Cedar Siding vs. Hardie Board: Choosing the Best Exterior Siding For Your Home

The exterior of your home needs a refresher, and you’re considering having new siding installed. With so many options out there, you aren’t sure which way to go. You love the classic look of cedar siding, but you’ve also heard that Hardie board offers many benefits.

Cedar siding vs. Hardie board — which is the better choice?

To help you make this important decision, we’ve laid out what you need to know about cedar siding and HardiePlank, including the unique advantages each holds over other types of home exterior materials.

By the end of this article, we hope you’ll be able to make your choice. And if you’re still undecided, we can help with that as well.

PORTLAND BEST SIDING CONTRACTOR LIFETIME REMODELING SYSTEMS

Table of Contents

  • Cedar Siding vs. HardiePlank — Which Is Better?
  • Real Cedar Siding at a Glance 
  • HardiePlank Siding at a Glance
  • The Verdict: Is HardiePlank Better Than Cedar Siding?
  • Lifetime Remodeling Systems Is Your Premier Choice for Hardie Board or Premium Cedar Siding in Oregon

Cedar Siding vs. Hardie Board — Which Is Better? 

In the question of Hardie board vs. cedar siding, one thing’s for sure: you can’t go wrong with either choice. They are both quality products that will make the exterior of your home look great while providing specific benefits.

You may be interested in which material is a better fit for the design you have in mind, or perhaps you’re more focused on the cost of cedar siding vs. Hardieplank. We’ll give you our expert thoughts on the top advantages of cedar siding and Hardie board and let you make the final decision.

And if you still feel stuck and can’t choose between the two, our in-house design team can help consult you on which siding option may be the best fit for your home.. 

Real Cedar Siding at a Glance

Lifetime Remodeling Systems only uses the best, top-quality products for our home remodels. That’s why we partner with Lakeside Lumber, the source of our premium Real Cedar siding. Their quality products help us ensure any project we use cedar siding for will create superior curb appeal that lasts for decades.

Western Red Cedar has been called nature’s most versatile and beautiful building material, and we couldn’t agree more. Here are just some of the reasons we — and our clients — love Real Cedar siding so much.

Advantages of Real Cedar Siding

Real Cedar siding is a premium material that rises above the competition because of its design flexibility, durability and ease of maintenance, and natural beauty versus other wood siding types..

Design Flexibility

Some of the most popular Real Cedar siding styles we source from Lakeside Lumber include:

  • Lap & Bevel – This classic siding pattern is a widely used style due to its timeless beauty. It provides flexible design options based on the finish you select and is highly customizable, coming in clear or knotty grades with a variety of stain options to enhance the wood’s natural beauty.
  • Tongue & Groove – This versatile siding can be used both indoors and on your home’s exterior. You can also install it either with the rough or smooth side out to change up your look. Tongue and groove siding can be installed horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
  • Cedar Shakes – This siding type offers dimension and warmth. The natural color is beautiful, but cedar shakes can also be painted or stained to create a custom look. They can be applied to curved walls as well.
  • Since Western Red Cedar doesn’t contain any pitch/resin, it accepts oils, stains, and finishes very well. That means the sky’s the limit when it comes to your color and style options. 
  • You can also get cedar siding with rough or smooth surfaces, which can add to the overall look depending on if you’re going for rustic charm, sleek and contemporary, or somewhere in between.

Durable and Low-Maintenance

Real Cedar siding is a great investment because it lasts for decades. That’s because it is naturally resistant to:

  • Decay
  • Mildew; and
  • Insect infestations

Depending on the color and how exposed your siding is to full sun, you may see some fading over time. But cedar siding can be refinished or restored as needed.

It can also easily be cleaned using soap and water, making it a great low-maintenance home exterior choice.

Naturally Beautiful

You just can’t top a wood like natural cedar for its look, feel, and inviting aroma. Western Red Cedar gives homes warmth and beauty in a classic and charming way, which is just one reason why people continue to use it centuries after it was first used for building purposes.

But if you want to take your cedar siding up a notch, painting or staining it also gives a luxurious look and feel to the exterior of your home. Priming and staining or painting your cedar siding ensures that it will be protected for decades to come.

HardiePlank Siding at a Glance

James Hardie makes the world’s highest quality fiber cement siding materials, such as their best-selling HardiePlank lap siding. They stand behind their product, which is why we feel so comfortable installing it for our customers.

In fact, we are a certified James Hardie Elite Preferred contractor and were one of the first companies in the Portland metro area to earn this distinction. You can rest assured that when you invest in this high-quality product, we’ll do the job the right way and make sure you get the look you want for your home.

Advantages of HardiePlank Siding

HardiePlank siding is known as being a leading material in the industry that offers many benefits, including a host of design choices, superior durability, and the ultimate curb appeal.

Design Flexibility

Whether you want to modernize the look of your home, restore its historic charm, or come up with something completely new, Hardieplank siding offers the design flexibility you need.

HardiePlank's variety of siding options will help you create your dream exterior, whether you need:

All of James Hardie’s lap siding products come in a variety of popular colors, but if you don’t see one you like, you can also order them primed to paint. This will allow you to truly make the design your own.

Durable and Low-Maintenance

Hardie board siding is known for its durability because it is:

  • Resistant to moisture and rot
  • Insusceptible to pests; and
  • Able to withstand hail and windblown debris

There are also properties unique to the company that make this type of siding a particularly good investment. First, Hardie siding offers superior fire protection in that it won’t ignite when exposed to flame. 

Secondly, Hardie board siding is engineered to stand up to your specific climate. So whether you live in an area with lots of freezing temperatures, high humidity, blistering sun, or constant rain, you can feel confident that your home can withstand whatever Mother Nature throws at it.

Maintenance of Hardie board couldn’t be easier, requiring just a once-over with a hose and soft brush or cloth every 6 to 12 months.

Ultimate Curb Appeal

Whatever design you choose for the exterior of your home, using HardiePlank ensures that it will look great for years to come. One reason for this is the real wood look of the siding and versatility of the product. 

Homes refinished with James Hardie siding have great curb appeal and are a wonderful investment. A recent National Association of Realtors Remodeling Impact Report shows that the ROI on Hardie products ranges from 76-83%, which is among the highest return on investment for any home improvement product.

The Verdict: Is HardiePlank Better Than Cedar Siding?

Cedar siding and HardiePlank are both wonderful, high quality products.

But if you just can’t make up your mind about which product is best for your home, we suggest you use Lifetime Remodeling Systems’ design consultation services to help. As the only siding contractors offering design consultation in the Portland Metro area, we’re experts in providing the perfect look for your home.

Choosing Your Preferred Design With 3D Design Technology

We use an app called HOVER that allows you to visualize your design masterpiece and gain full confidence in your decision of Hardie board vs. cedar siding. 

With HOVER, we can generate a designable, interactive, photorealistic 3D model of your property in minutes. This lets us play around with different styles and colors until you find an arrangement you like best.

HOVER allows us to create 2D and 3D exterior renderings to help you with your choices throughout the design process and to give you a better idea of what your home will look like once the project is complete.

The app also gives accurate measurements that help us know precisely how much material we’ll need for the job, ensuring the cost estimate will line up with the end result.

Color Consultation

When you use Lifetime Remodeling Systems for your siding replacement, you get access to our Benjamin Moore Color Consultant at no additional cost. This extraordinary service ensures that we will bring together and meet the needs of:

  • Your personal style
  • Today’s trends
  • Your home’s architectural needs

Our color consultation and design services are two important components that help make us Portland’s premier remodeling firm.

Lifetime Remodeling Systems Is Your Premier Choice for Hardie Board or Premium Cedar Siding in Oregon

There’s no one right or wrong answer when choosing between HardiePlank and Real Cedar siding. Both are quality products, so it really just comes down to personal preference.

However, you can make a wrong choice about the company you choose to install your siding. Instead of shopping around for a cheaper option and losing out in the end when the job doesn’t turn out the way you anticipated, you’re better off going with a quality business like Lifetime Remodeling Systems

Our years of award-winning experience, Elite Preferred contractor status, and top-notch design services ensure that you’ll have exactly what you envisioned when the job is done. As Portland’s siding replacement expert for over a quarter of a century, we can show you examples of jobs we’ve completed for very happy customers.

Contact us for an estimate today and find out for yourself why we’re the top exterior remodeler and siding contractor in Portland, OR.

LIFETIME REMODELING SYSTEMS PORTLAND OREGON BEST SIDING CONTRACTOR

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