Lynden An Honest Answer to a Question We Get a Lot
Homeowners in Lynden and across Whatcom County sometimes ask us for a quote on Cemplank siding, usually because a bid they got elsewhere specified it, or because they saw it at a building supply yard and want to know how it compares to what we install. It's a fair question, and it deserves a straight answer: we don't install Cemplank. Not because it's a scam or a bad product on paper, but because after years of installing fiber cement siding in this climate, we've standardized on one manufacturer, and we think you deserve to know why.
What Cemplank Gets Right
Cemplank is a fiber cement siding product, which puts it in the same general category as what we do install. Fiber cement as a material class is a good fit for the Pacific Northwest — it's non-combustible, it doesn't rot the way wood does, and it holds paint or factory finish far better than vinyl over the long haul. Cemplank is manufactured to be a lower-cost alternative in that category, and for some budgets and some projects, that has real appeal. We're not going to pretend otherwise.
Why We Don't Put It on Homes We Build
Our reasons come down to consistency, supply, and long-term backing — the things that matter most once the crew leaves and the siding has to survive twenty or thirty Whatcom County winters.
Regional Availability and Product Consistency
Lynden sits close enough to the coast that our homes deal with salt-laden air moving in off the Strait of Georgia, combined with driving rain off Puget Sound and a moss season that can run half the year in shaded, north-facing exposures. That combination punishes any siding product with inconsistent moisture handling or joint detailing. We've built our installation process — flashing details, gaps, fastener schedules, caulking approach — around one product line that we can source reliably and predictably from the same regional distribution network. Switching between manufacturers on different jobs means switching trim profiles, panel thicknesses, and factory finish systems, which increases the odds of a detail getting missed. We'd rather our crews master one system cold than be competent across several.
Factory Finish and Field Painting
A lot of fiber cement siding, Cemplank included in some of its product lines, is sold primed rather than fully factory-finished, which means the final paint job happens on site or shortly after installation. Field-applied paint is only as good as the weather window it goes on in, and Lynden's wet spring and fall stretches don't always cooperate. We prefer to install siding that arrives with a baked-on, factory-applied color coat, because it removes that weather-dependent step entirely and gives the finish a more uniform, long-term bond than most site painting can match.
Warranty Structure
Every fiber cement manufacturer backs its product with a warranty, but the terms, length, and transferability vary quite a bit between brands, and some warranties are prorated or lose value once a home changes hands. When we recommend a siding product, we want to be able to tell a homeowner in plain terms what's covered, for how long, and what happens if they sell the house in ten years. That clarity matters more to us than shaving a few dollars a square foot off material cost.
Installer Familiarity
Fiber cement is not a forgiving material to install poorly. Cut edges need to be sealed, fasteners need to land in the right place, and clearances at grade and roof lines need to be respected or moisture finds its way in behind the panel. A crew that installs the same product day in and day out develops a feel for it that reduces callback risk. Bouncing between Cemplank on one job and another brand on the next dilutes that muscle memory, and on a material where a small installation mistake can turn into a moisture problem years later, we don't think that trade-off is worth it.
What We Install Instead
We install James Hardie fiber cement exclusively. Hardie's HZ5 product line is engineered specifically for climates like ours — freeze-thaw cycles, sustained moisture exposure, and coastal air — and its ColorPlus factory finish is baked on rather than field-painted, which holds up better against the fading and touch-up issues that come with prolonged damp weather and moss growth. The warranty is transferable and clearly documented, which matters if you ever sell the home. Just as important, standardizing on one manufacturer means our crews are installing the exact same system on every job, with flashing and fastening details they've done hundreds of times. In a county where driving rain and a long moss season test every seam in a siding job, that consistency is what actually protects the wall behind it.
The Bottom Line
Cemplank isn't a product we'd call a bad choice for every homeowner, but it's not the product we've chosen to stake our installation standards on. We'd rather tell you honestly why we passed on it than install something outside our process just to win a bid. If you're weighing siding options for a home in Lynden or elsewhere in Whatcom County, we're happy to walk through what we install, why, and how it holds up specifically in this climate.
If you'd like a second opinion on a siding quote or want to talk through your options, request a free, no-pressure estimate using the form below.