Ferndale Siding Two Fiber Cement Boards, One Real Difference: What Backs Them Up
Homeowners in Ferndale sometimes ask us to bid a job with Cemplank instead of James Hardie. It's a fair question — both are fiber cement, both look similar on a spec sheet, and Cemplank is often priced a bit lower. We get why it's tempting. But after years of installing fiber cement siding in Whatcom County's salt air, driving rain, and long moss season, we made a decision to install James Hardie exclusively. This page explains why, honestly, without trashing the competition.
What Cemplank Gets Right
Cemplank is a legitimate fiber cement product manufactured by Etex/Nichiha, and fiber cement as a category is a good choice for the Pacific Northwest. It's non-combustible, resists rot far better than wood, and holds paint or factory finish longer than vinyl. If you're comparing it to cedar or LP SmartSide, Cemplank is a step up in durability. We're not going to pretend otherwise — the core material chemistry (cement, sand, cellulose fiber) is sound engineering, and it's the same basic recipe every fiber cement brand uses.
Where the Trade-Offs Show Up
The differences that matter to us aren't about the raw board — they're about the system around it, and how that system holds up over a 30-plus year install life on a Whatcom County home.
- Factory finish depth and warranty structure. James Hardie's ColorPlus finish is baked on in a controlled factory process with a documented multi-coat process and a specific finish warranty separate from the substrate warranty. Cemplank's factory-finished offerings exist, but the finish warranty terms and regional dealer support have been less consistent in our experience — and when a finish warranty is thin, the homeowner is the one who absorbs the cost of an early repaint.
- Product engineering for wet climates. Hardie engineers distinct HZ5/HZ10 product lines specifically for high-moisture, freeze-and-thaw regions like ours, with moisture management built into the panel design. That regional engineering focus is a big part of why we trust it against Ferndale's driving rain and the damp, moss-heavy stretches from fall through spring.
- Installer network and accountability. Hardie's certified installer program comes with training standards and a manufacturer warranty that's tied to correct installation — which means if something goes wrong, there's a clear chain of accountability between installer and manufacturer. We've found that structure less consistent with Cemplank, which makes it harder to guarantee a homeowner a clean resolution if a warranty claim ever comes up.
- Availability and lead times. In our market, Hardie product and matching trim, soffit, and accessories are reliably stocked through local distribution. Consistent sourcing matters when a home needs a repair or an addition five or ten years down the road and the siding needs to match.
Why This Matters More in Whatcom County
Ferndale sits close enough to the water that salt air is a real factor on siding finish and fasteners. Add driving rain off the Strait and a moss season that can run half the year on north-facing walls, and the margin for error in a fiber cement system shrinks. A board that's engineered and warrantied for wet coastal climates, installed by a certified crew, with backing from a manufacturer that stands behind the finish — that's the combination we want on a house we're putting our name on. It's not that Cemplank can't be installed correctly. It's that we don't want to be the company explaining, ten years from now, why a thinner warranty or a less climate-specific product didn't hold up the way a customer expected.
Side-by-Side, Honestly
| Factor | Cemplank | James Hardie |
|---|---|---|
| Core material | Fiber cement | Fiber cement |
| Fire resistance | Non-combustible | Non-combustible |
| Climate-specific engineering | General-purpose lines | HZ5/HZ10 lines built for wet, coastal regions |
| Factory finish warranty | Varies by dealer/region | Documented ColorPlus finish warranty |
| Certified installer program | Limited in our market | Established, with installation-tied warranty |
| Local parts/trim availability | Inconsistent | Reliable through local distribution |
Why We Standardized on One Product
Running two fiber cement systems means keeping two sets of specs, two warranty processes, and two installer training standards in our heads — and it means telling some customers their siding is backed by a stronger warranty than others. We'd rather do one thing extremely well. James Hardie's climate-specific engineering, factory finish warranty, and certified installation program give us a system we can stand behind fully, for every home we side in Ferndale and across Whatcom County. That's the whole reason we stopped bidding Cemplank and other fiber cement alternatives years ago.
If you're weighing Cemplank against Hardie for your own home, we're happy to walk through both products with you honestly — no pressure, no sales script. Reach out for a free estimate and we'll give you a straight answer about what your home actually needs.