Home Improvement Exterior Remodel Siding

What Is Fiber Cement Siding? Benefits, Disadvantages, and More

Determine if this durable, low-maintenance siding is right for your home

Fiber Cement Cladding

Masterfulmind2007 / Wikimedia Commons

Fiber cement siding is popular for homeowners when choosing a new type of siding. You may have seen fiber cement board or siding and didn't even recognize it. This siding material, which can resemble wood grain or even stucco, has been around for 100 years. This durable siding material quickly finds its way onto more homes due to its good looks, fire resistance, and high resale value. If you have ever wanted low-maintenance siding, fiber cement siding might be the right choice for your home.

What Is Fiber Cement Siding?

Fiber cement siding is a durable and low-maintenance material commonly used to cover the exterior of houses and, in some cases, commercial buildings. It's manufactured with cellulose fibers, cement, and sand, making it long-lasting and durable.

What Is Fiber Cement Siding Made Of?

Certain manufacturers use different ingredients to make fiber cement siding, but most include Portland cement (limestone, clay, and iron), sand or fly ash, water, and cellulose fibers or wood pulp. Some manufacturers add a few proprietary ingredients for binding and durability.

Benefits of Fiber Cement Siding

  • Durable and low maintenance: Manufacturers offer some warranties lasting up to 50 years, a testament to the material's longevity. It's easy to care for because it holds up against rot, insects, fire, and inclement weather.
  • Rot-resistant: Since it's water resistant, it resists rot.
  • Insect and animal resistant: It's inedible to insects and birds, unlike wood, which attracts termites, carpenter ants, beetles, and woodpeckers.
  • Fireproof: This product replaced asbestos siding due to its fire resistance.
  • Does not require repainting: It's a fade-resistant material. If you paint over it, you might need to repaint it in five to 10 years. Otherwise, its finish lasts more than 15 years.
  • Insulating: Fiber cement board is also energy efficient and, to a small degree, contributes to insulating your home.

Disadvantages of Fiber Cement Siding

  • Cost: It has higher upfront costs in material and labor costs; however, its durability makes it a worthwhile investment.
  • Prone to mold: Although water resistant, a poorly placed downspout that allows moisture to permeate the siding can bring problems with mold and mildew.
  • Heavyweight: This product is dense, unlike vinyl siding; it contributes 300 pounds of weight for every 100 square feet.
  • Environmental impact: It's not entirely eco-friendly since it contains energy-intensive cement. It's not recyclable, but when it eventually breaks down, it's inert and not toxic.
  • Brittle and dusty: It's brittle and prone to cracking; when cut through, it produces fine silica dust, which requires a protective dust mask during installation.
Pros
  • Durable and low maintenance

  • Fire resistant

  • Insect and rot resistant

  • Great appearance and fade-resistant

  • Some insulating properties

Cons
  • Heavy

  • Brittle and dusty

  • Environmental impact

  • Higher cost

  • Prone to mold

Tip

Fiber cement siding is sometimes confused with asbestos-cement siding, a shingle-format type of siding widely used in the first half of the 20th century and which has since been discontinued. Fiber cement siding does not contain asbestos but was considered a suitable replacement.

Characteristics of Fiber Cement Siding

Styles

Fiber cement board is available in planks, similar in dimension to vinyl siding. The planks can be installed horizontally or vertically. It also comes in shingle and sheet form, which can be installed as an insulating underlayment for tile. Fiber cement siding is also finished with a variety of textures. Wood grain patterns mimic traditional wood siding, while smooth planks or stucco textures look clean and modern.

Sizes

Fiber cement board is available in a plank format, similar in dimension to vinyl siding, ranging in profiles from 4 to 11 inches. Its shingle form comes in individual 1- or 2-foot shakes and 4-, 8-, or 12-foot strips. Sheets come in 2-foot by 8-foot panels, 4-foot by 8-foot panels, and 4-foot by 10-foot panels.

Cost

Fiber cement siding costs an average of $10 per square foot, including labor and materials. The national average for fiber cement siding material costs and installation is about $15,000.

Durability and Maintenance

Fiber cement siding is resistant to many environmental factors that lead to its durability and keeps maintenance minimal. It has the durability of cement, making it resistant to fire, insects, rot, and deterioration from salt and fading from the sun. It's also impact-resistant and paintable.

It comes in prepainted and unpainted forms. Prepainted, it shouldn't need painting for at least 15 years. It might need painting within five to 10 years if you paint it.

It's easy to maintain by washing it every six to 12 months. Use mild dish soap and water to wash the exterior surfaces with a garden hose, a soft brush, or a clean wash rag.

Installation

Half of the cost of fiber cement siding is installation. If budget is a barrier to getting fiber cement siding, consider doing the installation yourself. A downside is it's hefty and can be challenging to install, but the job is made easier with siding gauges, which help you place them correctly and hold the planks in place as you nail them in.

However, installing fiber cement siding is complex and easily breakable, so many people leave it to professionals to maneuver.

Eco Friendliness

Fiber cement siding is not recyclable. It also releases fine silica dust that is harmful to breathe in. Also, cement production is energy- and water-intensive. The ingredients in cement require quarrying, and cement production generates 8% of the world’s CO2 emissions.

Some manufacturers have made eco-friendly changes, like replacing silica with fly ash to make it less of a health concern for installers and replacing ingredients to make their products with locally sourced, recycled materials, using low-volatile organic compounds, and recaptured water during processing.

Vinyl Siding vs. Fiber Cement Siding

Compare several variables to decide if vinyl or fiber cement is your home's best option.

  • Cost: The price points of vinyl and cement board siding are roughly comparable, although vinyl is usually cheaper. Fiber cement siding has a better resale value than vinyl siding. Fiber cement siding's higher cost for materials and labor should make its way back to you upon the home's sale.
  • Weight: Fiber cement siding is thicker and more solid than vinyl siding. Vinyl siding is hollow and lightweight.
  • Durability: Vinyl siding can crack if impacted by lawnmowers or pressure washers. Fiber cement siding is more solid but can be prone to cracking or breakage depending on how it's handled.
  • Insulation: While fiber cement siding is energy efficient, it is easy to add insulation to thin, hollow vinyl siding.
  • Installation: Fiber cement siding and vinyl siding are not easy do-it-yourself installation materials. Both types of siding require skill to install. Both types of siding can be found in stock to a limited degree at home improvement centers. Vinyl siding is less complicated for the do-it-yourselfer to repair because it is lightweight, easy to cut, and snaps into place onto pre-installed channels.
  • Environmental impact: Fiber cement siding is a more eco-friendly building material than vinyl siding, providing a greener alternative for homeowners. Vinyl siding carries more greenhouse gas carbon load than fiber cement siding. Although carbon dioxide is a byproduct of cement production, vinyl siding manufacturing contains polyvinyl chloride (PVC). It produces twice as much carbon dioxide—vinyl siding also off-gases over its lifetime, even in landfills. Fiber cement board is inert.

Tips for Selecting Fiber Cement Board

  • Choose fiber cement products that contain a large percentage of wood fiber from post-consumer or industrial waste.
  • Also, look for products incorporating fly ash, which is more eco-friendly than Portland cement.
  • Always choose low-VOC paints, primers, and other sealants for use with your fiber cement siding.
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  1. How much does it cost to install fiber cement siding? HomeAdvisor.

  2. How sustainable is fiber cement siding? Green Building Canada.