Siding in East Austin, Austin, TX (July 2024)

Why did this East Austin home need new siding?

The original cladding had taken decades of Central Texas abuse. Sun, hail, and big swings between wet springs and bone-dry summers leave old siding cracked, faded, and loose.

This homeowner wanted something that would hold up without constant upkeep. Here's what pushed the project forward:

• Age of the home, typical of the late-1970s builds common in 78702
• Faded, worn exterior paint that no longer sealed the walls
• A desire for a low-maintenance surface that resists rot and pests
• Curb-appeal goals for the front porch and street-facing walls

What did the crew find on site?

When we pulled the old material, the wall substrate needed attention before anything new could go up. That's the part most homeowners never see, and the part that decides whether a re-side actually lasts. We installed new 7/16-inch OSB wall sheathing across the affected sections to give the fiber cement a flat, sound nailing base. Skip that step and you get waves, popped fasteners, and gaps where Austin's cedar pollen and wind-driven rain sneak in. Getting the sheathing right is quiet, unglamorous work, but it's the difference between siding that lasts 30 years and siding that fails in five.

Why James Hardie fiber cement for this home?

Fiber cement was the clear pick for our climate. It won't warp in 100-degree heat, it resists hail impact far better than vinyl, and it shrugs off the moisture that rots wood siding. The Select Cedarmill 8.25-inch profile gives you the look of real cedar grain without the maintenance headaches.

• Non-combustible material, a real plus in dry Central Texas
• Holds paint longer than wood, so repaint cycles stretch out
• Pest- and rot-resistant against the moisture that follows our storms
• The 8.25-inch reveal suits the home's mid-century proportions

The primed Select Cedar Mill boards arrived ready for finish coat, which kept the timeline tight.

How did the installation and paint go?

The crew worked the whole job in one day, July 3, 2024. Sheathing, siding sections, and the porch ceiling all went in, then everything got painted for a seamless look.

• Installed a 4' x 8' Select Cedarmill porch ceiling, labor and material together
• Painted the siding with Sherwin Williams Super Paint
• Coated fascia and soffit in the 25" to 36" range, plus open soffit areas
• Painted the doors, gutters, and downspouts for a matched finish
• Two rounds of yard cleanup and punch items closed out the site

We don't leave a job half-finished. The punch-out and double yard clean meant the homeowner walked out to a clean lot, not a mess.

What were the results?

The home reads completely different from the street now. Clean lines, even color, and a sealed envelope built for the long haul.

• A unified exterior: siding, trim, doors, and gutters all in one palette
• A weather-tight shell over fresh sheathing
• Value range for the project: $15k–$20k
• Job closed out clean on July 22, 2024