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Building our new house:
Siding

We are installing HardiPlank fiber-cement siding on this house.  It's manufactured by the James Hardie Company, who makes a number of cementitious products -- siding, underlayment for tile, and the like.  Here's a link to their company website:  http://www.jameshardie.com/

The siding -- HardiPlank -- that we are using is 8-1/2 inches high; it's installed with a 1-inch overlap and 7-1/2 inches exposed.  It's nailed along the top edge so the next plank hides the nails.  Each joint where one plank abuts another is caulked with caulk that matches the color of the HardiPlank.

HardiPlank comes in one of three finishes:  unfinished; primed; or, primed and painted.  They have about 15 colors to choose from, we selected Monterey Taupe.  It's not exactly the color we wanted -- we want the house painted with Benjamin Moore MoorGlo paint, Briarwood color.  However -- the Monterey Taupe is close to Briarwood and we decided to go with the Monterey Taupe.  That way, the house does not need to be painted, and, if we can't live with the color, we'll paint it.

We are trimming the house in white.  Here are photos of the siding going on.

Here is a photo of the house taken from the driveway entrance.  Siding is completed on the right side, back, and left side and they have just started working on the front.  Notice the white trim on the corners and the white trim board running along the tops of the windows.  Also, notice the white soffit and fascia trim.  Where the siding ends the concrete foundation wall is visible -- we will lay stone against the concrete foundation so no concrete shows.

Here's a picture of the siding crew working on the right side of the house.  Notice the white corner board, white fascia, and white soffit.  Also -- notice -- box for the electric meter; white wires coming out to go to the whole-house standby generator; opening into the crawl space.

Here's the left side of the house.  Notice the round window -- it's in the guest bathroom.  If the siding looks a bit wavy, it is -- the crew will come back and nail down places where the siding does not lie perfectly flat and touch up the nail holes with caulk and paint provided by the James Hardie company.