Every single siding appointment I go on I make it a point to tell homeowners that on 40% of the homes we work on we find some rotten or insect infested sheathing (the wood your siding is nailed to).  And on a small percentage of those homes we find rotten wood under the sheathing.  It’s not a scare tactic….it’s the truth.

We are working on a house right now that had absolutely no evidence of rotten wood under the siding.  There was no reason to believe that there was an issue.  However, when the siding came off there is was!  And under the rotten sheathing we discovered even MORE rotten wood.

The culprit?  A badly placed nail in the siding to attach a garden hose holder.  You know the kind.  You may even have one on your house.  The homeowner who has owned the house for 15 years says there used to be a hose holder there from the previous owner. 

Well, that nail that was used to attach the holder to the house punctured the water line from the sink.  Water has been leaking from that pipe for 15 years!!

We had the homeowner fill his sink and then pull the stop.  Paul says water just sprayed all over!

After seeing this the homeowner said that it’s the exact reason he decided on HardiePlank siding rather than covering up the existing siding with plastic siding. 

HE WANTED TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON UNDER HIS PRESSBOARD SIDING!

The outcome would be much different had he decided to go with plastic siding.  This issue would keep festering until it became an emergency and he’d have paid dearly for the repairs.

The lesson learned is that not knowing can hurt……and not only financially!

For a free no hassle estimate on HardiePlank siding for your home give us a call at 804.405.3683.

Blue Ridge Exteriors is the ONLY VIP Preferred Remodeler in Central Virginia and specializes in the installation of fiber cement siding from James Hardie.

I went out to their home and as we were walking around the house I had the feeling that they didn’t have any idea what I was talking about.  Since I was the third guy out to see them I would expect that they had at least a little education from the previous companies.

So I asked them if I was repeating information they had already heard.  To my surprise (not really) they told me that I was giving them all new information that they hadn’t heard before.

It seems that the other 2 companies that had come out to see them weren’t interested in selling HardiePlank siding much less installing it.

They only had it in their ads to get people to call so they could try to sell them plastic siding!

In fact, they were shocked that I didn’t try the same thing.  When the appointment was finished they thanked me for being honest and for providing them with the information they wanted.  And they asked why the other companies were not as ethical.

I can’t speak for those companies.  I can only say that if they are a little less than honest in the advertising of the company what else are they willing to be less than honest with?  The installation?  The warranty?  The price?

Blue Ridge Exteriors has always known that consumers who want HardiePlank siding are very savvy and know what they want.  That’s why Paul and I started this company.  We made the market for HardiePlank siding in the Greater Richmond area.  It’s what we decided we wanted to do; provide upscale products for discerning homeowners and products from James Hardie are what we offer.

I believe that when you have an expertise and knowledge in an area there is no need for misleading ads or high pressure sales tactics.  Never once have we offered vinyl siding to a homeowner because they couldn’t afford or chose not to afford HardiePlank siding.  And never once have we shown up to an appointment to try to “flip” a homeowner to vinyl.

We simply don’t want to make a buck that way.  If other companies do it this way they are welcome to it.  We’ve been successful doing business the way we do it.

So the next time you see an ad and it says they install James Hardie products ask them how many jobs they’ve done.  And don’t just believe their word.  Ask to see a job in progress right now! (if they have one) ASK FOR REFERENCES! (not just 1 or 2)

After all, your home may be the biggest financial investment you’ll ever make in your life. 

Blue Ridge Exteriors specializes in the residential installation of HardiePlank siding from James Hardie.  We’ve installed HardiePlank siding on HUNDREDS of homes just like yours.

Call us at 804.405.3683 today for your free no hassle estimate!

In this job we used a combination of HardiPlank lap siding and HardieShingle.  The results are really nice.  The siding and trim options that James Hardie has to offer look exactly like real wood without the issues that real wood present. 

Blue Ridge Exteriors specializes in the installation of HardiePlank siding.  To get a free estimate for your home call us at 804.405.3683 today!

Well, the Vinyl Siding Institute wants to set the record straight for you right here.  If you go to page 2 you can read that vinyl siding is considered a “supplemental rain screen”. 

An umbrella can be considered a “supplemental rain screen” too since it doesn’t keep you 100% dry either.  The big difference between the two though is that you can dry yourself off when you get inside your house.  Your siding stays wet under the vinyl for a while which can lead to rot and mold that can end up costing you THOUSANDS of dollars to fix.

You only want to side your house once, right?  Then do it right the first time with HardiePlank siding from James Hardie.

HardiePlank siding isn’t a cover-up.  It actually replaces your existing siding so you don’t have to worry about what you’re covering up with vinyl.

Blue Ridge Exteriors is proud to be one of only 7 VIP Preferred Remodelers in the nation.  Call us today at 804.405.3683 and see the difference for yourself!

Research shows that more energy is lost through your ceilings than anywhere else.

Energy Armor Attic Wrap is designed to help you recoup your energy dollars in the summertime by eliminating the heat that builds up in your attic in warm weather.  The extreme heat that builds up in your attic radiates into your home costing you MONEY.

Energy Armor is a radiant barrier and was created by NASA to use in the suits that astronauts wear.  It truly is space age technology that works!

Staying comfortable in the warm summer months is a lot more affordable than you think.

Blue Ridge Exteriors is the exclusive dealer of Energy Armor.  Call us at 804.405.3683 today for your FREE estimate today.

On a 65 degree day the temperature in your attic will get over 95 degrees.  That’s hot! 

Why is this important?

The floor of your attic is the ceiling of your living space.  Heat that builds up in your attic will radiate into your living space keeping your air conditioner from properly doing its job.  In fact, it will have to work overtime just to try to keep up with the heat that is radiating into your home through your ceiling.

What’s the answer to this?

Energy Armor Attic Wrap! 

Energy Armor is a reflective insulation system that offers a permanent way to reduce energy costs.  Radiant barrier insulation systems reflect radiant heat energy instead of trying to absorb it.

If you can lower the temperature in your attic by 50 degrees in the summer then the floor of your attic is cooler by 50 degrees.  This means that the ceiling of your living space is cooler than 50 degrees so your air conditioner doesn’t have to work as hard to keep you cool!

And best of all, Energy Armor qualifies for the 30% Tax Credit Benefit!

Blue Ridge Exteriors is the exclusive dealer of Energy Armor.  Call us today at 405-3683 for a free estimate today and stay cool this summer!

Let’s start the year 2010 off with an FAQ page, huh?

Q:  I’ve been told that your company uses subcontractors.  I’ve heard horror stories about unreliable subcontractors.

A:  I’ve heard the same horror stories about subcontractors, but there are actually 2 different definitions to the word subcontractor in home improvement lingo.  The first is the way you are thinking; a company sells you a job and calls a friend of a friend to install whatever they just sold you.  Or worse yet, they drive down to Lowe’s or Home Depot and hire the first guy who has a pickup to install your job.

That is NOT what we do.  We decided long ago when we started this company that we would pay our installers as 1099 labor.  That means that technically they are subcontractors because we pay them as such, but they are in reality OUR HardiePlank siding installers. 

It’s a good story by other companies to scare you into thinking that we don’t care who works on your house, but the truth is that Paul trained our installers on James Hardie’s Best Practices years ago WHEN HE WORKED FOR JAMES HARDIE and they constantly are trained by Paul when James Hardie makes changes to Best Practices.

Look, when you hire Blue Ridge Exteriors to install HardiePlank siding for you our intallers will finish the HardiePlank siding job they are on now and then come do your house.  After your house they will start another HardiePlank siding job.  They won’t be installing a kitchen or even worse a deck before coming to install your job.

Q:  Isn’t a vinyl siding lifetime transferable warranty better than the James Hardie 30 year non-prorated transferable warranty?

A:  You might think so, but again you need to do some research on your own here.  Vinyl siding warranties have disclaimers that usually aren’t mentioned at the point of sale.  For instance, did you know that while you may get a fade warranty from a vinyl company you don’t get a warranty against EXCESSIVE fading?  Weird, huh?

Also, if you read the fine print you’ll see another disclaimer against reflections from windows and car windshields melting your siding.

And your vinyl siding isn’t guaranteed to look pristine for lifetime.  It’s just guaranteed not to fail……What was it that Tommy Boy’s dad used to tell him?  “You can get a good look at a t-bone steak by sticking your head up a bull’s [butt}, but I’d rather take the butcher’s word on it”?  In this instance don’t take the butcher’s word on it.

James Hardie realizes that everything be it vinyl or HardiePlank siding will weather.  It’s just that with HardiePlank siding you can remedy that by applying a fresh coat of paint.

Q:  Yes, but I was told I have to paint it every 2 years or so.

A:  Of course you were told that.  Vinyl companies want to sell vinyl.  HardiePlank siding is dimensionally stable meaning it doesn’t expand and contract so the factory applied paint won’t expand and contract.  It will never crack, peel, flake or blister.  Sometime between 15-20 years you’ll notice the color isn’t as vibrant.  That’s when you may decide to brighten it up with a fresh coat of paint.  Of course, you may decide to change the color altogether and which you can do at any time too.

Q:  What’s the difference between being a James Hardie VIP Preferred Remodeler and a just a Preferred Remodeler?

A:  James Hardie has criteria that a company has to meet to become a Preferred Remodeler.  A VIP Preferred Remodeler has even more including 2 very important ones for consumers.  The first one is that we have to install a certain amount of HardiePlank siding per year.  The second is that we agree to allow James Hardie to come out to any and all of our jobs, unknowingly to us, and allow them to audit the installation of your job.  This means that you could get a call from James Hardie during the job and they would ask to verify that it’s being installed correctly.  How great is that???  The manufacturer is willing to audit jobs that VIP Preferred Remodelers do!  How much more could you, the consumer ask for?  

 I do know that it is VERY difficult to achieve VIP status because as of today there are HUNDREDS of regular Preferred Remodelers and ONLY 7 VIP Preferred Remodelers nationwide.

The only exterior cladding that Blue Ridge Exteriors installs is HardiePlank siding.  We want to make money just like every company, but we’re not willing to intall inferior vinyl siding just to make a buck.  We are specialists who know what we’re doing. 

Call us today for a free estimate for your home at 804.405.3683!

But is thicker better?  If that’s the selling point I guess it is.  Let’s take a quick look.

Thickness of plastic siding is measured in “mils”.  1 mil = 0.001″ (mil is the abbreviation for 1/1000 th). 

Alcoa sells a plastic siding that is called XL55 that is .055 mils thick.  Royal sells a plastic siding called Duraplank that is .054 mils thick.  Alside sells a plastic siding called Prodigy that is .050 mils thick.  Crane Board is a plastic siding that is .046 mils thick.

So which is best?  As it turns out NONE of them may be the best!  Just look at the side of your garbage bag box.  Believe it or not Hefty bags and the like are advertised to be up to TWICE as thick as the thickest plastic siding that people put on their house!  Click here to see different thicknesses of garbage bags.

I’m not suggesting that you go out and have garbage bags installed on your house.  For one thing you could only get your house covered in white or dark green, but it does put things in proper prospective doesn’t it?

Blue Ridge Exteriors is one of only six VIP Preferred Remodelers in the country and we specialize in the installation of James Hardie fiber cement siding and trim components.  HardiePlank siding is 5 1/2 times thicker than plastic siding which also means it’s thicker than those garbage bags too.  See the difference for yourself here. 

So tell me…..what would YOU rather have on your house NOW?

For a free no obligation HardiePlank siding estimate call us at 804.405.3683 today!

What’s left to do other than sign a contract?  Well, how about verifying the contractor license and insurance status? 

In Virginia a contractor has 3 levels of licensing that dictates what work they can do.  You should go to the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) to not only verify that the contractor still has a valid contractors license, but to also see if there are any past or current open complaints.

I bring this up now because I recently had a homeowner tell me they were signing a $30,000 contract with another company instead of Blue Ridge Exteriors.  He told me he was going to have (blank) construction do the work.  His price was cheaper. 

It’s not the first time a homeowner has gone with the lowest price.  But what really caught my attention is that the company is only a Class C contractor.  By law he can’t perform the work!

I’ll save you the details of my discussion with that homeowner, but as a homeowner you have the responsibility to make sure the contractor you are planning to use is licensed and insured properly for the job they will do for you.  Click here to see the different classifications of contractors in Virginia and their limitations. 

While your at it you should check on their insurance status.  Call their insurer to be certain all premiums have been paid.  I’m sure you won’t be surprised to learn that some contractors have let their insurance lapse due to money flow problems. 

Blue Ridge Exteriors is a licensed Class A contractor in the state of Virginia.  On EVERY appointment that we go on we leave a copy of our insurance certificate and a copy of our contractor license and we expect you will verify that all is up to date and accurate.

Blue Ridge Exteriors specializes in the installation of James Hardie fiber cement siding and trim components.  We are the only James Hardie VIP Preferred Remodeler in Central Virginia and one of only six in the entire country!

For a free estimate call us at 804.405.3683!

This is especially important for you to see for a couple of reasons.  First, you can see just how quickly vinyl siding accelerates the flames into a potential inferno and you can see how wood siding smolders for a while before finally igniting.

Secondly, and maybe more important, is the fact that vinyl companies install their materials over your existing exterior cladding whether it’s real wood or press board.  You will now have 2 highly combustible materials on the outside of your house!

Watch this video and honestly ask yourself if you still want vinyl siding on your house then call us at 804.405.3683 for a free HardiePlank estimate.  You’ll be glad you did!