Need some help deciding on exterior materials

10 years ago

I'm meeting with the builder again on Friday to go over the specs for my new smaller plan, and I feel like I'm pretty close on the interior specs but I'm struggling a bit with the exterior. I really would like the outside to look at close as possible to this picture, both in terms of color scheme and style. I live in Minnesota and my lot is wooded behind where the house will be. I would prefer the shake style siding if it fits within the budget but I'm not sure what material would be best:

Cedar -I like the look of cedar but I'm figuring I would need to stain every 5 years or so.

Fiber Cement -I've also looked at the Nichiha shakes but I'm not as sure what the maintenance requirements might be there?

Vinyl-I have also looked at the Certainteed Cedar Impressions and they look ok, at least from a distance but they seem to be almost as expensive as the cedar.

I've read some old threads on the Nichiha but the installations all seemed fairly new so I'm wondering what the maintenance might be in 5, 10 or 15 years. Also if anyone has real life pictures of a whole house with the Certainteed shakes I would love to see them

Also, what sort of roof shingles would you go with on a house of this style?

The picture is from a different plan by Alan Mascord called the Pasadena.

Featured Answer

katmu
Original Author

10 years ago

Back from my meeting with the builder. He is discouraging me from using fiber cement at all, due to the combination of our climate and the fact that my lot is wooded. Can anyone verify if fiber cement is more likely to be an issue on a wooded lot?

He is encouraging me to look at LP SmartSide and steel siding (local company called EDCO). The steel wouldn't be the shingle/shake look just standard siding for the bottom with a board & batten for the upper portion.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

estescustombuilders
10 years ago
Hello I am custom home builder in maine.I would suggest the fiber cement another option is James Hardie they make a wonderful product we have installed on a lot of jobs with this product. It come with a 15 year warranty on color. The only thing you must make sure of is the installer is certified by james hardie to do the installation. We have done project that are up to 8 years old and they look as good as day they were installed they also make a color match caulking which has an uv protection to prevent it from fading also all and all great overall system. www.estescustombuilders.com

Here is a link that might be useful: custom home builder
Naf_Naf
10 years ago
RE fiber cement:
Do not get Certainteed.
Nichiha is the best. James Hardie is pretty good and cost almost half than Nichiha (last time I checked).
Related Professionals
North Chicago Architects & Building Designers · Plum Design-Build Firms · North Bellport Home Builders · Los Banos Home Builders · Wilmington Home Builders · Bryn Mawr-Skyway General Contractors · Clive General Contractors · Conneaut General Contractors · Evans General Contractors · Florida City General Contractors · Geneva General Contractors · Keene General Contractors · Mentor General Contractors · Mishawaka General Contractors · Towson General Contractors
katmu
Original Author
10 years ago
The Certainteed product isn't their fiber cement line, it's polymer (like vinyl) but up close I don't think it looks as realistic.

Any idea how the Nichiha compares to cedar in terms of price? I'm a little nervous about Hardie after reading some of the threads on here, as the people that seemed to have issues all seemed to be in colder climates.
dekeoboe
10 years ago
He is discouraging me from using fiber cement at all, due to the combination of our climate and the fact that my lot is wooded. Can anyone verify if fiber cement is more likely to be an issue on a wooded lot?

I'm curious, what did he say was the problem with fiber cement on a wooded lot? My house is concrete, but we have fiber cement trim, soffits and other areas. We did not want real wood due to the carpenter bees and woodpeckers.
LOTO
10 years ago
James Hardie has a map that shows the different areas and recommended product for each

Here is a link that might be useful: Map
mushcreek
10 years ago
Fiber cement (and most sidings) should be installed over a drainage plane. This consists of vertical furring strips to which the product is mounted. The result is an air space behind the siding to allow drying. Also, fiber cement has to be installed correctly. Every cut has to be primed, flashing has to be put behind joints in the siding, and it must be kept a minimum of 8" above the ground. Like anything else, if you don't do it right, you can't expect the best results.

I am installing Nichiha (myself) over a drainage plane. I bought the siding for 25 cents on the dollar because building supply companies in FL couldn't move product during the housing crash.
filmstreamingvk
9 years ago
Country home decorating combines colors which are clean and bright with country furniture and accessories. When choosing colors for country home decorating, light to medium shades of white, yellow, pink, green or brown are good choices. Colors should reflect a rustic feeling. To add to the painted walls, a homeowner or decorator may decide to use stencils with country character such as flowers or plants, fruits or vegetables. Wallpaper boarders are also often used in country home decorating. It is fine to use these additions but the rule of thumb is Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã¯Â¿Â½" to make sure the patterns do not clash.

Here is a link that might be useful: filmstreamingvk.ws