Over the years,  Hardie Plank fiber cement siding has definitely captured the name recognition for siding your home especially if you are one of the unlucky homeowners in which the builder installed the infamous Lp siding.  Years ago I  was honored to be chosen to tour the local Hardie Plank factory just a few hours north of us near the Tacoma area.  Superior Exterior Systems was able to see first hand the extensive process of creating fiber cement siding and has actually used that knowledge in our unique installation process.  It is fascinating to say the least.  Creating Hardie Plank from scratch is something that can easily be taken for granted because there are so many steps that go into it’s meticulous process.  It would be almost impossible to tour the factory now in that they are very protective over their manufacturing steps.  It originally starts in a wet soupy mix that looks like thick gravy and then ends up in highly compressed stiff layers with a primer sealant on it.  The constant rain here in the portland vancouver area causes our own set of challenges and no primer will ever be enough in itself.  Always use high end paint and make sure it is applied very well and back rolled on.    Hardie plank is not everyones choice so another fiber cement  siding is call  Certanteed Weatherboards.  I have also been to that factory since it is made in southern oregon.  Cedar and vinyl are a few other choices if you don’t prefer a cement based product.  It’s not a good idea to use stucco in our climate which is also called Eifs or Dryvit and has an artificial foam behind it. I could go on and on but if you would like more info or want to see pictures on existing homes visit us at http://www.superiorexteriorsystems.com/ Thanks for reading and good luck in your search for which siding is right for you.