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Peaks &Valleys

Roofing & Exterior

The Siding That Doesn't Rot, Burn, or Feed the Woodpeckers

James Hardie fiber cement is the PNW default for a reason — but it only earns its warranty when the flashing and install are done to spec. That's the part you're actually paying for.

Free inspection & photo report · Fixed, line-item bids· Written workmanship warranty

Signs to watch

Is this you?

Your engineered or T1-11 siding is failing

1980s and '90s panel siding across the inland Northwest is reaching failure age all at once. Hardie is the common upgrade, and the reason it lasts is what goes behind it.

You want to stop repainting the house

Hardie's baked-on ColorPlus finish holds far longer than paint on wood, so the repaint clock slows way down in this wet-dry climate.

You're in a fire-risk zone

Fiber cement is non-combustible. East of the Cascades, that matters more every summer, and some jurisdictions increasingly expect it.

Moisture and pests keep coming back

Rot, carpenter ants, and woodpeckers all lose interest in fiber cement. It's cement and cellulose, not food and not soft.

Your options

Hardie done to spec, not just nailed up

James Hardie is fiber cement — a blend of cement, sand, and cellulose fiber that doesn't rot, burn, or swell with Northwest moisture. We install the full HardieZone system: lap, panel, or shingle profiles, ColorPlus factory finishes that hold color for years, and the details that make the difference. Under all of it: housewrap, a rainscreen gap where the wall calls for it, and flashing at every window, door, and penetration. Hardie installed wrong still fails — the warranty is real only when the install is.

The method

How we do it

  1. 01

    Design and color selection

    Profiles and ColorPlus samples held against your actual house in real light — not a chip under showroom bulbs.

  2. 02

    Tear-off and sheathing inspection

    Old siding off, wet or rotted sheathing found, photographed, and repaired at the per-sheet price printed in your bid.

  3. 03

    Weather barrier and install

    Housewrap, flashing, correct clearances and fastening to Hardie spec — the invisible work that makes the finish last. Most homes: one to two weeks.

Straight numbers

What Hardie actually costs

Fiber cement sits above vinyl and engineered wood on material cost, and the labor is more exacting. What moves the number: square footage, number of stories, trim and corner complexity, and what we find under the old siding once it's off. We quote fixed bids with financing available — no surprises mid-job on the sheathing.

Where we do this work

James Hardie Siding: straight answers

Is James Hardie worth the extra cost over vinyl?

If you're staying long-term or in a fire zone, usually yes — it's tougher, non-combustible, holds its finish longer, and returns more at resale. If budget is the hard constraint, quality engineered wood or thick-gauge vinyl can be the right honest answer. We'll price the options, not push the top one.

Does Hardie really hold up in the wet Northwest?

It's about as well-suited to this climate as siding gets — it won't rot or swell like wood, and it doesn't feed mildew the way some substrates do. The one thing that still matters is the flashing and moisture barrier behind it, which is exactly where we spend the care.

Can you install Hardie over my existing siding?

We don't. Overlay traps whatever moisture problem is already in the wall where nobody can see it, and it voids most manufacturer warranties. Tear-off, inspect, repair, wrap, then side — the sequence is the product.

Do I have to paint Hardie?

Not if you choose ColorPlus, Hardie's factory-applied finish — it comes colored and holds up for years before it needs attention. You can also get it primed and field-paint it any color you want; both are valid, and we'll walk through the trade-offs.

Get the james hardie siding conversation started.

Free 20-minute inspection. Photo report you keep either way. Zero pressure.

Leaving with questions?

The inspection is free, the photo report is yours either way, and plenty of them end with "your siding has years left." Worst case, you learn something.

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