Your Home’s Exterior: The First Line Of Defense Against Mother Nature (NAPSA)—Hugefires scorch hundreds of thousands of acres in the United States every year, causing billions in damage—much of that in the form of homeslost. Hail- * ica, is optimized to protect against freezing temperatures, snow, ice and moisture and maintains its dimensional stability under severe weather conditions. The HZ10 product line, designed for North storms, from Colorado across the Plains, exact a toll that annually costs homeowners millions in repairs. And, along the Gulf Coast, there are many reminders of how hurricanes impact homes, both from wind and floods. No matter where a homeislocated, there’s a pretty good chance that it will face Mother Nature’s fury at some point. Giving a home a fighting chance against natural disaster starts with exterior cladding. Of course, nothing is going to survive 100-year floods, being in the cen- ter of a firestorm, baseball-sized hail or sustained 170 mph winds, but, for everything else, careful consideration of a home’s siding is critical to withstanding “lesser” disasters. People tend to immediately think of a heavy, solid material as the best protection. For example, brick would seem a logical choice, given its resistance to fire and impact, but it suffers structurally from moisture exposure and freeze/thaw, which are issues in much of the country— and it’s very expensive. In fact, most traditional siding materials require somesortof trade-off. Practical, Beautiful Protection Overthe last 20 years, a different material has emerged as a for the upper half of North Amer- America’s lower half, is resistant to moisture damage, cracking, splitting, rotting, swelling, salt air The inside scoop on howto give your home a fighting chance against natural disasters can start with the outside—fiber cement can be an attractive way to protect your home. builder favorite for exteriors. Fiber cement is widely used because of its noncombustibility rating and use in several one-hour fire-resistance-rated wall assemblies, in addition to being rated to withstand 150 mph winds and earning a FEMA Class 5 flood resistance rating. It’s as beautiful as it is durable, too, designed to closely mimic the look of wood. Since 2007, a national survey by Builder magazine has consistently rated James Hardie fiber cement siding products No. 1 in the U.S.; more than 4 million homes are clad in James Hardie siding. In addition to providing highly rated disaster protection, the company’s products are engineered for climate, meaning they perform best in specific climate conditions, called HardieZones. The HZ5 product line, formulated and high winds. Both are resistant to termites and flame. “One well-prepared house with HardiePlank and boxed eaves sur- vived, and houses on either side didn’t,” said Chief Kevin Dubler, of California’s Julian Fire Department, referring to a home that survived the record-setting blaze that ravaged San Diego County in 2008. “That tells you something about the product.” James Hardie siding looks remarkably like wood andis available with ColorPlus Technology—a multicoat, baked-on paint finish applied at the factory that lasts twice as long as traditionally applied paint. The siding also comes with a 30-year, nonprorated, transferable product warranty and the ColorPlusis warranted for 15 years. Learn More For more information about James Hardie products and reallife examples of how they have helped homes survivefire, flood, hail and hurricane, visit www.jameshardie.com/homeowner /whyJamesHardie.shtmlor call (877) 336-2339 for a free brochure.
