The cement gives it strength and impact resistance while the fibers hold the cement together to prevent cracking.
Comparison of vinyl siding and cement board.
When you are trying to decide between a fiber cement board such as hardieplank as opposed to the more cost effective alternative of vinyl siding the answer would be easy if all factors were equal.
Each product can be designed to mimic cedar planks shingles or vertical wood panels.
The james hardie company blends cement fine sand wood fibers and water to form hardieplank siding.
Both materials come in a variety of styles and colors.
Fiber cement siding the product selection is somewhat limited though that will change since fiber cement is growing in popularity.
Today s vinyl siding offers a lifetime of protection without the wood based worries of painting swelling cracking warping or insect damage.
It must be painted regularly to maintain an attractive appearance.
In the contest between fiber cement board siding such as hardieplank and vinyl siding almost all factors point to the side of fiber cement board except for one thing the cost.
Both materials are engineered rather than naturally occurring.
According to the rsmeans 2014 residential cost data report the installed cost of vinyl siding is on average 201 per 100 square feet while fiber cement totals 300 for the same area.
The following guide will compare these two popular siding options in detail on the following factors.
Fiber cement siding has a porous core.
When siding your house often you begin with big ideas and those big ideas gradually shrink as reality hits you in the face.
Price maintenance durability fire.
You can achieve a beautiful plank siding look with both vinyl and fiber cement.
While the prices vary depending on the model availability market and season vinyl can come in as cheap as 4 sq.
Vinyl siding cheap siding will begin to show its age in 12 15 years and none should be expected to look good and perform well past 25 years.
It is composed mostly of polyvinyl chloride resin.
Homeadvisor s siding comparison guide explores the differences pros and cons of fiber cement and vinyl including information on james hardie s hardie board hardiplank fiber cement.
Compare costs easy of installation colors painting options durability thickness r value length of life and more to decide which is the best siding for your home.
Metal siding is the next cheapest including aluminum siding prices then wood siding and finally stucco.
A complex material fiber cement siding is made from a combination of substances such as wood fiber sand clay and cement.
Whereas cedar siding can be as much as 8 sq.
Vinyl siding is a plastic siding material.