It does not rot
Fiber cement takes weather the way masonry does. Natural wood siding absorbs moisture and rots from the back side, where nobody sees it until the trim goes soft.
More than 10 million homes wear James Hardie® siding. Here is the side-by-side against vinyl and wood, the warranty in plain numbers, and the climate zone Long Island is actually in.
Free, no obligation, and a written scope you can hold next to any other quote.
Elite Preferred is James Hardie’s top contractor designation. Every Good Guys installer is Hardie Alliance certified.
Lap siding HardiePlank® with Hardie® trim and ColorPlus® finish
Seven differences that show up over twenty years, not on install day.
Fiber cement takes weather the way masonry does. Natural wood siding absorbs moisture and rots from the back side, where nobody sees it until the trim goes soft.
Wood shingles need paint or sealer plus touch-ups in between. Vinyl needs power washing. Hardie asks for soap and water once a year.
A 30-year limited transferable product warranty, plus a 15-year ColorPlus® finish warranty that covers paint and labor, not just the can.
The greenest exterior on the block is the one that is not in a dumpster in fifteen years. James Hardie has targeted 50% less landfill-bound waste and 40% lower greenhouse emissions by 2030.
The HardieZone® system matches board to climate. New York is HZ5: freeze-thaw cycling, wet winters and wind-driven rain, not a national average.
Wood and wood composite are a feeding opportunity. Woodpeckers, termites and mice cannot chew through fiber cement, so the envelope stays closed.
Wood moves with the seasons and vinyl expands and contracts with heat. Hardie board holds its line, which is exactly why a 15-year finish warranty is possible: a board that moves cracks its own paint, and then the joints open.
The three materials quoted on nearly every exterior job on Long Island, over a twenty-year horizon.
| Over 20 years | James Hardie® | Vinyl | Wood / composite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rot and moisture | Resists | Resists | Susceptible |
| Termites and woodpeckers | Cannot be chewed through | Can be penetrated | A feeding opportunity |
| Movement with temperature | Dimensionally stable | Expands and contracts | Swells, cups, warps |
| Routine care | Wash once a year | Power wash | Paint or seal, plus touch-ups |
| Finish warranty | 15 yr ColorPlus®, paint and labor | Varies by manufacturer | Repaint on your own dime |
| Product warranty | 30 yr limited, transferable | Varies by manufacturer | Varies by manufacturer |
| Matched to local climate | HardieZone®, HZ5 for New York | No | No |
ColorPlus® is a factory-applied finish cured in controlled conditions, and it is what the 15-year finish warranty covers, paint and labor included.
James Hardie engineers product by climate. New York sits in HZ5, made for freeze-thaw cycling, wet winters and wind-driven rain. Ordering the wrong zone is a quiet way to lose a warranty, and getting it right without being asked is part of what an Elite Preferred installer is for.
Lap, shingle, panel and trim, installed by Hardie Alliance certified crews. See the full project galleries.
Elite Preferred is James Hardie’s top contractor designation. In practice it means our crews are Hardie Alliance certified to install the product, which is what keeps the manufacturer’s warranty intact. An uncertified install is the most common way a homeowner discovers, years later, that the warranty does not apply.
New York is HardieZone HZ5, engineered for freeze-thaw cycling, wet winters and wind-driven rain. Beyond the zone it is a question of style: HardiePlank® lap for traditional clapboard, HardieShingle® for a cedar look, HardiePanel® for vertical or board-and-batten, plus Hardie® trim and soffit to finish the envelope.
Yes. The 30-year product warranty is limited and transferable, so it follows the house to the next owner. That is part of why a Hardie exterior reads as an upgrade on a listing rather than a repair.
ColorPlus® is applied and cured at the factory rather than rolled on in a driveway, and it is what the 15-year finish warranty covers, paint and labor included. Field painting is an option, but it sits on a different maintenance and warranty footing.
Yes. We install across Nassau and Suffolk and into Brooklyn. You can see the Long Island service areas we cover most often, and we are licensed by the Suffolk, Nassau and New York City Offices of Consumer Affairs.
No cost, no obligation, and a written scope you can hold next to any other quote.