James Hardie Siding Reviews

Browse our James Hardie siding reviews from homeowners, contractors and industry professionals. See what they have to say about this top selling fiber cement.

James Hardie Siding Reviews

James Hardie Siding Review

I only use HardiPlank and feel like the product is very reliable. However, prepainted panels have given me issues when I go to touch them up – a concern echoed by another installer. He says he can’t quite match the colors and when he went back to Hardie and told them about the issue he wasn’t given an answer. I have recently dealt with Nichiha (see Nichiha reviews) who apparently have a one year, five year and twenty year plan for their American operation. They seem to be commited to doing business the right way – not according to the shareholder price!

Don – Contractor – from 2009

Hardiplank Review

I’ve used Hardie Plank for a good 15 years, although I recently went with CertainTeed’s fiber cement product on a small project and I have to say that I thought it looked nicer than the Hardie. However, I’d say it’s a bit more brittle. The CertainTeed is just under the Hardie in terms of price. I’ve been looking at the Nichiha, which is also a good looking product, but have never installed it.

Josh – Contractor – from 2009

Hardie Plank Fiber Cement vs Other Brands

My wife and I remodeled our Dutch Colonial home and orignially were going to use Hardie Plank fiber cement because of its popularity (at least in the Virginia area). I actually didn’t even realize that there were other brands, but soon began to discover that other companies produced a fiber cement. So we then changed to Nichiha because of its thickness, which matched better with the style of our home. (I think Hardie now offers a thicker line…) The Nichiha had a more substantial weight to it, which put our minds at ease as far as durability.

The Nichiha and the Hardie were very similar in price. Nichiha fiber cement siding seems to be a bit more smooth whereas Hardie has more of a shake texture.

Dale – Consumer – from 2008




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HardiPlank Price Range

HardiPlank: $3.00 – $4.00 psf

Installation: $2.00 – $6.00 psf

Totals: $5.00 – $10.00

More on Hardie Board siding costs

Hardie Board siding Review

I have done many installs with this siding and haven’t had a problem with the product. I have been very impressed with Hardie Board – it’s possible that wind can get under it, but it would have to be blowing very hard. So for high wind area, I would not recommend any lap siding unless the look of face nails doesn’t bother you. Many of the problems I hear from homeowners can be placed at the feet of improper installation – nails being driven in too far, too many nails being used, joints that are not properly caulked, soil right against the HardiPlank etc.

Steve – Siding Installer – Vancouver, WA from 2010

More James Hardie Siding Reviews

James Hardie Siding Reviews

We installed Color Plus (James Hardie) on our garage and the siding color looked off – like a cheap primer that had a chalky look to it. So my wife and I filed a claim and it took 2 months before we heard back from the company. A company rep came out, took a look, didn’t say much about the discoloration and told us inform the company of his report findings. So 3 months later, James Hardie say the color problem is not covered under the warranty. Their official name for the problem is “efflorescence” – which happens when the product gets wet before it is installed.

This was confusing because I’m pretty sure that fiber cement siding is supposed to protect you from getting wet and is outdoors all the time?! Besides this, the siding DIDN’T get wet before it was installed! The company simply ducked their responsibility and used their warranty to dodge the issue that the have a problem with their product. The funny thing (not that funny) was that I had a James Hardie installation manageer come out and look at the job and he told us their was a problem with the finish that probably happend at the factory. And here I am with a defective product and apparently no recourse.

Cassandra – Midlothian, VA – from 2008

I purchased a home about 8 months ago and some of the HardiPlank is coming out near the bottom. I tried to do some repairs to it and it looks like the nails were driven in too far. The builder came out and put a screw in each board (and pushed soil up against it?!) in order to keep it flush to the wall. The butt joints do not seem to be properly sealed. I am curious whether I can sue the builder who now seems to be washing his hands of the whole project.

John – Homeowner – Wisconsin from 2010

[Response To John On Improper Installation]

There are several approaches you can take to “persuade” the builder to take responsibility for improper installation.

1. Call James Hardie and get a company rep out to inspect the project and give you a copy of the report that states the problem and the best remedy to fix it. The company may take awhile to get around to it so here is another tact. Get a home inspector out to document the problem (report and pictures) and then send the claim into Hardie and have them sign off on it. Then take the Builder to small claims court or simply have a lawyer sue the Builder and make sure you tell the builder that James Hardie agrees with your assessment that it is improper installation.

2. Call up the Dept. Of Consumer Protection with your home inspection report, pictures and the JH response to the install – they usually can have sway over Builders.

3. Call the town building inspector and have them come out to take a look at the problem. They probably know the builder and if it’s obviously a bad install they may be able to influence the builder to step up and fix it properly.

4. Call the State Attorney General Office. Many new homes have a 1 year warranty, although this varies from state to state.

Steve – General Contractor, Illinois – from 2009



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