The role of siding in resiliency planning: ask the expert
James Hardie sat down with general contractor and Build Show expert, Stephanie Dailey, to discuss the role of resiliency planning when it comes to a re-side project.
As extreme climate events worsen across the country, homeowners and tradespeople alike are focusing their attention on climate-resistant solutions to help protect their homes and communities. Wildfires, dramatic temperature fluctuations, and severe weather and wind all pose risks to the exteriors of people’s homes.
For contractors like Stephanie Dailey, general contractor for Steven Dailey Construction and expert contributor for the Build Show, Hardie® products are one of the main siding products they use on their builds. “We use the Hardie® products all the time, because we’re focused more on luxury custom home building; our homes are usually our client’s forever home, they’re homes we want to last a lifetime, and Hardie® products are a perfect fit for us.”
She adds that resiliency is one of the key reasons they use Hardie® siding, as Hardie® products are non-combustible and have a Class A fire rating when tested in accordance with ASTM E84, with a flame spread index of 0.
“We actually run into Wildlife Urban Interface areas,” she says, explaining that, “We’re required to fireproof the house so that we don’t catch wildfires and wildfires don’t come into the house. Most often they’re worried about us catching the neighboring areas on fire, so they have minimum standards to how we build the homes in order to be fire safe.”
Traditional homes in the west in Utah where Dailey builds were constructed using wood siding, but due to wildfires, many have had to be rebuilt, and Dailey says a lot are choosing fiber cement products. “They’re a lot more durable, so we’re talking longevity, we’re talking about sustainability, and I think as we all try to lean more into sustainable construction, this is an excellent option because we don’t need to tear it down and throw it away to re-do it, we can repaint it, we can refinish it, and it’ll look beautiful.”
Beyond the west, other areas of the country are also experiencing worsening wildfire events, or even wildfires for the first time, in addition to their own regional weather events escalating in severity. For areas that get hurricanes and high-velocity winds and rain, Hardie® products are Engineered for Climate® to withstand strong winds, extreme heat, freezing temperatures, and are certified by FEMA as flood-resistant, meaning they are highly resistant to damage by water.
“I think as we look at the future, sustainability is critical, but durability is just as critical. We have to find products that can co-exist and live in both worlds, that can be sustainable and can help product a home or be part of a system that helps protect our homes from climate events that become more and more frequent,” Daily says.
