In the great battle of siding, there are many big-name brands that come up whenever you search. Narrowing down your options is about more than just the design; you have to consider the material, the durability and longevity of the siding you install, and even the conditions where you live.
Recently, we’ve been putting brands against one another in a head-to-head, discussing their pros and cons, and helping interested clients decide which option is right for them. Today, we’re going to discuss two of the giants: James Hardie and their proprietary Hardie board, and CertainTeed’s range of premium vinyl siding options.
Which is best for you here in New Jersey? Read on for our analysis, or reach out to talk about siding installation with our team.
Know Your Environment
Here in New Jersey, your home’s exterior is sure to take a beating.
On nice days, you have the sun beating down on any exposed wall, with UV radiation penetrating and degrading any material over time. Heat can be a concern as well, especially in the peak of summer.
On less nice days, the weather can do a lot of damage too. Driving wind and rain can pull siding from the home, water can intrude in cracks, and blown debris can cause impact damage.
In the winter, you have both generally cold temperatures and freeze-thaw cycles that can do all kinds of harm to siding.
On top of all of this, New Jersey has a high average humidity, which can foster mold and mildew growth on the siding. Pests love humid places too, and can get in through or behind different kinds of siding and do damage inside the home.
If you live closer to the coast, you also have to contend with ocean salt in the air, which can corrode some materials and prematurely damage others.
All in all, you have to face nearly every challenge a home could need to withstand short of geological extremes. Your home, of course, will have unique concerns as well. Do you have large, sun-facing surfaces, or do you have shade from trees? Are pests in your area more common, or are you more concerned with the salt air? There’s a lot to think about.
Material Showdown: Hardie Board vs Vinyl Siding
James Hardie siding is some of the most durable siding on the market today. As a proprietary mixture of natural and synthetic materials, the Hardie blend of fiber cement is incredibly strong and resilient to every concern we’ve listed and more.
Hardie siding is extremely resilient against pests, which are no more likely to try to bore into your siding than they would your sidewalk. It’s great against impact, nearly impervious to temperature changes, and resistant to moisture intrusion. Hardie even makes regionally designed variations on their boards, so you know the siding you get here in New Jersey is designed to withstand New Jersey environments.
CertainTeed, meanwhile, offers a wide range of vinyl siding. Vinyl siding is some of the most common siding available in the country today, because it’s inexpensive, easy to manufacture, and can come in a million different styles and colors.
The trade-off is that vinyl siding is generally less durable than fiber cement. That doesn’t mean it’s not durable, though! Vinyl siding is resistant to pests, resilient against temperature swings, and maintains color well over time. It’s less resilient against impacts, but those are one of the least likely hazards, and vinyl siding is easy to spot-replace for repairs.
Winner: Either one! We stand by both options and have installed them across hundreds of homes throughout New Jersey, and they can both stand the test of time. Hardie wins in terms of sheer durability, but if water can get in between panels and freeze, it can crack and buckle. Vinyl, meanwhile, is more prone to warping under high heat over time. They both have small pros and cons, but both are more than adequate to handle what New Jersey throws at them.
Care and Maintenance: Hardie vs CertainTeed Vinyl
When properly installed and well-maintained, you would expect any exterior cladding to last at least 30 years. This is true of both CertainTeed vinyl and James Hardie fiber cement. But what does it mean to maintain the siding? What are you expected to do through the years?
Vinyl siding is incredibly low-maintenance. The color is infused throughout the material, so it takes a lot to even get it to fade, and it won’t peel, chip, or flake. With CertainTeed, generally all you need to do to maintain your siding is inspect it for signs of damage every year, and give it a clean now and then with soapy water.
Fun fact: some people think vinyl siding fades quickly, and are surprised to find that the “fading” is actually just a layer of dust and salt built up on the surface, or even a light layer of mold. A quick once-over with a low-pressure washer or hose is more than enough to restore it to its former glory, in most cases.
If you do locate damage, it’s also very easy to fix and replace vinyl siding. Individual slats and panels can easily be removed and new ones hung in their place, so if something warps, cracks, or is damaged, it’s a matter of an hour or so to replace it. Some people can even DIY it, though we always recommend having a pro make sure it’s done right.
Hardie siding is also relatively low maintenance, though depending on the product you get, you might need to do a little more than just wash it down. Hardie boards are sealed with caulk between them to prevent water intrusion, and that caulk needs to be inspected annually. You’ll want to replace it every so often as well, depending on the specific caulk product, to ensure a good seal.
The main area of maintenance with Hardie siding is in the color. Some Hardie products come pre-painted, while others are primed to accept whatever paint color you want. This is great for flexibility, since you can choose any color and any paint you like. But house paint is more prone to damage and fading over time, and will need to be touched up or repainted every handful of years.
Winner: CertainTeed comes out ahead when ongoing maintenance is your main concern. Both are pretty easy to take care of, but house paint is a whole other deal, at which point it’s not as much about the siding as it is the paint you’ve chosen. It’s hard to hold that against Hardie, though! That said, Hardie’s pre-painted boards have a 15-year warranty on the finish, which speaks to the kind of longevity you can expect out of the initial color.
Aesthetics and Design: CertainTeed vs Hardie
How do you want your home’s exterior to look?
Hardie covers most of the common bases, especially what you might see out here in New Jersey. They have traditional horizontal plant siding boards, artisan siding boards with deep grooves and thick boards, vertical board-and-batten style panels, broad architectural panels, and a faux shingle design that looks like classic cedar shingles.
All of these, as mentioned, come in a range of pre-finished colors or primed for paint of your choice. This is both a pro and a con for Hardie. The colors they offer are all fairly muted on the spectrum of grays, creams, and browns. If you want a statement color or something more vibrant, you’ll need to get the primed panels and paint them yourself. So, you technically have any conceivable option, but painting your siding is a whole additional expense.
CertainTeed does all of that and more. They have planks, faux cedar, board-and-batten, larger architectural panels, several woodgrain options, beaded lap panels, and even stonework designs meant to look like natural stone. The range of colors tends to be more vibrant, though the specific colors on offer depend on the exact product you choose.
Unlike Hardie, though, you don’t paint vinyl siding. If you want a color that they don’t offer, you’re really out of luck. Fortunately, they cover all the bases, so as long as your needs aren’t very specific, you’ll probably find something to suit your tastes.
Winner: Both of them, depending on your needs. If you want a color that isn’t available, Hardie has you covered with paintable panels. If you’re fine with a readily available color, or you really don’t want to deal with paint, CertainTeed wins out.
For design, all of the typical siding styles are available with both, but CertainTeed offering a faux stone makes them the only option if that’s what you want. CertainTeed has more on offer for the basic styles as well, with multiple kinds of lap, shake, and other designs to choose from.
Purchase and Installation: Hardie vs CertainTeed Siding
Budget is always at the front of your mind when you’re considering any major home improvement project, and siding is no different. While you get what you pay for in some ways, siding from both of these brands is likely to last several decades at a minimum, so it’s a very good investment either way.
That said, CertainTeed siding is vinyl and vinyl’s biggest advantage is how inexpensive it generally is. It definitely depends on whether you want one of their simpler styles or one of the more complex and costly designs, but you’re usually looking at a price of between $4 and $16 per square foot of siding.
Vinyl is also easy to work with and fast to install, so the labor costs of installing it tend to be lower. The larger your home is, the more of a difference that can make.
Hardie siding is also available at a range of price points, but their range is higher. You’re often looking at a cost between $8 and $20 per square foot. Fiber cement is heavier and harder to work with, and requires specialized installation, so it’s going to cost more in labor as well.
If you’re painting Hardie siding as well, you can expect to add another $2 to $4 per square foot to that price for the paint.
Keep in mind, though, that this isn’t an empty expense. Siding is one of the most visible elements of a home, and that means it has a huge impact on curb appeal and the impression your home makes. Your home’s value typically increases by some percentage of the cost of the project, and with siding, that’s usually 80-100%. Not to mention, new siding also gives you climate benefits and can reduce your energy bills, which saves you money over time as well.
If money is a concern, you can also talk to us about financing, which can enable you to reach for the siding of your dreams without having to compromise because of your budget.
Picking the Perfect Siding for Your New Jersey Home
The truth is, both CertainTeed and James Hardie are excellent options for siding here in New Jersey. They both can be durable and resistant to what the Garden State can throw at them, they’re both beautiful and have options to match any home style in the area, and they are fully capable of standing up for 30+ years.
What really matters is your aesthetics, your goals, and your home’s style and place in your neighborhood. Whether you want to blend in or stand out, offer an elegant fixture or a bold statement, there’s something available for you.
Fortunately, we’re here to help you find it. We’ve been New Jersey’s trusted siding installation experts for over 30 years, and we don’t plan on stopping any time soon. So, why not give us a call? We’ll discuss your home and your unique needs, and together we’ll come up with a plan, get you a free estimate, and get you started on the path to new siding just as quickly as you want it to happen.
We’re ready to help any time, so just reach out when you’re ready to go!
