When selecting a siding material for your Denver home, fire resistance might not be at the top of your list. However, it’s important to find a siding product that includes fire resistance along with modern, attractive textures that boost curb appeal. And it’s easier than you may think—thanks to James Hardie fiber cement siding.
Balancing your family’s safety with visual design is high on most homeowners’ priority list when it comes to their siding material choice. Since siding completes your design vision and makes up a huge part of your home exterior’s appeal, you’ll want an option that’s bound to look gorgeous for decades.
There’s growing urgency to safeguard your family with a well-fortified protective layer. Read on to discover a top candidate for beautiful, fire-resistant siding for your Denver area home.
How Various Types of Siding Respond to Fire
Nobody wants to think of their home as potentially igniting, but accidents can happen and wildfires are on the rise, so it’s vital to verify your home is as fire-resistant as possible. Investing in less combustible materials is an excellent first step in this direction.
Some siding materials stand up to heat better than others. Both aluminum and fiber cement siding are excellent at this, reducing the spread of fire. When tested, these two products get higher ratings, indicating you can rely on them to prevent a fire from spreading.
Let’s take a look at how other siding materials stack up when it comes to fire resistance.
Vinyl Siding
Vinyl may be affordable, but it is made of manufactured plastic, so it melts quickly when it comes into contact with high heat or flames. Melted vinyl exposes your internal walls and studs, and flames can quickly spread into your home, causing extensive damage.
Metal Siding
This contemporary-looking siding is super durable, standing up to rain, hail, sleet, snow, and high winds. And most metal siding is non-combustible and fire-resistant. The problems that can arise with metal siding are due to its gaps, which can allow for fire to get behind the siding and penetrate combustible materials, causing costly damage to your home.
Cedar Wood Siding
Wood siding naturally contributes to a fire, but it can be treated with flame retardant to improve its fire resistance. (Be aware that fire can still penetrate wood siding through its joints.)
Other Siding Materials
Brick siding is a fire-resistant material that does a good job of keeping flames away from your home’s stud cavity and interior of your walls. Brick and stone veneers over wooden frames decrease the risk of fire.
Take the Fear Out of Fire Season
Fiber cement siding comes in an array of modern textures, profiles, and finishes, delivering plenty of design flexibility while still bringing something vitally important for Denver homeowners: fire resistance. You can improve the overall fire resistance of your home with this brilliant siding material that adds protection you can count on in case of fire. Insurance companies may even discount your homeowner’s policy if you install fiber cement siding.
You can satisfy your design vision and enjoy a beautiful home while knowing you’re well-protected from flames. The thickness of fiber cement panels creates deeper shadows, giving your home a modern look, while sustaining the classic lines of conservative home exterior design. With gorgeous Hardie fiber cement, you’ll get the look of wood siding without the danger of wood siding: contributing to a fire. This benefits Denver homeowners substantially, taking the fear out of fire season.
Fiber Cement Siding’s Fire-Resistant Makeup
This resilient siding made of cement, sand, and cellulose delivers durable, long-lasting moisture resistance and low maintenance—even in harsh climates. And it brings documented fire-resistant properties that safeguard your home in case the worst ever happens. Top-rated fiber cement helps protect your property and possessions while you get your family to safety, limiting damage to your biggest investment.
James Hardie Fiber Cement’s Fire Resistance
Fire damage occurs when flames get behind your siding to the more combustible materials inside your home’s walls. One of the many benefits of Hardie siding is that it resists flames. This prevents the burning of your interior wallboard for a period of time, as the fire department makes their way to your home. Hardie Board also doesn’t ignite when exposed to a direct flame, and it doesn’t contribute to fueling a fire.
Hardie products are installed with nails, and the nails are made primarily of cement! This is important because cement stands up to fire.
Proper installation of James Hardie siding is critical to gain the benefits of its fire-resistant properties. When installed by a reliable Hardie-certified contractor, this amazing siding will prevent excessive heat and flames from spreading, giving you confidence in your home’s safety.
Fire Precautions Include Soffits and Overhangs Too
To increase the fire resistance of your home, don’t just pay attention to your siding material. It’s vital that you take a look at your soffits, trim, and overhangs too. The James Hardie company provides HardieSoffit and HardieTrim made of the same fire-resistant fiber cement that their siding panels are made of, giving you peace of mind that your home is fully fire-resistant.
When Fire Strikes—You Can Be Protected
Thanks to James Hardie siding, you don’t have to choose between aesthetically pleasing siding and fire-resistant siding. You can have both!
At Refined Exteriors, we are a James Hardie Elite Preferred Contractor because we adhere to their best practices for siding installation, ensuring you get the highest performance from your siding for decades. Our 3-D rendering of your home will allow you to see the final product before your project even begins, ensuring your Denver home remodel captures your personal style.
For more inspiration and information, discover the awesome benefits of James Hardie Siding for your Denver home.
