Fiber Cement Siding or Engineered Wood?

The biggest difference between LP Smartside siding and James Hardie Fiber Cement siding is the material they are made of. LP Smartside siding is made from engineered wood and treated with a special formula to resist moisture and fungal decay. On the other hand, James Hardie Fiber Cement siding is made from a blend of cement, sand, and cellulose fibers.

The benefits of LP Smartside siding include its affordability, ease of installation, and durability. It is also available in a wide range of colors and styles, including traditional lap, cedar shake, and vertical siding. We love the fact we can use LP Smartside in a variety of way’s at Total Roofing and Construction to service our clients needs. The product is extremely versatile to use as a carpenter and siding installer.

The benefits of James Hardie Fiber Cement siding include its resistance to fire, insects, and rot. It is also highly durable and has a longer lifespan than many other siding materials. Additionally, it is available in a variety of textures and styles, including lap siding, shingles, and panels.

Overall, both LP Smartside siding and James Hardie Fiber Cement siding have their own unique benefits and may be more suitable for different types of homes and climates. It is important to consult with a professional or email me at phillip@totalroofingandconstruction.com to determine which siding product is the best fit for your specific needs.

We install a variety of the products in Northwest Indiana, South Chicago, and Southeast Michigan.

The gutter guard question?

Our company has been installing gutters for over 30 plus years and to this day it’s question. There’s over 100 different variation of gutter gloves or devices sold in the United States. A variety of big box stores even offer their in-house versions, specialty providers carry their go-to manufacturers, and local hardware stores have their own. However, what is the best gutter guard system?

Aloha Gutters a company we manage uses a line of gutter guards manufactured from an actual contractor such as the Bulldog gutter guard and Leaf Sentry Gutter guards (Premium Model). These products are found exclusively at all Lansing Building Product’s. The simplistic nature of the design and the fact that our installer’s prefer these due to the ease of the installation has made these our go-to. However, are these the best?

That’s an open-ended question, because it comes down to price and end-goal for which you seek. There are gutter systems that cost from $40-$50 a linear foot (gutter helmet, leafguard). The benefit of our system is they won’t break your budget, but to ease your mind you are looking at an entry price point of $10 to $20 a linear foot.

The questions to ask yourself:

1. What type of tree or debris are clogging your gutters?

2. How often do you find yourself cleaning the gutters?

3. How long do you intend to live at your home?

4. How much is your health insurance deductible?

These are the four questions we ask all of our clients, because each gutter guard system varies in their intention and way they shed debris. If you live in an area exclusive to whirley birds or pine needles a heavy duty deterrent is worth it. We you fill out the 4 questions and then contact a trusted contractor that specializes in gutter installations. All area’s vary in the product offerings due the actual native trees and issues with the season. If you are located in Illinois or Indiana you can set an appointment with Aloha Gutters at alohagutters.com or reach out to me directly and I can assist you.!

Vinyl Siding or LP Smartside/James Hardie?

Each trade show and every year this same question is brought up! And honestly, it's a tough question, which merit's a post, and we recommend asking your go-to contractor his thoughts. If you asked 100 contractor's you'd get a variety of responses. Regardless whether their a preferred contractor, 30+ years in construction, or your favorite handyman. However, in my experience this question can only be answered by YOU the homeowner! 

Go ahead visit the leading vinyl manufacturers websites such as: Plygem or Royal Building Products, James Hardie.com, or LP Building product's they'll showcase the advantages over their peers. Each site exhibit beautiful houses, trending colors, and their extensive product warranties. I'd recommend before you upload an image of your house to ask yourself "what are your intentions for your home?"

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We know it's common for homeowner's to comprise a " fix-it" list in March and we professionally recommend it. A proactive homeowner is great homeowner and we suggest every Spring/Fall you address an on-going issue (Mines - Air Conditioning not that you care!). It's much easier in Spring especially when your accountant indicates you're receiving a $5,000 tax return. Regardless of your situation or tax refund situation, ask yourself these questions:

1. How long do you plan on living at your home?
   • The average family lives at their "home" 13 to 17 years according to the NAHB This is the most important question! Because this should alter your product consideration simply because why invest in siding when you'll have a possible down payment?
2. What are the "comp's" in the area or neighbor's house look like?
   • If the entire block is barren from James Hardie siding and the median 3 Bedroom/1 bathroom home doesn't fluctuate much, than it's possible there won't be much ROI. We don't believe your decision solely on ROI, especially if the intentions are to live their your entire life, but it's worth the consideration. In contrast to that, many neighborhood's will transitions after one makes the jump to a premium siding material (keeping up with the Jones - it's real!)
3. Do you have newer windows?
   • I'd say 50% of homeowners initially don't consider window replacement , because they're focused on their ugly, outdated, or bird ridden siding. Yet, the honest truth is, if those windows are over 15+ years it may be worth considering to do a 2 for 1 deal.  Why? It's much easier to install a quality siding product such as LP & James Hardie alongside those new energy efficient windows rather than remove the "newer" siding system in 5-7 years to replace those faulty windows. It's much easier ( and cheaper) to do it all at once.
4. Do you know a quality contractor or trust the local contractor?
   • Again, we're bias because we're contractor's, but we're aware of the significant cost difference and investment of these material's. LP & Hardie is more labor laden, along with their product specifications! So hiring the right contractor should save you $$$  and headaches down the road regardless if you sell or stay (even if their estimate is more expensive).
5. What's your project budget or expectation?
   • This is the most important question. I agree, the more expensive product's are  better for the environment and currently have longer warranties, but will you be financially stable in the next 1 to 5 years? We're not the door-to-door contractor that wants all customers to sign for 5 to 10 year home improvement loans. Because we understand it's vital that you love the product, installer, color, and more importanly believe it's the best suited system for your goal's, which should have been clarified with the questions above. 

So, what's the final decision? We were not going to say one over the other, because A. our manufacturer's will get upset and B. because we don't know your personal intentions with your home. We want to provide the best information and will surely do so if you reach out individually.  A variety of our own employees have a variation of vinyl, James Hardie, and LP Smartside, so we'd be lying as a company by saying there's a one size fits all.