The Benefits of Using Fiber Cement in Wet, Coastal Areas

If you’re in the home building business, you know to plan ahead for protection. Homeowners will want to know what the best siding material choice is for their home’s exterior, especially in a wet, coastal climate. While there are choices of building materials that work on home exteriors in the coastal regions, fiber cement is one of the best because fiber cement siding is waterproof. 

However, there are plenty of other benefits of using fiber cement in residential construction. If you get questions from homeowners about why they should choose fiber cement, here are all the answers you’ll need.

Fiber Cement and Moisture Protection 

One of the most common questions from homeowners is about moisture protection: Does fiber cement absorb water?

The simple answer is no. High-performing fiber cement siding is water repellant when it’s properly installed. Today’s building code requirements for long-lasting weather protection, and in wet climates like Florida, materials are tested for water penetration.

Nichiha’s fiber cement panels address home moisture protection in a couple of ways. 

First, the clip installation system helps to ensure that panels stay in place so there are fewer openings for water to penetrate the siding. Second, if there is any moisture, the built-in rainscreen acts as another layer of protection, so the water drains off of the panels via weep holes and drainage channels. 

This extra layer of water protection keeps exterior house panels dry and prevents damage from moisture build-up.  

Fiber Cement and Durability

Homeowners have traditionally turned to stone or brick exteriors when they look for durable exterior protection. While these materials offer strength and protection, they are also some of the most expensive options on the market. 

Instead, an increasing number of homes are using a more cost-effective alternative: fiber cement. It’s a growing design trend in coastal climates, even in High-Velocity Hurricane Zones (HVHZ) where weather conditions can be especially severe. Fiber-cement offers homeowners a durable solution for weather resilience, and siding from Nichiha meets the strict wind and moisture resistance requirements in HVHZ regions like Miami Dade.

And if you’re building homes in wildfire-prone areas like California, Nichiha panels come with an exceptional fire rating and improve the overall fire resistance of a home’s exterior: ASTM E-84 tests rate fiber cement as a Class A building material.

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Fiber Cement and Long-Term Protection

Brick and stone exteriors are often chosen for their durability and long life span. Homeowners select these materials because they offer strong protection and tend to require very little maintenance over the lifetime of the home. 

But wet, coastal environments aren’t the most friendly towards brick and stone, and some masonry will need to be treated with a finish to ensure moisture protection. Home Advisor recommends regular inspections to make sure the materials don’t need maintenance: “Every year, check your building’s masonry exterior four hours after a heavy rainstorm. Any dark patches on the wall means that water soaked into the surface. This is a future problem that will need fixing.”

Fiber cement siding, on the other hand, delivers long-term protection to homes in wet climates and hurricane-prone regions. Siding from Nichiha comes pre-finished (in an array of styles for homeowners to choose from). The fiber cement panels don’t require much maintenance and can be more easily replaced than brick or stone but mimic their look almost perfectly!  

Fiber Cement and Versatile Style

While fiber cement offers plenty of protection for exteriors, many homeowners look for siding that will help to enhance their home’s weather-resilience and its style.

Since fiber cement siding can be manufactured to look like other residential exterior solutions, it gives homeowners more design options than they may have realized. From industrial concrete style to the warm look of wood, fiber cement siding can help homeowners achieve any look they’re after. 

Nichiha also gives builders solutions for easy fiber cement siding installation. The panels use a clip system that makes setting up any exterior design a more streamlined process.

The Many Benefits and Solutions of Fiber Cement Siding

From moisture protection to versatile style, fiber cement siding for homes has given homeowners and builders everywhere solutions for their exterior.

Whether you need a durable solution for home protection on the West or East Coast, fiber cement siding offers several benefits: 

• High-performing moisture protection, tested to HVHZ requirements
• Wind resistance in severe storms
• A Class-A fire rating to improve fire resistance on your exterior
• Ease of installation, especially compared to masonry or brick
• Dozens of styles and finishes to make any design stand out

Protecting the homes that we build shouldn’t require excessive amounts of maintenance or money, and fiber cement siding from Nichiha gives homeowners across the globe real solutions to work with. 

Learn more about Nichiha’s fiber cement siding and how it brings unlimited style and excellent protection to homes in hurricane-prone regions. Or check out our gallery for more design inspiration.