Exterior

Reply to: First of all, make sure your contractor strictly follows JH's best practices guide for your climate zone. As for the horizontal runs, they can't be avoided with JH siding. The z-flashing tends to disappear to most peoples' eyes. A one story house can likely avoid it. The other suggestion is a horizontal trim over it, but I don't prefer that solution. When I chose this system for this house, I didn't find it as a "full system" offered by JH. They suggested it and showed me their guidelines, but I don't know if one will find it as a complete solution as one would find lap siding, vertical siding or shakes. All the best on getting there.

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Reply to: I've never heard of an embossed finish on JH siding. Contact your James Hardie rep for your region. We used their 5/16" fiber cement panels and 2-1/2" batten strips. We did field paint it, but I highly recommend using the Color Plus pre-painted siding and trim. Like any material, there are rules and best practices for installing it, so those must be known and followed. Every material has an inherent weakness if not addressed properly.

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Reply to: The color is SW7007 Ceiling Bright White. For James Hardie Fiber Cement siding, we recommend following the manufacturer's specs. We used Exterior Latex Acrylic coatings from Sherwin Williams. You might also wish to select their factory painted Color Plus product line.

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