Month: January 2015

Top 3 Reasons You Will Love Fiber Cement Siding For Your Home

Top 3 Reasons You Will Love Fiber Cement Siding

When it’s time to choose new siding for your home, you have a lot of options. Wood is still a popular choice, and for those that want something a little more low maintenance, plenty of people are still opting for vinyl and aluminum. And while these are fine choices for some homes, if you haven’t considered fiber cement siding for your home yet, you may want to give it a look. It has many of the benefits of other siding types, plus a few more. So if you want a realistic looking, long lasting, and low maintenance siding option, look no further than fiber cement siding for your home.

Hardie Richmond

With all the choices on the market today for siding, you probably have heard about older types like vinyl and aluminum before. Our Richmond fiber cement siding is different, and while it doesn’t get the kind of press that other types do, there’s actually a lot more to love here than there is at first sight. 

1. Realistic Texture and Appearance

Have you ever seen a house cladded in aluminum or vinyl siding? Chances are you could tell what it was from the street. Aluminum has a smooth, flat appearance – except where it’s dented – and a color that tends to fade over time. Vinyl may have more a groove or grain look to it, with color that goes straight through, but that doesn’t change the fact this siding is plastic, and looks like it.

Fiber cement siding has a much more realistic look and texture to it than either vinyl or aluminum. In fact, you may have trouble figuring out that it isn’t wood. That’s because the boards are molded using actual wood planks to get a more realistic texture.

Fiber cement siding can also be painted in any color – just like wood – so you aren’t confined to what’s currently on the market like vinyl.

2.  Durable and Low Maintenance

Wood siding is one of the best looking options available, but it also has a lot of drawbacks in terms of durability and maintenance. It peels, is susceptible to insects, and can also crack and warp over time. Aluminum is supposed to be lower in maintenance and more durable, but it still fades, leaving a chalky residue all over your foundations, while also denting at the slightest pressure. Then there’s vinyl, which can crack or break, as well as fall right off of your home.

Hardie Richmond Contractor

Fiber cement siding gives you the look and texture of real wood without the maintenance issues. It doesn’t peel, fade, dent, crack, or warp and it isn’t susceptible to insects either. In fact, it’s so low maintenance that many homeowners find that it pays for itself over the years, simply because they don’t have to worry about scraping, painting, and repairing over time. 

3. Environmentally Friendly

Green building has been the watch word of the industry for several years now, and more and more homeowners are beginning to join in. Fiber cement siding is considered a green product, meaning that it’s environmentally friendly, containing natural, renewable resources and no chemicals. In fact some manufacturers even include recycled material such as glass in the reinforcing mixture, to help further improve its green status.

That means no harmful VOCs are given off either during production or once it’s installed, so it’s not going to hurt your home or the environment. Add in the fact that fiber cement siding is also flame retardant without chemicals, and you can get some added protection for your home at the same time that you’re protecting the environment.

Make the Smart Choice

Fiber cement siding may not have been around as long as some other materials, but when you consider its looks, durability, and environmentally friendly legacy, it’s one of the best choices you can make for your home. So when it’s time to invest in some new siding for your house, consider fiber cement siding to do the job.

For any other tips on how to make your home remodeling a breeze, Classic Construction
is available for all your Richmond remodeling services. To learn more, give us a call at 804-776-5070 or fill out our online form for a free consultation.

Author: Classic Construction

Established in 2001, Classic Construction has since become one of the leading Richmond remodeling companies. With decades in the home improvement industry, Brian Holder, company president, is intimately involved with every project and works with our vendors and installation crews to ensure every job runs smoothly and meets our high standards of quality and customer satisfaction.

4 New Trends in Kitchen Countertops

The kitchen is arguably the most important room in your home. Your kitchen is where you cook, eat, and entertain. In many families, this is also the place where you gather for things like homework, chore planning, and just spending time together. So when it comes for your Richmond kitchen remodel, each decision that you make has equal importance, from the color of the cabinets to the type of countertop you use. Thankfully, you now have more choices in counters than ever before, so it’s easy to find the right countertop to suit your family’s needs and your personal design and style.

Natural Stone Trends

granite

For a long time granite reigned supreme in the kitchen, then began to cool off a little as other, newer materials began to come out. With newer trends appearing in natural materials and finishes for the kitchen, however, natural stone has begun to make a comeback.
The difference is that while granite can still be found in new kitchens, the emphasis is on softer finishes, such as honed stone, rather than a hard polish. And for those that want something a little more out of the ordinary, but with the strength and easy maintenance of harder stones, consider quartzite. Quartzite is a metamorphic stone made primarily of quartz, and it’s nearly indestructible – even in lighter colors like white. Quartzite can have veins like marble, or it can be more mottled like granite. It has a sugary look to it that is very appealing, especially when the edge is left raw – another trend in natural stone counters just now.

Ceramic Counters

For those that want a low maintenance, durable, and man-made counter move away from the quartz counters that were vying with granite for popularity a few years ago, and look to new ceramic counters instead. These smooth, matte counters are heat resistant, scratch resistant, and stain resistant so you don’t need to worry about their use even in the busiest of kitchens. With their monotone colors, they also work particularly well in modern and transitional designs where a lot of color or movement on the countertop would be unwelcome.

Copper

copper countertops

Say goodbye to stainless steel as the answer to the need for a metal countertop and consider copper instead. Copper is hitting kitchen trends in a big way right now with copper bespoke appliances, cabinet hardware, and even countertops. This warm, rich metal will patina and age differently depending on how you use it, giving your kitchen an authentic look over time. Treated well, a copper countertop can even outlast your home. It also matches well with the other trends in kitchens now, such as natural materials and finishes, as well as warm colors.

Tile

Believe it or not, tile countertops are back and in a big way. Move over granite tiles that are meant to look like a slab, today’s tile countertops are a riot of color and interest. In addition to natural tones and colors in kitchens, one of the biggest trends just now is color – particularly the color blue. One way to bring some color to your kitchen, while still preserving the natural and authentic look that is so key right now is to use some tiles on your counter. Consider handmade ceramic tiles that have varying glaze tones and textures, as well as larger matte porcelain tiles. Treated well, a tile countertop is nearly indestructible, and with new pre-sealed grouts, you don’t have to worry about things like staining either.

Consider Your Counter

With all the new choices on the market today, you’ll have an easier time than ever deciding on your new counter. Trends are moving toward lower maintenance, durable, and less ostentatious counters than those that have been used for the last several years, giving you some new things to consider. So take a look at the style of your kitchen, and how you intend to your use your counter to get the perfect, on trend countertop for your home.

For any other tips on how to make your home remodeling a breeze, Classic Construction is available for all your Richmond remodeling services. To learn more, give us a call at 804-776-5070 or fill out our online form for a free consultation.

Author: Classic Construction

Established in 2001, Classic Construction has since become one of the leading Richmond remodeling companies. With decades in the home improvement industry, Brian Holder, company president, is intimately involved with every project and works with our vendors and installation crews to ensure every job runs smoothly and meets our high standards of quality and customer satisfaction.