Lynden Siding Allura is a legitimate fiber cement product, and homeowners in Lynden sometimes ask why we don't offer it alongside James Hardie. It's a fair question. Fiber cement is fiber cement at a basic level — cellulose fiber, sand, and Portland cement pressed into planks and cured. But the differences between manufacturers show up in the details, and those details matter more here in Whatcom County than they would somewhere dry and mild.
What Allura gets right
Allura fiber cement is non-combustible, resists rot and insects, and holds paint better than wood siding. It's a real step up from vinyl or untreated wood, and in a lot of climates it performs perfectly well. We're not going to pretend otherwise. If a homeowner has Allura on their house already and it was installed correctly, there's no need to panic or rip it off.
Where our concerns come in
Factory finish consistency
James Hardie's ColorPlus finish is baked on in a controlled factory process with a specific multi-coat system and a matched warranty that follows the finish, not just the board. Allura's factory-finish offerings and warranty structure have historically been less consistent from region to region and dealer to dealer, which makes it harder for us to promise a customer exactly what they're getting ten or fifteen years down the road. On the coast, where salt air and driving rain from Pacific storms hit the west-facing walls hardest, a finish that holds its bond over decades isn't a cosmetic nice-to-have — it's what keeps water off the substrate.
Moisture behavior in this climate
Lynden sits in a wet corner of the state. Between the marine layer coming off Bellingham Bay, the winter rain that settles in for months, and the long moss season that follows, siding here spends a lot of the year damp. Fiber cement is more moisture-tolerant than wood, but not all fiber cement manages moisture the same way. Hardie's HZ5 product line is engineered specifically for climates like ours — freeze-thaw cycles, sustained humidity, and heavy rain exposure. We haven't seen the same regional engineering depth from Allura's line, and when we're putting a product on a house that has to survive Whatcom County winters for 30-plus years, that difference is the whole ballgame.
Installation sensitivity
Fiber cement siding is only as good as its installation — caulking, flashing, fastener spacing, and clearances all matter enormously, regardless of brand. But we've built our crew's training, our tooling, and our warranty relationship entirely around one system: James Hardie. Every install detail, from starter strip to butt joint treatment, is dialed in for Hardie's specs. Switching between manufacturers mid-crew increases the odds of a detail getting missed, and on a house that's going to face 40-plus inches of annual rainfall, a missed detail is where water finds its way in.
Warranty and accountability
James Hardie backs its ColorPlus products with a strong, transferable limited warranty that's been tested in the market for decades, and Hardie stands behind contractor-installed work through a recognized preferred contractor network. That gives homeowners a second layer of accountability beyond just our own workmanship warranty. Allura's warranty terms exist, but they haven't built the same long track record of claims handling that we can point to with confidence when a customer asks, "What happens if something goes wrong in year twelve?"
Why we standardized on Hardie
We made a decision a while back to install one fiber cement system and know it inside and out, rather than carry three or four brands and be mediocre at all of them. James Hardie's combination of factory finish durability, climate-specific HZ engineering, and a warranty with real staying power made it the clear choice for houses that have to hold up to Whatcom County weather year after year — the salt air rolling in off the water, the driving winter rain, and the moss that creeps into anything that stays damp too long. That's not a knock on every other fiber cement product on the market. It's just where we decided to put our name and our workmanship guarantee.
| Factor | What matters in Lynden |
|---|---|
| Factory finish | Withstands salt air and years of driving rain without fading or peeling |
| Moisture engineering | Handles a wet climate and long moss season without trapping water |
| Installation system | Crew trained on one spec, reducing missed flashing/caulking details |
| Warranty depth | Transferable coverage with a proven claims track record |
If you're weighing siding options for a home in Lynden or anywhere else in Whatcom County, we're happy to walk through what we install, why, and what it would look like on your specific house. Reach out for a free, no-pressure estimate — no obligation, just an honest look at your options.