It’s no mystery that we live in a Hot and Humid climate. Just head out in the middle of the day to work in the yard or ride a bicycle and you’ll see. While the heat and the humidity is unbearable at times, at least we have our air conditioned homes to protect us!
But, what is protecting your home from the heat and humidity? There is no relief from the heat, rain, hail and wind for your home. It’s just out there in the elements 24 x 7 x 365.Take a drive through some of our more established wards in Houston and you’ll see what our harsh climate does to wood. Especially wood that has not been properly maintained over the years. You see, when the paint starts to wear away or cracks and gaps form in your siding, moisture is allowed into the wood pores and that’s when the trouble starts.
Mold, mildew and termites love the wet, warm environment created by our climate and exposed wood. In fact, there are a lot of other critters that would not mind getting out of the elements and when your house starts to show signs of rot, that means that the siding is soft and easily targeted by squirrels, possums, and rats.
When builders were building out the Houston Heights, the Third and Fourth Wards area in the 1940’s and 50’s, wood was the building material of choice. In fact, that was the only choice. Siding was typically spruce or cedar and was used for years for siding and for trim. Wood and the various siding products consisting of wood chips (such as oriented strand board) is easy to work with and relatively affordable but, for exposed areas of your home, you need something more durable.
Hardie Plank Siding by James Hardie to the Rescue
Watch this 2 minute video on our supplier’s YouTube channel for some great information on fiber cement siding versus oriented strand board plank siding:
The video explains the common problems that OSB siding products experience. If you have siding that is breaking down as shown in the video, your OSB siding is probably delaminating and, most likely has some edge checking and buckling. Besides being unsightly these conditions allow moisture to enter the product and attacks the resins further degrading the siding.
Fiber cement siding is specifically formulated to withstand the harsh climate issues of moisture, heat, humidity and wind. With it’s proprietary blend of cement and fine silica sand, hardie plank products do not rot, won’t get termites and resists expansion and contraction (leading causes of gaps and cracks). This means it’s meant to last a lifetime and has the warranty that stands the test of time.
Proper Installation in Houston for Fiber Cement Hardie Plank
It’s one thing to choose the right product for your home. But, if the siding is not installed and painted properly by a crew of professional installers, it won’t last. In fact, a warranty can become null and void just for improper installation and nailing patterns alone.
Don’t risk hiring inexperienced and ill-qualified crews to work on your home. Call us for a free home siding inspection. We’ll provide a written quote for the work you need. Call today or complete our request form seen on the right side of this page.