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Philadelphia Hardie Board Siding

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Hardie board (also called Hardie plank) is a brand name for the fiber cement siding developed a century ago by James Hardie. With the environmental conditions common in Philadelphia, Hardie board siding is one of the best options for the exterior of your home you can choose. In a city that's subjected to just about every weather extreme imaginable, from blazing sun to heavy rain and, of course, the snow and freezing temperatures in the winter, Philly houses need a cladding material that can truly go the distance. If you're thinking about redoing your house's exterior, Hardie siding is well worth looking into.

Philadelphia Hardie Plank Siding Benefits
Though not the wettest city in the country by a long shot, there is still no lack of moisture in Philadelphia. Hardie plank siding is especially good at withstanding moisture in the air and precipitation in all its forms. Unlike some other exterior materials, it doesn't retain moisture, which means that it won't swell or split even in extremely wet conditions.

Hardie siding is also a very low maintenance material. Unlike other sidings, it is designed to resist moderate impact as well as the weather. Anyone who'd rather spend a Sunday afternoon watching the Eagles play than patching up their home's exterior. Hardie board doesn't deteriorate, is easy to clean, and rarely (if ever) needs to be repaired.

There are a few other reasons to install fiber cement siding in Philadelphia. Hardie siding is an unappealing food and home for bugs, so you'll never need to worry about insects causing damage to the exterior of your home. It is also flame and fire resistant, which makes it a safe as well as a practical choice. It also holds paint better than most other materials, and since it isn't prone to swelling, it is very likely that you will never see paint chip or crack when applied to Hardie board siding. Philadelphians should also note that, unlike the ever popular vinyl siding, fiber cement doesn't sag or dent, either. Additionally, Hardie plank siding provides a good layer of insulation, making it perfect for keeping out the cold during a Philadelphia winter.

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Installing Hardie Board Siding in Philadelphia
Unfortunately, the do-it-yourselfer is out of luck when it comes to installing Hardie board. Though the process is not incredibly difficult or time consuming, it is very specialized. It needs to be installed in a very specific manner and under the right conditions to perform at its best. Even cutting fiber cement siding is a job best left to the pros.

Philadelphia Hardie Siding Prices and Installation Duration
Surprisingly enough, this incredible material is very affordable when compared to other exterior materials. To clad a home in Hardie board siding, Philadelphia residents can expect to pay between $6,000 and $10,000. This puts fiber cement siding around the price of wood shake siding (which makes it cheaper than brick or stone, but slightly more expensive than aluminum or vinyl).

Hardie siding takes a little longer to install than aluminum or vinyl, and averages a little over two weeks to finish the job compared to a week and a half for the other materials. The value that Hardie siding will add to your home is comparable to that of many other sidings, but is less than stone or brick. If you have a brick exterior (and many Philadelphians do), you may want to consider getting the brick repaired and refurbished rather than covering it with another, less valuable material.

Jon Nunan is a freelance writer who draws on his experience in construction, ranging from landscaping to log home building, for his articles on home improvement.

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