Fiber Cement Siding: Hiring the Right Installer

As you begin the process of updating the exterior of your home make sure to protect your investment by hiring the right fiber cement siding installer. The two most common fiber cement both have detailed installation instructions that, if not followed, can void the warranties which can create a huge mess if an issue develops with your siding installation.

Currently, unlike vinyl siding, there are no industry standards or certifications for the installation of fiber cement siding or cement siding as most home owners call it. Also, just because a siding contractor is listed as a "preferred contractor" doesn’t mean they install siding properly or better than other siding contractors. It usually means they have committed to focusing on selling that particular siding over other brands. I personally choose to offer a variety siding options with varying siding costs so I can meet my customers’ needs. I do not want to have to sell a particular product that might not meet the needs of all of my potential siding clients.

The first thing you can do as you begin the process of hiring a fiber cement contractor is become educated on the actual installation. Visit the siding manufacturer’s websites and find the installation instructions, if they are available.

As with most siding options, all warranties clearly state that if improperly installed or handled the entire fiber cement siding warranty could be voided. I will touch on two real easy installation musts for one popular brand of cement siding. Unfortunately, these two things are often not done by siding contractors and could potentially hurt home owners in the future.

The hardest part for me to figure out is why aren’t they being done? If you look at the installation instructions, there are pictures showing exactly how to handle these situations. I am not saying my company is the only company providing proper siding installation, but there are too many examples of it being done wrong and it is not worth the risk. It may mean paying a little more up-front for your siding installation (or maybe not) or potentially paying more later for repairs.

With decks and roof lines there is a required clearance of 2 inches from those surfaces. This means the fiber cement siding cannot be within 2 inches of those surfaces for proper installation. Ask the fiber cement siding contractors about clearances before hiring them. There are also special considerations for horizontal flashing details above windows and doors. I don’t want to get to technical in this article, but one brand of siding we install requires a ¼" gap above z-flashing and then they do not want that gap to be sealed (caulk) to allow moisture to escape. In driving around providing siding estimates I see so many jobs where the siding installers have sealed that area when all they would have to do is look at the current installation instructions to see an easy diagram explaining the proper siding installation.

Storage is also important. Cement siding cannot be installed wet, as stated in installation instructions, but every day I see siding that was sitting in a driveway during a rainstorm uncovered only to be installed during or shortly after the rain fall.

Pick the right cement siding installer and enjoy your cement siding for years to come.