Fiber Cement Siding in Oakland County, MI

What Fiber Cement Siding Is

Around Oakland County you’ll see fiber cement on new custom homes in Bloomfield Hills and Franklin, on teardown rebuilds in Birmingham and Royal Oak, and more and more on re-sided colonials in Troy and Rochester Hills. Owners choose it for the look: crisp shadow lines, real-looking wood grain or smooth boards, and painted trim that reads as a high-end exterior. For a wider comparison, see the material table on our siding contractor homepage.

Fiber Cement vs. Vinyl

Neither is “better” for every house. Vinyl is a solid, economical choice for many homes. Fiber cement makes most sense when you want a painted-wood look, plan to stay a long time, or have walls that take a beating from hail, woodpeckers or heat. Compare with our vinyl siding guide.

Fiber Cement in a Michigan Climate

Freeze-thaw is hard on any material that absorbs water. Fiber cement manufacturers have responded with products engineered for cold, wet climates. James Hardie, for example, sorts its products by climate zone, with lines designed for regions with freezing winters. Ask your contractor which product they’re quoting and confirm it’s the one intended for the Great Lakes region.

Installation details matter as much as the product. Boards must be kept off the ground and roof surfaces by the manufacturer’s required clearances, cut ends need to be sealed or primed, and joints and penetrations flashed. Skipping clearances is one of the most common reasons fiber cement fails early in snowy places.

What Installing Fiber Cement Involves

Fiber cement is heavy and brittle until it’s nailed up, so it takes more labor than vinyl. Crews cut it with dust-reducing saws or shears, because cutting releases crystalline silica dust; reputable contractors follow safety rules for that. Planks are face- or blind-nailed into studs or sheathing, with joints flashed or butted to spec, and trim boards are often fiber cement too. Then comes caulking and, if not factory-finished, paint.

• Expect a longer schedule than a vinyl job of the same size.
• Ask about factory-finished vs. job-site painted boards.
• Confirm ground, roof and deck clearances in the estimate.
• Ask how they’ll control cutting dust near your home.

Painting and Upkeep

Factory-finished fiber cement comes pre-painted with a baked-on finish that often carries its own warranty against peeling and fading. Primed boards are painted on site, which gives you any color you want but means repainting sooner. Either way, inspect caulked joints every couple of years, keep gutters working and touch up chips before water gets in. Compared with wood, it’s still far less work. If storm damage is what has you thinking about a new exterior, read the storm damage siding guide first.

Fiber Cement Styles and Profiles

Fiber cement comes in more forms than plain lap boards. Smooth and wood-grain lap planks are the most common. Vertical panels with battens create the board-and-batten look popular on new builds and modern farmhouse updates. Shingle and shake profiles suit gables, dormers and cottage-style homes, and some lines offer straight-edge or staggered shakes. Trim boards, soffit panels and fascia in the same material give a consistent finish around windows and eaves.

Many Birmingham and Bloomfield homes combine fiber cement with stone or brick on the lower level, and some Royal Oak and Ferndale owners use it to give a 1920s bungalow a crisp painted-wood finish without the upkeep of real wood. Ask to see a sample of each profile in the color you’re considering, and look at it next to your roof, windows and any masonry.

What Affects the Cost of Fiber Cement

Fiber cement costs more than vinyl for a few reasons. The material itself is more expensive. It’s heavy, so it takes more people and more time to install, especially on second-story walls. It must be cut with dust control, and trim details are more involved. Factory-finished boards cost more up front but save on painting. Finally, walls may need prep work to be flat enough. Compare estimates line by line, and make sure each one includes flashing, clearances and trim. See our siding replacement guide for what a complete estimate should list.

Repairing Fiber Cement

Fiber cement is tough, but it can chip, crack or break from hard impacts, falling limbs or settling. Individual boards can usually be replaced and painted to match. Because cutting produces silica dust and the boards are heavy, repairs are best left to a contractor who works with the material. If water has been getting behind the boards at a joint or window, the repair should include fixing the flashing. Our siding repair page covers how contractors find and fix water behind siding.

Trim and Details on Fiber Cement Homes

Fiber cement looks its best with trim that matches its weight. Wide corner boards, window and door surrounds, frieze boards under the eaves and band boards between floors are often made from fiber cement trim or PVC. The joints between planks are either butted tightly and flashed behind or caulked, depending on the manufacturer’s instructions. Around windows, head flashing sends water out over the trim. These details take time but give the crisp, finished look owners expect, and they’re a big part of what separates a careful installer from a rushed one. Ask to see photos of trim details on a contractor’s past jobs.