September 13, 2022
Bellwether is proud to be an Elite Preferred James Hardie contractor because we believe in the quality and the benefits
Often, when you think of home siding, it’s wood siding that comes to mind. At Bellwether, we are home exterior experts, with an extensive knowledge of siding. While wood siding gives a beautiful, rustic look to a home, it is not the best option for Colorado homes. But there are many other siding options, such as James Hardie fiber cement siding, that are more resilient in the Colorado climate, designed to imitate the beautiful grain of wood siding.
There are a few options when it comes to wood siding, though our Bellwether experts caution against the viability of wood siding for many Colorado homes. Wood siding can become warped under harsh, wet winter elements and the baking summer sun, especially in mountain-area homes. Because of its susceptibility to the environment, wood siding also requires more maintenance, even updates or replacements as often as every three to five years, to remain functional and beautiful.
There are many natural wood siding options and composite wood siding options. Natural wood siding has the classic and rustic look that other siding types are imitating, though most of these options—especially fiber cement siding—look as authentic as natural wood. Cedar siding is the most eco-friendly wood siding. Specialty wood siding includes thermally treated natural wood options, such as hemlock or fir. Thermally-treated products are kiln-dried and are better AB grade woods and are frequently pre-finished. Beetle kill is also considered a specialty wood, but it is not long-lasting. All wood products need to be stained and sealed.
Most wood siding choices, even if advertised as natural wood siding, are actually a version of composite wood siding. Composite wood siding offers the appearance of natural wood, but it corrects some of the challenges to using and maintaining natural wood siding. Composite siding is manufactured by using wood strands or chips that are coated in wax and then combined with a resin binder, along with other ingredients. This combination makes composite wood siding more resistant and durable, though our Bellwether experts caution against any type of wood siding for the Colorado climate.
Bellwether offers a few wood siding options, such as Woodtone, and our experts can determine if these products meet your home’s needs. We also offer several options of fiber cement siding that is made to look like stained wood siding.
The major draw to wood siding is its classic, beautiful look. You want to love your home’s design and feel proud of the way it looks. Though wood siding is durable, there are many other drawbacks to wood siding, especially for Colorado homes. Bellwether experts believe that these concerns aren’t worth the risk of wood siding.Â
The good news is, there are incredible options on the market that will present as beautiful wood, with the benefits of stronger and more resilient materials, made for the Colorado climate. Our first recommendation is always a fiber cement siding product, such as James Hardie fiber cement siding, because of its resistance to fire and environmental elements common in Colorado, such as hail, high winds, and extreme temperature changes. All of these elements will quickly take a toll on wood siding, but by choosing fiber cement siding, your home is protected against these concerns.
Other siding options emulate the look of natural wood as well, including metal siding and vinyl siding. While there are a few benefits to these alternative siding options, Bellwether does not recommend them as strongly as fiber cement siding as they are not as defensible against Colorado weather patterns.Â
Because wood siding is generally about aesthetic appeal and not durability or functionality, it is important to remember that home siding is not only meant to make a home beautiful, but to protect the interior as well. Even with professional installation, wood materials can warp and soften over time, making them susceptible to rot, pests, and other large issues for a homeowner.Â
When choosing wood siding, there are many installation options and joinery methods, including lap siding, board and batten, shingle or shake, cottage lap or dutch lap, and nickel gap or ship lap. Many of these installation methods have influence the current popularization of wood siding, but it is important to understand that you can achieve these styles with other siding options as well.Â
Bellwether has an in-house design team that will work to understand your style goals. If the classic wood siding is important to you, they can showcase alternatives that present just like wood siding but are stronger choices for Colorado homes. Like all of our siding options, these alternative products, are installed in accordance with the manufacturers’ best practices, and these methods for more modern products, such as James Hardie fiber cement siding, guarantee peak siding performance. Bellwether guarantees that our siding installations include an expertly designed moisture management system. Regardless of your siding type, Bellwether-installed siding creates a barrier between the living spaces of your home and the outside environment, to keep your home comfortable and dry. A professional moisture management system includes flashing, moisture barriers, drainage holes, and careful caulking to seal against rainwater and other elements. While we also use these techniques when installing wood siding, they are more effective with alternative siding materials.
If you still wish to install metal siding on your Colorado home, Bellwether carries a Vesta product called Quality Edge. This steel product presents as beautiful wood grain, and comes painted in a variety of long-lasting colors. Color-options range from neutral tones like Fresh Canvas, Fawn, and Aged Walnut, to bolder options such as Evening Shade, Midnight Blue, and Dark Espresso. Because metal siding can be repainted, you always have the option of updating your home’s paint color.
Regardless of your home siding material, we will always adhere to the manufacturers’ best practices as the minimum standard for our installation procedures, with a guarantee that your metal siding is properly installed with an expertly designed moisture management system. This design includes flashing, moisture barriers, drainage holes, and careful caulking to create a barrier between the living spaces of your home and the outside environment so that your home stays warm and dry.
Our expert designs work hand-in-hand with industry standards for the best results from your home siding. We can answer any questions about metal siding, and also explain the benefits of other siding products, such as James Hardie fiber cement siding.
Unique to Bellwether, we offer a pre construction meeting where we provide a clear and detailed scope before we begin building.
Open communication with project manager crew leader, and internal representatives.
It's not over until you say so. We value your satisfaction with our product above all else. We offer final walkthrough to guarantee you are pleased.
Our team is proud to serve our homeowners on the Front range of Colorado. We know the unique needs of our clients and deeply care about the look and durability of your home’s exterior. Our team of experts are here to guide you through the process of repairing or replacing your home’s siding and windows.
30 - year Product Warranty | 15 - year Finish Warranty
Personalized Exterior Design Service
Excellent Service & Support Throughout Project Lifecycle
3D & HD Renderings of Your Home
Our team is proud to serve our homeowners on the Front range of Colorado. We know the unique needs of our clients and deeply care about the look and durability of your home’s exterior. Our team of experts are here to guide you through the process of repairing or replacing your home’s siding and windows.
30 - year Product Warranty | 15 - year Finish Warranty
Exellent Service & Support Throughout Project Lifecycle
Personalized Exterior Design Service
3D & HD Renderings of Your Home
Bellwether does not recommend wood siding, especially not for Colorado homes. Wood siding can become warped under harsh, wet winter elements and the baking summer sun, and it is particularly susceptible to wildfire.
Wood siding easily deteriorates, especially in the Colorado climate. It absorbs moisture from rain and wet winter elements, and the boards can rot under the baking Colorado sun. As wood siding ages, it becomes more and more susceptible to fire dangers, especially in Colorado mountain homes. Wood siding also requires a lot of maintenance, and it may not last a lifetime in your home.
If the classic wood siding is important to you, our Bellwether design team can showcase alternatives that present just like wood siding but are stronger choices for Colorado homes. As a James Hardie Elite Preferred contractor, we proudly recommend James Hardie fiber cement siding because it is durable and beautiful, plus resistant to Colorado weather elements and fire.
Bellwether is proud to be an Elite Preferred James Hardie contractor because we believe in the quality and the benefits
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