with the finished results of their home when we install James Hardie siding.