One of the things we take pride in at All Star Products is our dedicated team of technicians who are all proficient at installing James Hardie Siding. Our guys receive hands-on training and coaching straight from the manufacturer, making us especially qualified to install this premium siding material anywhere in Northern Illinois.
With that in mind, we want to make you aware of some of the possible mistakes other contractors make with James Hardie Siding.
Common Mistakes in Installing James Hardie Siding
Either through ignorance or trying to cut corners, it’s common for a more journeyman contractor to make many minor mistakes while hanging James Hardie Siding. If they weren’t trained on how to do it properly, you can expect to see these sorts of issues:
- Nailing the siding boards too high.
- Leaving two-inch clearances on the roof.
- Hidden flashing between the joints.
- Taping the house wrap under the siding job.
- Positioning the gutters poorly and forcing you to incur more water on the siding, leading to wood rot.
- Other moisture/water-management problems.
We want to be clear that these are the sorts of issues you’ll encounter if you use the wrong contractor to put James Hardie Siding on your home, whether you’re coming from a wood or vinyl framework. It’s also common to see siding nailed improperly but then covered up with nails all over the place.
Some of these problems you can check on yourself. For example, if you can shake any part of your siding, it means they hung the nail board too high. Unfortunately, not all these defects are obvious until you have substantial problems later down the road.
Contractors Must Be Meticulous About the Little Things
Notice how these probably won’t appear abundantly obvious to the untrained eye. Most homeowners won’t detect them.
Believe it or not, it’s easy to get the big things right when it comes to home renovation. The little details, on the other hand, are where problems often arise. That’s why we try to take a very careful approach so that we can prevent minor mistakes.
All Star Products is very meticulous about little things like a) the size/type of the nails we use, b) nailing boards at the right angle, c) putting the gutters back on properly, and several other minutiae that make a huge difference even if you can’t see it,
Trustworthiness is Critical
The sad fact of the matter is that much of this is totally avoidable if you can stay away from unscrupulous contractors. While James Hardie Siding requires certain expertise to install and many mistakes are innocent enough, we see some of those problems with vinyl siding and other fiber cement siding types, too. It happens whenever a contractor is in a hurry and willing to cut corners.
In light of that, we recommend that you always establish a firm basis of trust with your contractor BEFORE starting a project. One of the most common red flags you’ll encounter is from the contractor who meets you for a consultation, but won’t leave your living room without you signing something. In our experience, this is a tell-tale indicator of somebody that won’t mind cutting corners when it’s time to install the premium siding.
All Star Products: Chicago’s Best at Installing James Hardie Siding
We really enjoy working with homeowners to get them the best possible siding job and provide legitimate peace of mind. You won’t have to second-guess whether the nailing or gutters were done properly if you choose to work with All Star Products.
Did you know that we get 90% of our business off referrals from satisfied clients who trust us over the competition? You can verify our positive customer feedback by checking out our profile on Best Pick Reports, where it shows 52 five-star ratings out of 63 surveys. We also earn the distinction of A+ accreditation from the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
Installing James Hardie Siding is anything but a “DIY” project, so contact the pros at All Star Products today, and let us show you how it’s done.
