Ferndale Siding Allura Isn't Junk — It's Just Not What We Put on Your House
If you've been shopping fiber cement siding for a home in Ferndale or anywhere else in Whatcom County, you've probably come across Allura (formerly known under other brand names in the fiber cement world). It's a legitimate product. It's manufactured from the same basic recipe as every other fiber cement board on the market — Portland cement, cellulose fiber, and sand, cured under pressure. Homeowners sometimes ask why we don't offer it as a lower-cost alternative to James Hardie. This page is the honest answer.
What Allura Gets Right
Fiber cement as a category is a good fit for our climate. Whatcom County deals with salt-laden air rolling in off Bellingham Bay, long stretches of driving rain from fall through spring, and a moss season that seems to start earlier every year. Fiber cement doesn't rot, doesn't feed insects, and holds paint or factory finish far longer than wood siding. Allura shares those core advantages with every other fiber cement product, including Hardie. It's also generally available at a lower material cost, which is the main reason it gets asked about.
Where the Trade-Offs Show Up
Our decision to standardize on one manufacturer instead of stocking multiple fiber cement lines comes down to a few practical issues we've weighed over years of installs in this region:
- Factory finish depth and consistency. Hardie's ColorPlus finish is baked on in a controlled factory process with a specific warranty structure attached to it. Matching that exact finish system — and the paperwork behind it — with a second manufacturer means carrying two sets of finish specs, two touch-up kits, and two warranty processes. That's a maintenance headache for the homeowner down the road, not just for us.
- Climate-specific engineering. Hardie engineers separate product lines for different climate zones (their HZ5 line is built for exactly the wet, temperate conditions we get here in Northwest Washington). Standardizing lets us specify the right board for this climate every time, without re-checking a competing manufacturer's regional spec sheet on every job.
- Warranty structure and transferability. A big part of what a homeowner is actually paying for with fiber cement is the warranty — not just on the board, but on the finish, and whether it transfers to the next owner if the home sells. We've standardized on the warranty terms we can stand behind and explain clearly, rather than juggling different fine print by brand.
- Installation consistency. Every fiber cement manufacturer publishes its own fastening patterns, clearances, and caulking requirements. Running one product line means our crews install to one spec, every time, with no risk of a fastener schedule from one manufacturer getting mixed up with clearance rules from another. On a material that lives or dies by correct installation, that consistency matters more than it sounds like it should.
Why This Matters More Here Than in a Drier Climate
None of this would matter much if we were installing siding in a dry inland climate where siding just has to look good. Ferndale isn't that. Between the salt air off the bay, the moss that colonizes anything that stays damp for more than a few days, and rain that can run for weeks without a real break, the finish and the installation details are doing real work here, not just sitting there looking nice. A finish that holds up marginally worse, or a fastening detail that's slightly off-spec, shows up faster in this climate than it would somewhere milder — as moss creep at seams, finish fade at south and west exposures, or caulk lines failing early.
Why We Standardized on James Hardie
We install exclusively James Hardie fiber cement siding for the reasons above: it's non-combustible, it carries a factory ColorPlus finish with a warranty we can explain in plain terms, it's engineered specifically for wet coastal Pacific Northwest conditions through the HZ5 product line, and the warranty is transferable if you sell the home. Just as important, running a single manufacturer means our crews know one set of installation specs cold — no second-guessing which clearance rule or fastener pattern applies to which board on a given job.
That's not a knock on Allura as a product. It's a statement about what we've chosen to be accountable for. When a homeowner in Ferndale asks us to put siding on their house, we want to be able to stand behind every part of that answer — the board, the finish, the warranty, and the installation — without hedging.
Get an Honest Opinion for Your Home
If you're comparing fiber cement options for a home in Ferndale or elsewhere in Whatcom County, we're glad to walk through what we'd actually recommend for your specific exposure, siding age, and budget. Reach out for a free, no-pressure estimate — no hard sell, just a straight answer.