James Hardie Fiber Cement

The most-specified board in the region, which matters most on a repair five years out. Installed across Seattle, Bellevue and Tacoma since 1995.

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Fiber cement siding, trim and soffit
Installed by Side-Pro Exteriors across Seattle, Bellevue and Tacoma

Hardie is the default here for good reason. What is worth knowing is which half of the warranty is the strong half.

James Hardie fiber cement is the most-installed cladding on this side of the mountains, and for most Seattle, Bellevue and Tacoma homes it is the sensible answer — dimensionally stable, non-combustible, and supplied in an HZ5 formulation built for wet winters and freeze-thaw rather than for heat and humidity.

The warranty is two separate promises, and they are not equal. The 30-year substrate warranty is non-prorated: it covers the board against hail and termite damage and warrants compliance with ASTM C1186, and it is worth the same in year 29 as in year 2. The 15-year ColorPlus finish warranty is prorated — from the second year the payment reduces by 6.67% annually, so by year eight roughly half of it has gone. Both are real. Only one of them is what most people think they are buying.

ColorPlus is the reason to spend the extra. It is a baked-on factory finish rather than jobsite paint, so it arrives already cured and does not depend on finding a dry week to paint in — not a small thing on a Puget Sound re-side booked for October.

Hardie also publishes detailed installation requirements, and failure to follow them can void the warranty. Clearances, fastener placement and cut-edge treatment are where a fiber cement job quietly goes wrong, and they are where we spend the attention.

Key Features & Benefits

The most-specified board in the region. Boards, trim, colors and people who know how to hang it are all easy to source here — which matters most on a repair five years from now.
HZ5 formulation. Hardie supplies a board specified for wet, freeze-thaw climates rather than hot and humid ones. That is the one that belongs on a Puget Sound wall.
ColorPlus factory finish. Baked on before it reaches the site, so your color does not depend on finding a dry week to paint in.
30-year substrate warranty, non-prorated. Worth the same in year 29 as in year 2 — covering hail and termite damage and compliance with ASTM C1186.
15-year ColorPlus finish warranty. Prorated 6.67% a year from year two, so read it as the shorter promise it actually is.
Non-combustible. Complies with ASTM E136 and rated Class A under ASTM E84. The rating covers the board itself, not paints or coatings applied over it.
Dimensionally stable. It will not rot, will not feed insects, and does not move through a wet winter the way wood-based cladding does.
Installation is the variable. Clearances, fastener placement and cut-edge treatment decide whether the warranty survives. Hardie can and does void it for work that ignores the manual.

Why Choose Side-Pro

Hardie will void a warranty for an installation that ignores its manual. That is the whole reason the installer matters more here than the board does.

James Hardie Alliance Elite Contractor badge

James Hardie Elite Preferred ContractorSide-Pro is a member of the James Hardie Elite Preferred Contractor Alliance. It is a credential Hardie awards on demonstrated installation standards rather than volume — which matters here precisely because Hardie can void a warranty over the details below.

Fiber cement is forgiving of weather and unforgiving of shortcuts. The failures we get called out to look at are almost never the product. They are nails driven through the face where the board should have been blind-nailed, boards butted tight with nowhere to move, cut edges left raw, or a clearance to the roofline that Hardie specifies to the inch and somebody eyeballed.

Clearances as specifiedThe gaps to roof, deck, ground and flashing that Hardie’s manual calls for — not the ones that look about right

Cut edges sealedEvery field cut treated before the board goes on the wall, because a raw edge is how water gets into fiber cement

Warranty paperworkWe hand you the documentation to register the warranty with James Hardie directly

We work across Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma and the wider Puget Sound region, on anything from a single problem elevation to a full re-side.

Planning a Hardie re-side?

Every quote we write has the clearances, flashing and cut-edge detail built into it. Ask us what that looks like on your house.

✓Free estimate and inspection, with no obligation
✓Licensed, bonded and insured — WA reg. SIDEPI*008N1
✓Siding, roofing and exteriors across Puget Sound since 1995

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is James Hardie better than vinyl siding for Seattle homes?

For most Seattle-area homeowners, James Hardie fiber cement outperforms vinyl in durability, appearance, fire resistance, and resale value. Vinyl can warp, crack, and fade in UV exposure and does not hold paint. Hardie's ColorPlus finish is far more durable and the product itself is non-combustible.

What is the HardieZone system and why does it matter in Seattle?

The HardieZone system means James Hardie engineers its products for specific climate zones. Seattle-Tacoma falls in HZ5, the zone James Hardie engineers for freezing temperatures, seasonal swings and freeze-thaw — not HZ10, which is built for hurricane-force wind, salt air and the humid heat of the South. Products sold here have additional moisture resistance built into the formulation compared to products made for drier climates.

How long does a James Hardie installation take?

A typical whole-home re-side in the Seattle-Tacoma area takes between one and three weeks depending on home size, complexity of trim details, and weather conditions. Side-Pro provides a detailed timeline at the estimate stage.

Does Side-Pro register the Hardie warranty for me?

Yes. Side-Pro provides all necessary documentation and guides homeowners through the warranty registration process with James Hardie at project completion.

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Please fill out our FREE ESTIMATE / INSPECTION form or call today to discuss your roofing or siding project with our friendly staff.

Office: 425-486-4777
Toll-Free: 1-800-743-3132
Fax: 425-483-5727

Address:
17270 Woodinville-Redmond Road NE
Suite 700
Woodinville, WA 98072

Side Pro Exteriors is a locally owned and operated siding, roofing and exterior renovation company since 1995. We provide roofing and siding replacement to over half of Washington State including King Snohomish and Pierce counties.

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