Fiber Cement vs Wood Siding: Pros and Cons for Midwest Homes

When considering new siding for your home, you likely have a list of what you want, and what you want to know.

Is it possible to find siding that checks all the boxes? You are likely looking for something that:

• Looks great
• Isn’t too expensive
• Lasts a long time
• Increases your home’s value

These are all great factors to consider, but you also want to make sure you can answer: what’s the best siding for where I live? Homeowners in Kansas and Missouri will need to be on the lookout for different issues than someone living in New Hampshire or Florida.

As a siding and windows contractor who has been working on homes in the greater Kansas City area for more than 40 years, we have seen the benefits and drawbacks of different kinds of siding on homes in the area.

So we’re launching a new series of articles comparing different kinds of siding you can get on your home and the pros and cons in comparison to each other for homes in the Midwest. Today’s article covers fiber cement versus wood, but we will also be publishing articles covering our other offerings.

We’ll update when the articles are in the published, but in the meantime, feel free to read more about our other siding offerings:

• Vinyl siding 
• LP SmartSide siding

With all that, it’s time to get to the topic at hand! When it comes to premier siding on your home, the argument seems to boil down to wood siding or fiber cement siding — made from a combination of cement, sand, water, and cellulose fibers. (Kansas City Siding and Windows installs fiber cement siding produced by James Hardie®.)

This article will give you the rundown of how James Hardie fiber cement siding and wood siding compare for Kansas City homes when it comes to all the factors you might consider when deciding to update your home.

Fiber cement siding stands up to extreme weather — this includes heat, cold, and storms. This makes it a great choice for homes in the Kansas City area, where changing weather is the norm and weather extremes can hit in any season.

When properly installed, James Hardie fiber cement siding locks out moisture from rain and snow. And it acts as an insulator, keeping the temperature in your home comfortable no matter the temperature outside.

Fiber cement siding has also been engineered to stand up to woodpeckers and pests like termites, which can damage siding and lead to costly repairs.

In addition to weather conditions, fiber cement can also provide protection in the case of a home fire. James Hardie products have a Class A fire rating and a flame spread index of 0. (Want to see it in action? Here’s a demonstration of Hardie siding holding strong against fire.)

Many homes in more northern parts of the country have wood siding, and while the insulative properties for wood are not as strong as for fiber cement, wood does provide a degree of insulation for your home.

Wood is more vulnerable to pests like termites and can be damaged by woodpeckers. As both of these are concerns in the Midwest, wood siding is more susceptible to damage from these issues and we do sometimes have to mitigate this damage when installing new siding on a home.

James Hardie: Minimal Maintenance and Guaranteed Color

Fiber cement siding is sturdy and durable, and because it stands up well to weather and pests, this means that it requires minimal maintenance for homeowners.

James Hardie siding in particular offers siding that comes in a variety of colors and their ColorPlus® Technology is designed to keep the color on your house vibrant for years and comes with a 15-year limited warranty. 

All James Hardie siding comes with a 30-year transferable, non-prorated warranty. You should still check your siding periodically for signs of damage and possible repair, but there will be less to worry about (and to pay for) than some other siding options.

Wood: Keep Up on the Maintenance

Wood siding that is properly installed and maintained well will last awhile on your home, but the key is maintenance! When replacing siding on homes in the Kansas City area, we often see issues with wood rot, a common culprit that can compromise the structure of your home.

Painting is another consideration for maintenance of wood siding. Be prepared to paint your house every 7-8 years with wood siding to address peeling, chipping, and fading paint.

When it comes to wood siding, check your home often for any upkeep that needs to be done. If you don’t want to do this, that might be a sign that wood is not the correct choice for you.

James Hardie: Wood Grain Finish with Color Options

While siding in general can be dismissed as ugly in some circles, fiber cement siding has an attractive finish that lends your home with updated curb appeal. James Hardie siding boasts a wood grain finish in addition to coming in an array of colors that can leave your home looking updated and appealing.

Wood: Naturally Gorgeous and Heritage Appropriate 

Wood siding also looks great, as a naturally attractive option that provides a clean finish to a home. Homeowners with homes a hundred years old or more might gravitate toward wood siding to maintain the more classic look of their home and match it more closely to the original look of the house.

James Hardie: Durability is Sustainability

Fiber cement production does mean that this siding choice is not zero impact. And it is not fully recyclable after it has been used on a house.

However, because fiber cement siding lasts so long, it does gain more sustainability through its durability. Once it has been manufactured and installed on a house, it lasts a long time and prevents additional cycles of manufacture and replacement.

As a company, James Hardie has taken deliberate steps to improve the sustainability of their manufacturing process and products, such as reducing emissions and energy usage in manufacturing and recycling waste from production for reuse.

Wood: A Natural, Eco-Friendly Option

Wood is the eco-friendly option to install on your home as a renewable resource that is also recyclable after use (depending on how it has been treated and maintained while installed on your home). For the eco-conscious homeowner, ensuring that their wood siding is certified sustainable wood that is sourced from well-managed forests is an important step in the installation process.

James Hardie: An Investment that Pays You Back

James Hardie is often perceived as a pricy option, but the fact is that the average cost of installing James Hardie on your home is less than it costs to install wood siding on your home.

Its lower installation cost and lower maintenance cost makes fiber cement an overall less expensive option than wood siding.

Updating the siding on your home will increase its value, and according to the 2024 Cost vs. Value report, fiber cement siding installation recoups homeowners nearly 90% of their cost in increased home value. (And that’s specifically for the Kansas City area, not a national average!)

Wood: Greater Costs for the Look You Want

Natural wood siding tends to be an expensive option and will typically cost more per square foot than even a premier siding option like fiber cement.

Updating the siding on your home will increase your home’s value no matter what type of siding you choose, and wood is no exception. But while fiber cement siding recoups nearly 90% of the cost in increased home value, wood siding typically recoups 70-80% of the cost of installation depending on the area you live in.

For wood siding in the Kansas City area, this means a greater initial investment, more money for upkeep and repair, and ultimately less back to you in terms of your home’s value.

Ultimately, for a home in the Kansas City area, we think that James Hardie fiber cement siding wins the day. It’s less expensive to install, stands up great to all of the weather we get in the Midwest, and requires less maintenance and upkeep, all while increasing the value of your home. Plus, it lasts a lifetime!

One Last Tip: Find a Company that Provides Professional Installation

James Hardie siding is a great option for your house, but it has to be installed correctly. Contractors that don’t follow the correct protocol for installation can end up introducing issues that will turn into problems down the line. 

At Kansas City Siding and Windows, our teams have extensive training from James Hardie and recently won their President’s Club award for our excellent work. Our expertise means professional and correct James Hardie installation (including correcting any issues from previous incorrect installations) that provides homeowners with better value and peace of mind.

Make sure when you are looking for a contractor to install your James Hardie siding that they know what they are talking about and have the credentials to back themselves up!

If you’re interested in James Hardie fiber cement siding for your home or want to know more, schedule a free in-home consultation and we’ll be happy to talk to you about the best siding options for your home.