The best James Hardie siding contractors 

While prices vary from market to market, this is how HardiePlank siding compares in installed price with its competitors:

• More expensive than vinyl
• Less expensive than brick
• Equal or less than hardboard or composite siding
• Less expensive than synthetic stucco

The following are suitable trim products for use with HardiePlank lap siding:

• HardieTrim
• Fiber Cement
• Real Wood
• Engineered Wood
• Vinyl
• Coated or Corrosion-Resistant Aluminum

Follow these recommendations to clean the exterior of your home and to help maintain the beauty and value of your James Hardie siding.

• Wash down the exterior surfaces every 6 to 12 months with a garden hose to remove dirt and debris, gently clean your siding with a soft brush or wet soft cloth in a side to side motion in the direction of the plank siding.
  NOTE: Clean by working small sections at a time, starting from the top down to prevent dripping or streaking onto the cleaned area.
• A low-pressure water spray* and a soft medium bristle (non-metal) siding cleaning brush is most suitable for cleaning fiber cement products.
  NOTE: Acid and high-pressure washing can damage the fiber cement surface and is not recommended.
• Clean James Hardie ColorPlus® products by using water and a soft brush or cloth. For stubborn dirt or stains, a mild detergent and a soft brush may be used.
  NOTE: For paint applied in the field, refer to the paint manufacturer for washing and maintenance requirements.

Maintaining the exterior of your home helps prevent water intrusion and is an important part of sustaining the beauty and value of your home. The extent and nature of maintenance will depend on the design of your house, its geographic location, the amount of weather and sun exposure, and the landscaping near your house. As a guide, it is recommended that normal fiber cement maintenance tasks and care include:

• Installing gutters and downspouts on your home—if they are not already present when you purchased the home.
• Cleaning out your gutters, blocked pipes, and overflows of any debris, leaves, twigs and dirt.
• Keeping vegetation such as shrubs, bushes, and small trees trimmed back and away from the home and siding.
• Adjusting sprinkler systems so they do not excessively spray on siding or continuously soak the ground near your house.
• Avoiding direct contact with deicing salts, as these salts may prematurely damage the finished look of the siding. We recommend the use of sand or gravel to manage snowy or icy surfaces near siding.
• Ensuring required external ground clearances (typically 6 in.) and drainage slopes are maintained.
  NOTE: Do not in fill landscaping up to the siding.