When looking to replace your old windows, you may be curious as to how much this might cost you. As the phone here at our company, Texas Home Exteriors, rings with homeowners on the other end looking for replacement windows estimates, I thought it would be nice to provide an article offering information about cost expectations when looking into new replacement windows and what to expect in an estimate.

Our local Houston Texas metro homeowners will often ask, “what will it cost to replace my windows?” I provide the best answers I can to the question but keep in mind the many variables that need to be considered in replacement window cost. Below, in this post, I have put together information to help you on your way to understanding what this home improvement may cost you.

What should I expect for Replacement Window Cost price range?

A very quick and general answer is $350-$950 + per window opening on average is what you should expect to pay for new energy efficient replacement windows. This is what we are experiencing here in the Houston Texas metro area market as homeowners just like you are requesting several bids from a variety of local window contractors. Below, we provide a list for you to reference of factors that will directly affect your cost.

Five Factors Directly Affecting Replacement Window Cost:

1 – Size of the Window

When receiving estimates for your home, the estimator should be measuring your existing window openings to determine the total united inches (ui) of each window as this is how a window cost is priced out. The measurement calculates as follows per window: width + height = united inches. So let’s say that an existing window you are considering replacing measurers, 30″ wide and 60″ high,  add those two numbers together to get the total united inches like this 30 + 60 = 90 total united inches. Then, take the total united inches, in this case 90 united inches (ui) and multiply the cost of the window materials and installation, (I am using $6.00 per united inch (ui) for this example) 90 x 6 = $540 for the cost to replace that size window. This same method would be repeated for each window you are considering replacing in your home. Once all the windows have been calculated, add them up for a total of window replacement cost of all the windows.

2 – Window Shape

The shape of the window you are considering replacing will most certainly affect the cost. Standard square-edge windows are simple enough to manufacture, however; when you get into different window shapes (such as an eyebrow), this is an entirely different story. If your home has any of the following types of windows, the cost will be higher due to the increase in cost to manufacturing that window. Some of the custom shapes are as follows: octagon, trapezoid, pentagon, quarter round, triangle circle, circle top, circle top with extended legs, eyebrow, and eyebrow with extended legs. There is also more cost on the installation side as these types of windows are more difficult to install requiring more skill for custom windows.

3 – Window Options Selected

There are several replacement window options that will affect the overall cost of the windows including the following: color, locks, grids, number of panes and designer glass. New replacement windows come with exterior colors options for the jams such as, white, tan, bronze and brown. Interior options can be a bit more extensive with the same colors offered as for the exterior as well as additional options such as: woodgrain finishes (like pine, oak, cherry and pecan). When choosing a different color for the outside than what is selected for the inside will increase the cost of the window price as the manufacturing process is more extensive in producing a two color window jam (frame).

Window locks/latches are often color coated to match the color of the window jam selected. When selecting a color that is different or a finish such as  bronze, nickel or brass, again will increase cost of the window as the standard locks will be replaced with a custom finish “specialty” lock/latch.  Grids are yet another factor that can increase the cost of the windows. Some of the grid options and patterns available are as follows: colonial, diamond, perimeter, prairie and standard light. For the most part, white on white windows with no grids or grids in the front of the home only are the most popular due in order to lower cost.  Also keep in mind that some Home Owner’s Associations HOAs or POAs may require window with grids for the front of the home.

4 – Quantity of Windows Replaced

From time to time, we receive calls from homeowners who would like to replace just a few of their home windows due to various reasons such as available budget. The fewer windows replaced, the higher the cost will be per window as the window company will be sending out a crew to replace just a few windows vs a larger job thus driving up the coast per window. For instance, 5 windows at a cost of $700 each will end up costing you $3,500 as apposed to 15 windows at a cost of $600 each will only cost you $9,000 saving you $1,500 over the entire job.

5 – Other Related Work

Often times when replacing windows, there are other aspects to the job that the homeowner may not think of right away that may have a direct affect on the overall cost of replacing the windows.  For instance, one example of the other related work that may be involved in a project like this is what type of siding is installed on the exterior of the home. When the old windows are being replaced, there is often a 1″x4″ trim or window trim that will need to be removed to allow the old window to be removed and the new window to be installed in its place. If the home is need of siding repair, this is the best time to get this done, during window replacement, as the two go hand-in-hand. In reality, it is much easier to install a new window when the siding is also being installed as the trim and siding will have already been removed.

Helpful Replacement Window Cost links

Simonton Windows – How Much Do Home Replacement Windows Cost

Angie’s List – How Much Does It Cost To Replace Windows

Home Advisor – Doors and Windows Install Cost

Anderson Windows – Window Replacement Cost

Fixr – Cost Window Replacement 

Window Price Guides – Anderson Window Prices Cost

Remodeling HW – Windows Cost vs. Value Project

Getting What You Pay For

If you have received several replacement window estimates, you will most certainly notice that there is a difference in price (cost). Beware of the low bidder of your windows as there are a few competitors that are selling a cheep window disguised as a good deal. These companies pay their workers less and they definitely take shortcuts that will cost you more in the end. A few higher quality replacement windows that we will suggest are Simonton and Texas built NT Window.

There is a lot of information here in this blog that you can use when considering new energy efficient replacement windows for your home. Click around on the links above for more insightful information. For energy efficient window ratings, review this web page.

I hope that you have found this article helpful in determining your replacement window cost as you can see, there are several variables to consider. Should you have any questions, please feel free to ask us at Texas Home Exteriors, we are here to help!

Greg Kapitan

Building Materials Anti Theft Camera – Used at Construction Sites

Are Stolen Materials Being Installed On Your Home?

By Greg Kapitan:
For some time since 1999 have been telling Houston area homeowners to be on the look out should they receive a very low bid on siding or roofing jobs. Why? Because, I realized that in in some cases siding and/or roofing contractors in the Houston Texas market who, in order to save on the cost of building materials, were using recycled and/or stolen building materials such as siding planks, roofing shingles and tar paper.

The Houston Chronicle reports about construction theft with their story that is very informative for both business and homeowners alike. As reported online and in the press, the local Houston Police Department are actually making arrests of several of those involved.  Homeless people were hired and paid with cash or drugs to hijack materials from job sites and later companies would  “fence the stolen material“, from Wikipedia – A fence knowingly buys stolen property for resale, these are the middleman, working between thieves and the eventual buyers of the stolen building materials, who are aware that the building materials are indeed stolen. With these stolen (hijacked) materials, it is likely that the warranty will not be honored by the manufacturer. Theft of building materials such as siding or roofing products is something that has been going on for some time.

This idea of hijacking product is nothing new to the construction world, as roofing and siding contractors and sub-contractors are familiar with or may have been involved in construction theft for many years. The violators had just been getting away with it for a long time, it was overdue and about time they got caught red-handed and stopped in their tracks!

Who is Stealing the Building Materials?

A good portion of this problem stems from subcontractors (crews that many of the larger, well-known companies around town, hire to perform the labor portion of the siding and or roofing jobs) who may be working for a company on a siding or roofing project, then having building materials left over at the end of the project, they take the unused product from the job. The crew was then sliding the product into their trailer or truck and driving off with it. These are new siding planks, trim, roles of tar paper, roofing shingles, boxes of pneumatic nails and accessories that are still in their packages and have never been used that were delivered and intended for use on the project.

Roofing materials just sitting on a jobsite just waiting for someone to take them after the crews take ther tools home

What Are The Crews Doing With This Material?

After hijacking the product, the crews would then either sell the unused materials back to the reseller yard (fence) or low bid their own side jobs and use these left over materials. There are several smaller reseller (fencing) yards around Houston who were willing to buy the unused siding or roofing materials from the crews as a discounted price. This arrangement would allow the crew to simply pull up to the the reseller yard, slide the siding planks or unload the roofing shingles from back of their trailers right into the helping hands of the reseller lumber yards then getting paid cash for the building materials.

As you can imagine, this is a win-win for both the crew, who brings this material in and gets paid, as well as the lumber yard, who gets product not only delivered directly to their door but pays a discounted price for materials that were charged to a siding or roofing company job completed by the crew.

What Are The Reseller Yards (fencing) Paying The Crews?

When the subcontractor crews delivered in the unused material to the resellers (fencing) yard, then the reseller yard would count up the quantity of the product (whether it is siding planks or roofing shingles). For example, let’s say that a crew brought in siding planks like James Hardie Siding and or the LP SmartSide Siding, these usually retail for approximately $10 a plank. The reseller yard gives the crew (that acquired them for free) $5 for each plank, then the yard resells it back to the public who purchases the material at a discounted price of $7.50 each. The same deal with roofing shingles such as the GAF Timberline Shingles, a crew might, for example, bring in 10 bundles of unused shingles that retail for $30 per bundle, the reseller yard would then pay the crew $15 per bundle at $10 per bundle for a total of $150, which I would call, “free money” to the crew and darn right underhanded!

The reseller yard, once again, turns around and sells this unused material to the public for $22.50 per bundle, a discounted price instead of the regular retail price of $30 per bundle that is typically charged. Again, another win-win for both as far as money savings goes for the crew and yard. However; this is an illegal fence practice of construction theft that both the crew and reseller yards are participating in and are literally banking on.

A brief overview:
> Siding Company pays $10 per siding plank (from a retail supplier lumber yard) and hires a crew to install the material
> The dishonest crew takes the extra siding from job they worked on without permission, at no cost to them
> The crew gets paid from a reseller yard at $5 per plank
> The reseller yard re-sells the stolen siding planks at a discounted price to the public for $7.50 ea.

Note: 90% of these transactions are completed as a cash transactions

HPD Police Car

What is the Condition of the Re-sold Material and is There any Warranty?

Is short, most of the resold material is in fair to good condition however; the material may not be in as good of condition as it were just delivered by a legitimate supplier like ABC Supply and or West End Roofing Supply. When building materials such as siding and roofing have been resold, shifted around and compromised, there is NO Warranty and it Void on these compromised products. This is another aspect that most Houston area homeowners are not aware of. Let me explain why, when the siding or roofing material is delivered directly from retail lumber yards it is in great condition, banded together and has not been shuffled around as well as verifiable tickets and/or receipts for the product purchased from the original supplier, this is not secondhand product.

When being moved around, the integrity of the products can be compromised.  Like Hardie siding can end up with chipped ends and roofing shingles can be easily torn thus compromising the quality of the products. This happens when the crews load the extra material in and out of their trailers and it is often shuffled around with the trash. The moving around and hauling can cause the chipped ends and slightly torn roofing shingles that are then resold, possibly damaged, to the public at a discounted price.

How it Can Play Out on Your Job..

Now I will provide you with a scenario of how this can play out on siding or roofing jobs in the state of Texas. When the crew shows up on job like a siding job, the materials are all bundled together by the retail lumber yard who attaches a packing or delivery ticket. The siding company had the supplier deliver 10 squares of siding to the home for installation. The crew then meets with the supervisor of the siding company and goes over the job. Once the supervisor has left the job, the crew gets to work. The crew starts installing the siding material on the home and in the midst of the project, may slip a few planks onto their trailer upside down placing the trash on top to disguise it as trash, or they may, at the end of the job remove the leftover material without the knowledge of the siding contractor, placing it on top of the trash and covering it with a tarp as if it were trash.

Untrusting crew guy taking money

How Crews are Getting Paid, Part of the Problem!

You see, many siding companies pay their siding crews based the amount of siding installed on a job rather than paying them on the total amount ordered. So, if a crew gets paid $225 per square and 10 squares were delivered they get paid $225 for 10 squares totaling $2,250. However; most siding companies want to cut as much cost as possible to maximize profit, so they pay the crews based on the actual amount installed vs the amount dropped and then ask the crew leave any extra material for pickup by the supplier to receive a credit.

If there are 2 squares of siding material left over out of the 10 that was delivered, the siding company will only pay the crew for 8 squares of siding which would save the company 2 squares at $225 totaling a $450 in addition to the credit they will get from the lumber yard on the returned product.

When companies choose to pay their crews based on how much they install, the crew may choose to claim that all of the siding delivered was installed in order to get paid better. I have found that this method leaves room for dishonesty on the part of the crew. I have heard of them slipping a few planks into their trailed before they start the job, which can provide the crew with the opportunity to claim that the job needed more siding to complete when they run out of siding before the end of the job (totally even more squares). The crew simply tells the siding company they need more material (within believable reason) thus the crew ends up making more money on the job and as well as having extra material they can sell at a discount to the re-seller yard, so I have found this not to be good practice.

I have found a better method is to pay the crews based on the total amount of material dropped not just by the total amount of material installed. The crews are less wasteful and more honest going this route.

Education of Homeowners is the Key About a Low Bid (estimate)

Having been in the home improvement business for nearly 30 years and being aware of this happening over and over again, it is my intention to educate homeowners into having some insight on why their bid may be so low from some contractors vs others and can be a red flag.  If this is the case, it very well could be because the material was acquired at a lower price from a reseller yard provided by a crew that hijacked it from someone else’s home project.

How To Know New Materials Are Being Used on Your Home?

What can a homeowner do to ensure that ONLY NEW, Fully-Warrantied Material will be installed on their home? I am surprised at the number of Home Exterior Companies in TX are using used or leftover material from jobs, recycling and reusing them on homeowner’s homes in order to save money.  be sure to select a company who uses supplies from reputable suppliers who will deliver your siding or roofing product directly to your home like we at Texas Home Exteriors does and we’ll install ONLY NEW, full warrantied materials on your home.

The materials for your project will be delivered straight to your door directly from ABC Supply or West End Roofing. We only use reputable suppliers who are some of the Largest and deliver new products such as: Simonton, replacement windows, NT Window, GAF Roofing, LP SmartSide, HardiePlank and KayCan Vinyl Siding Product Suppliers in Texas and America!

ABC Supply Delivering New Siding and Roofing Material

I hope that you have found this post must helpful in making an informed and educated decision. Please follow my, Kapitan The Siding Man Blog which is full of great content to help provide you with information and insight into many home improvement decisions.

Greg Kapitan, “Kapitan The Siding Man”

Free Estimate with New Material

A $7,500 Roof Replacement Job= $75 A Month!

Houston Texas Roofing Contractor

Are you and your family considering replacing your roof? Is your home more than 12 years old and still has its original roofing shingles? If so, Texas Home Exteriors has an exciting, easy option for you!

You should always call around and get several roofing estimates for your home located in the Houston, The Woodlands, or Spring, Texas metro areas, be sure as you contact and meet with the various roofing contractors. Make sure to also ask the contractors about FINANCING OPTIONS. Here at Texas Home Exteriors, we offer a financing option we know you will love.

How Does Texas EZ Pay Work?

Texas EZ Pay 1% Mo Payment Financing

Texas EZ Pay provides homeowners with a 1% monthly payment. For example, let’s say your entire roof needs to be replaced, and you’ve decided to go with Texas Home Exteriors, if your roof was bid to cost $7,500, with our financing option, your monthly payment for your new roof would cost $75 per month.

So, rather than using money from your personal reserves, you have the option to take advantage of our 1% monthly payment option!

No Liens – No Closing Cost Instant Approval

To get started, all you need to do is to simply click on the link below, fill out the form and submit it and we will have an instant approval for you.

The financing paperwork will then be presented to you providing you with the opportunity to review the 1% Texas EZ Pay option and decide whether to accept or reject the financing option. With Texas EZ Pay financing, there are no closing costs, no liens will be place on your home and you can get instant approval.

When Texas Home Exteriors comes out to your home for a free roofing estimate, there is no pressure for you to sign anything. We want you to feel comfortable that you made the right choice as your roofing contractor. When we come out to bid your new roof and let’s say the price is $6,500, that will only cost you a $65 a month payment with instant approval with Texas EZ Pay!

Roofing Contractor Shingle Options Presented to You By Mr. Richard Smith

Mr. Richard Smith and his wife Kosy of Texas Home Exteriors Roofing Pro Rep

Know that with Texas Home Exteriors, no stranger will be showing your at your door.  Texas Home Exteriors roofing specialist Richard Smith not only has over 30 years of experience in the roofing contractor industry, but has witnessed many roofing companies coming and going right here in Houston Texas.

Richard has installed well over 1,000 roofs in the greater Houston TX metro area and he knows his stuff!  Richard knows exactly what to look for during your new roof installation with best roofing practices. He will be there to assist in overseeing the crews and ensure your roof is installed correctly to our standards with fully warrantied roofing material.

Our roofing contractor crews respect Richard and his extensive knowledge because the know he is experienced and well educated and keeps up on the latest roof options and methods. Richard will show you the various roofing cost options and explain the details about our roof system installations. He will also explain and provide you with additional roof options to consider like, ridge vents, flashings, shingles, algae streak resistant shingles and more!

What type and color of roofing shingles are you thinking of using on your home? When Richard comes out, he will present you with some exciting shingles and options to choose from.  For instance, he will bring actual samples of a variety of roofing shingles and patterns manufactured by GAF, a leader in the roofing industry which shingles that come with a lifetime warranty. Richard Smith will show you the roofing shingle options available for you to choose from for the Houston Texas metro area climate.

GAF Timberline Roofing Shingles and Texas 1% EZ Pay

GAF Timberline Lifetime Roof Shingle Houston TX

If you are looking for a professional roofing contractor in Houston Texas metro area like Texas Home Exteriors, please fill out the form below and we’ll arrange for Mr. Richard Smith to contact you and come out to your home at a convenient time for you. He will present options and provide you with a detailed roofing replacement estimate with 100% Texas EZ Pay Financing in your hands in no time.

Call or Email for a Free Estimate

Best Ventilation – Intake

LP SmartSide Siding (Soffit Panels) Boast 10 SQ Inches Per Lineal Foot Of Ventilation. This will allow the home to be cooler by increasing the intake of cooler air into any Texas attic space.

As you can see in looking at this Houston home that Texas Home Exteriors installed LP SmartSide Siding on, the lanced soffit panels with continuous intake vents.

This amount of increased ventilation 10 SQ Inches (LP SmartSide Siding Soffit) VS. 5 SQ Inches (Fiber Cement Hardie Soffit) will help fresh air to enter the attic space offering more ventilation and efficiency.

One of the reasons that I am writing this article is because many homeowners are not aware of what the EPA says about home ventilation issues are on fresh air and the differences are between LP Smart Soffit and Hardie Soffit.

If we did not live in the hot and humid area of Southeast Texas this would not be an issue. But we do so maximum ventilation is needed and the LP SmartSoffit offers double of James HardieSoffit.

Fiber Cement / Hardiesoffit 5 SQ Inches Per Lineal Foot of Ventilation.

Increased Fresh Air Flow LP SmartSoffit over Hardie Soffit

This increased fresh air flow will allow any TX home to have a fresh air intake of cooler air. This in turn will allow the AC Unit that is often located in our Texas attics to run much more efficiently and use less electricity month after month.

As we all know, the less that we use our utilities such as the AC unit that is often in the attic to cool our Texas homes, the lower your utility bills will be.

It is important for your Houston Texas home to have proper attic ventilation to help keep your roof and home cool.

Proper Roofing Ventilation – Exit

If the roof is not vented to let all of the hot air will not escape, and exit is most certainly needed. Energy Star recommends proper attic ventilation that will extend the life of your roof and helps to keep the surface of roof cooler in turn reducing utility bills during our long hot southeast Texas summer months! When installed correctly and by using best roofing practices, your GAF roofing shingles will keep the water out of your home, keep your roofing shingles cooler and your home will be cooler and more energy efficient.

Soffit (intake) Ridge Vent (exhaust) Flow Diagram

The red arrows in the diagram on the right show how the cooler air is drawn in by the soffit vent and the hot air is pushed out through the Ridge Vent (roof ridge vent) on the ridge / peak of the roof.

This type of Texas vented roof system coupled with proper intake will keep your attic cooler in the hot TX summer months saving you money on your utility bills (AC bills).

This you will enjoy month after month, year after year for homes in the Houston TX metro area. As we all know, this is a good thing for sure!

Contact for a FREE Estimate

It was around 1999 in Houston TX when Houstonians started hearing about a siding product called Fiber Cement/Hardie Siding on the am home improvement radio station 750 Ktrh.  As many will attest, Vinyl Siding was king and the most requested siding product in the Texas market (and across the USA).

Current Results says Houston Texas  average yearly precipitation we receive nearly 4′ (48″) of precipitation every year and due to this and a great many of the homes here built using wood or masonite siding, homeowners ended up with siding often failing. This failure was due to the lack of painting and upkeep required for these types of siding products. Many Houston homeowners were looking at replacing the rotting wood or masonite siding on their homes and at the time, vinyl siding was the option most commonly selected.  This was until some of the local radio home improvement guys started getting paid to pitch a new siding product called, “Fiber Cement Siding“.  At this time, not much was known about the fiber cement product other than it was a cement-based siding product and would need paint application.

Move Over Vinyl . . . Fiber Cement/Hardie Siding Takes The Lead

The advertising campaigns and pitching paid off as this new siding product was pitched and heard more and more on the radio with boasts of what a better a product it was compared to vinyl siding. Homeowners in the metro Houston area started taking notice, local contractors were starting to pitch this new Fiber Cement Siding product and homeowners started jumping on the HardiPlank made by James Hardie Building Products band wagon as the greatest new product on the market. My company, Texas Home Exteriors was selling and installing Hardie Siding as well.

Fiber Cement HardiePlank Siding

Contractors in this part of the country are known for taking the path of  least resistance, so when homeowners started asking for this new siding product, the home exteriors companies and siding contractors alike started pitching (selling) the fiber cement siding product to homeowners throughout southeast Texas like crazy.

Fiber Cement Hardie Jumps From 5% Market Share to 90%

Within the period of about 5-6 years, I personally watched as the Fiber Cement Siding market went from being a mere 5% in 1999 to a jump of nearly 90% by 2005. To survive in the Houston TX siding market as a siding contractor, any company installing siding would or should have been offering the Fiber Cement product by this time.

The City of Houston TX – Texas Home Exteriors

Needless to say, many contractors did NOT like pitching a product to homeowners that needed painting and upkeep especially following an easy upkeep product like vinyl.

However, if you were to survive in the Houston Texas metro market buying into fiber cement, you would need to participate if you wanted to stay in the business of siding installation!

When Repainting Becomes a Reality

In this day and age many homeowners do not want the continued maintenance of repainting their home or changing out their roof every 10-15 years for that matter, like we have found is needed here in the south. Let’s face it, we are all busy and who wants to have to deal with this, the time, the money, the liability?

Homeowners in the Houston metro area (as well as across the country), now with the realization that the siding they just had installed and painted a few years ago needs to be repainted again and again and/or repaired.

This meant, getting bids, hiring a contractor, dealing with the HOA, getting colors approved (again), the mess, cost and dealing with the contractor telling you…”that is old paint on your brick” or . . . “it is peeling again because of the old paint was not removed or installed properly”. Yep, we have heard one or more of these scenarios and no fun!

The Issue of VOCs and Paint

Volatile organic compound VOCs are regulated by law, especially indoors, where concentrations are the highest. Harmful VOCs typically are not acutely toxic, but have compounding long-term health effects. Because the concentrations are usually low and the symptoms slow to develop, research into VOCs and their effects is difficult for workers installing products on your Houston Texas home exterior. There’s also the issue of silica dust cause when the fiber cement is cut and its harmful effect on the workers. 

Peeling Paint Long After The Siding Crews Are Gone

This is an issue that many do not think about until the crews are long gone and the reality of peeling paint has settled in. This is the time when homeowners consider if they are just going to simply paint over that old paint again, or what to do next . . .

Paint Peeling Off Of Fiber Cement Hardie Siding

Paint Peeling Off Of Fiber Cement hardie Siding

Finding yourself with questions like, “really, to only to have it peel off again?”; “How do I get every square inch of that old paint off of my home?” amongst many other concerns racing through the thought process.  If you don’t believe me that the paint might peel from your new fiber cement than take a look at these photos because it does and possibly could.  The images above show the reality of how paint can peel off from fiber cement siding just a few years after installation and painting of the siding product.

The results of this can vary depending on which paint was applied as well as how the surface was treated or prepped. Fiber cement siding is made up of a combination of Portland cement, ground sand, cellulose fiber and select additives which holds paint exceptionally well. The siding is available either unprimed or as pre-primed panels.

Improperly treated, cement-based products can become mildew magnets. A high quality exterior acrylic masonry primer, such as Sherwin-Williams Loxon Masonry Primer, will fortify the siding’s mildew and efflorescence resistance as well as caulk at the butt joints and applying the finish coat or coats. However many contractors to do not take the time to do what is needed to prevent the paint from peeling.

Foundation Problems – Notorious In Houston TX

Another issue with fiber cement siding is that it does not flex and move with the home. Anyone in Houston TX will tell you that sooner or later, either you or someone that you know, will deal with foundation problems.

Here you can clearly see how this fiber cement trim and siding has cracked and separated. I personally took this photo at a west Houston Texas home.

With a moving home and siding product that is too rigged, a homeowner is asking for trouble. This can lead to problems like cracks that allow for water to leak into and behind the siding and trim causing, mold, mildew and eventually, rot.

The photo on the right clearly shows the results of a home that has apparently had some movement.  There is no wonder that rigid siding and trim, like fiber cement, carries only a 15 year trim and 30 year siding warranty. With no movement flexibility in the fiber cement siding, your home can end up with cracks like the ones in the image on the right.

Not All Fiber Cement Hardie Jobs Have Issues

When a homeowner is considering siding products, it is important to be aware of some of the POSSIBLE problems associated with the products they are considering. Do your research and learn about the possible problems associated with siding products whether you are considering fiber cement siding or any other siding product.

What About Vinyl Siding Option for Houston Texas?

Vinyl Siding has it’s own set of problems, however; these are minimal and vinyl siding has been on the market for a good many years. This product is easy to install, low-maintenance, a great price and great option for Houston Texas homeowners.

Vinyl Siding Sales Up 15% 2014 1st Quarter in Houston Texas

Most of the siding supply houses in Houston TX are reporting that Vinyl Siding sales are up 10 to 15% over 2013 espechley KayCan a manufacturer of Vinyl Siding. As homeowners become more educated and are researching products on the internet, they know more about the products and reported problems and are able to make more informed and smarter choices. It seems many homeowners are finding that the old saying is true . . . “Vinyl is Final”

KAYCAN OCEAN PARK ULTRA VINYL “LAP SIDING”
What Does Vinyl Siding Offer Over Fiber Cement Hardie Siding?

Texas Home Exteriors Lifetime Energy Efficient Vinyl Siding

• Lower Cost To Install
• Never Paint Again
• Energy Efficient
• Energy Star Rated
• Extra Insulation
• Quieter Home
• Lifetime Warranty
• By Far, The Best Return On Your Dollar!

Additional Benefits Include:
1. Heavy thickness for exceptional impact resistance.
2. Beautiful appearance – rough cedar wood-grain.
3. Double-thick nail hem windload resistance of up
to 213 mph.
4. Self-aligning locking system for quick, easy installation = straighter walls.
5. Double-sized insulated panels means up to 45% less noise and significantly reduced air
infiltration for a quieter, more energy efficient home.
6. Larger panel profile adds rigidity and dramatic shadow line.
7. Duratron UV technology for superior weatherability and color retention.
8. KayCan Ocean Park ULTRA siding’s premium color is consistent all the way through.

KAYCAN MONTEBELLO VINYL “LOG SIDING”

Texas Home Exteriors KayCan Lifetime Log SidingRustic Charm ​KayCan Montebella Vinyl Log Siding will give you the rustic look and distinctive warmth of log siding with added durability and resistance.

Rustic Charm ​KayCan Montebello Vinyl Log Siding will give you the rustic look and distinctive warmth of log siding with added durability and resistance.
• Montebello log siding wall system has all
the distinctive warmth, rustic style and beauty of
log siding with the strength and durability of vinyl.
​ • ​Montebello’s low gloss natural
wood grain appearance has been built to last as the
siding won’t dent, crack or split.
• Montebello resists mold, rot and mildew and
incorporates ​Perform Guard patented foam additive
for insect and termite resistance.

Montebello is the low maintenance alternative to real wood  requiring no painting, no staining and no wood preservatives means more time to enjoy your home and the things that you enjoy doing the most. 

Texas Home Exteriors Montebella Vinyl Lifetime Log Siding

1. Heavy gauge siding adds comfort to your home.​
2. Precisely contoured foam underlayment adds
rigidity and superior impact resistance.​
3. LineLoc panel locking system locks panels
together for greater rigidity on the wall.​
4. Ultra-Vinyl UV vinyl technology guarantees
superior weatherability and color retention.

​I hope you found this information helpful as you consider home exterior siding choices. Both Fiber Cement and Vinyl Siding are great home exterior products. The choice is yours to make, I am happy to provide information and facts about products and to answer any additional questions you might have, share your thoughts an questions in the comments below and I will respond timely and remember that, “Vinyl is Final”!

Greg Kapitan
Kapitan The Siding Man

Free Siding Estimate

First off, I find that many folks who decide to replace their siding often duplicate the same or similar pattern currently on their homes. Consider updating the look of your home by changing up the siding pattern by adding accents such as Faux Stacked Stone Siding will adds curb appeal as well as bringing the homes exterior to a more up-to-date look. You will find this will really pay off when it comes time to sell your home not to mention your neighbors and friends will certainly take notice.

Ply Gem Mountain Ridge-Faux Stacked Stone-Panels. Texas Home Exteriors Houston Texas.

Durable and Warm

Faux Stacked Stone (natural stone, cultured stone, stone veneer or manufactured stone) also gives any home exterior a warm and earthy feel that says, “welcome home”.  Stone Siding is also the most durable home exterior siding product on the market.

Low Maintenance

Faux stacked stone does not need painting, will not dent or chip and needs no upkeep at all. To be honest, Faux Stacked Stone Siding will outlast all of us continuing to look good for our children and even our grandchildren. It will surely withstand the test of time for all to appreciate and enjoy.

How is it Installed?

Faux Stacked Stone is a veneer siding product, meaning that it is a layer of exterior product that is installed to finish out an exterior wall and protect the home from exteriors elements such as wind, moisture, rain, ice snow. For instance, here in Houston Texas faux stacked stone keeps the rain and moisture from penetrating into the walls, protecting our homes from the climate conditions of TX.

Measure the area:

The faux stone installer will measure the linear feet of any corners as well as the square footage of each wall for flat stones. To arrive at the total square footage of flat stones needed, he will subtract the square footage of any openings like windows, as well as the linear footage of the corners. To compensate for normal job site waste, he will order at least 10% more than the final square footage. He will also determine how much premix mortar or mortar and masonry sand are needed for the project.

Ply Gem Faux Stacked Stone Texas Home Exteriors

Preparation of the Siding Area:

Preparing the walls is key to a quality application, and a weather-resistant barrier is a requirement for both interior and exterior applications. This consists of two layers of either a Weather-Resistive Barrier like Dupont Tyvek HomeWrap or felt (15 lb), metal wire lath and a scratch coat of pre-mix mortar like Quickcrete or type S or N mortar. When these are installed, the scratch coat needs to be left to dry for 24-48 hours.

Installation of the Stone:

Once the walls are prepared, it’s time to apply the stone. Your installer will lay out stones from multiple boxes to ensure the broadest range of stones for variety and a lower repeat rate unless this has already been organized by the manufacturer. The corner stones are usually applied first, alternating long and short sides. Next, the flat stones are applied on the wall, working them into the corners. Stones are applied by adding mortar to the back and wiggling them onto the dry scratch coat to ensure a seal. To fit stones into the space, your installer will size them as necessary using anything from a wet saw to a chisel or back of a hammer.

Grouting the joints:

To finish the look, after the stones are on the wall, your installer will go back around and add a mortar joint grout in between the stones for non-dry stack applications. For a standard joint, as you would see with a fieldstone style, for instance, the installer uses a grout bag to add mortar in the space between stones. When the mortar is thumbprint dry, a pointing tool is used to smooth out the spaces. Drystack applications are designed to show no visible mortar joint between stones.

Faux Stacked Stone Siding Texas Home Exteriors Houston The Woodlands TX

Correct installation will ensure that their will be no problems down the road. Great companies like us here at Texas Home Exteriors will strictly perform correct practices for installations to meet guidelines set by the manufacturer’s for warranty. With the addition of Faux Stacked Stone Siding you will enjoy the fresh, war look as well as compliments from your friends and certainly be the envy of any neighborhood! Wouldn’t it be great to be the first in your neighborhood to get this great look on your home? When you call our office at Texas Home Exteriors we will most certainly help you to achieve the look and feel that you desire for the exterior of your southeast Houston Texas home.

by Greg Kapitan
“Kapitan The Siding Man”
greg@TexasHomeExteriors.com

Greg Kapitan (Kapitan The Siding Man) Texas Home Exteriors Houston – The Woodlands , Lake Livingston TX

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James Hardie fiber cement Siding is resistant to fires from a side wall entrance perspective.

Best Siding For Fire Resistance

James Hardie Siding (HardiePlank siding) made from fiber cement is a great option for the Houston Texas metro area for a fire resistance siding to use on the outside of your home. Concrete Center shows that Fiber cement is fire resistant due to the fact that it is a siding product that is concrete based and has incredible resistance to igniting. The fiber cement siding manufactured by James Hardie is recommended across the country for any are prone to fire and homeowners that want extreme fire resistance to the side walls of their home.

Berkeley College Siding Study

The University of California Berkeley College Berkeley Fire Center has done an incredible study on fires and the resistance of a siding product to fire delay or stop fire completely from entering a siding wall of any structure. As we, Texas Home Exteriors, are out in the field bidding siding jobs for TX homeowners, we are often asked the question: “what siding option do you recommend as the best fire resistant siding?”

I find myself instantly answering with the same response for some time now that is, “James Hardie, HardiePlank Siding” is the best for Fire Resistance.   Fiber cement siding, like Hardie, has great resistance to fire due to the cement like properties of the siding products.

Southeast Texas Metro Area

As many Houstonians know, here it southeast Texas it can get stifling hot in the summer months and can even linger around for what seems like months with no end. We also experience times of drought to the point that our Texas lakes water levels drop due to what the US Geological Survey calls water cycle evaporation. This affects the local usage for drinking and irrigation. Sometimes this can present a problem for many homes close to any wooded area of Texas lakes because they are often built entirely of siding, containing very little brick putting the homes at higher risk of fire damage.  The siding on what I call “Texas lake homes” often consist of wood and many of these were built on a budget as second homes away from the city.

Texas A & M and the City of Houston

The City Of Houston Texas Fire Department HFD as well as all others across our country supports and recommends the use of fiber cement siding to hinder fire invasion into a home’s exterior. Texas A & M Forest Service is a statewide leadership and professional assistance for the state’s forest, tree, and related natural resources trees and flammability issue. The Texas Interagency Coordination Center live fire activity feed is there so that anyone that have an internet connection can see where active fires are in Texas.

Loblolly Pine Trees are common in East Texas which presents the possibility of rapidly moving fire dangers and the height of these trees make it nearly impossible to extinguish the flames.  Here is the Link to review the fire rating of James Hardie wall assemblies.   No building material guarantees a fireproof home, but there are some preventative measures Texas homeowners can take to better prepare for the possibility of fires, like installing a non-combustible home exterior siding product like James Hardie Siding (Hardie Plank) that are more resistant to fire.

Trees and Flammability Issues

Here in southeast Texas we have the tall and beautiful  what Wikipedia calls LobLolly Pinus Taeda trees that grow up to 93-110 feet or more in height. Fire danger is a great threat to Texas homeowners in our area thus some insurance companies will allow further discounts for homes with fire resistant siding like HardiPlank siding installed in place of existing wood siding. Check with your local Texas insurance company and explain to them that you plan to replace your wood siding and inform them of which Hardie fire resistant siding you intend on installing. I have heard in the past how local TX homeowners have received reductions on their insurance as a direct result of installing fiber cement siding from James Hardie in Houston.

Hardie Siding Will Not Burn

You can clearly see in the image above, the fire resistance of fiber cement siding by James Hardie Siding (HardiePlank, Hardy Board). Hardie Siding provides a resistant barrier on the exterior of your home from a side wall entrance perspective.

HardiePlank siding will not burn or catch fire, as you can be seen in the photo, a lit torch aimed at the fiber cement siding manufactured by James Hardie Products.

The Hardie Siding will NOT easily burn and clearly protects the flammable wood studs behind your Houston TX home. This provides a great peace of mind for any homeowner in the Houston southeast metro area of Texas or anywhere in the country that may be at risk of experiencing a wildfire.

James Hardie warranties their siding for a full 30 years. This provides many years of increased fire safety for any homeowner whose home is close to surrounding large trees and would like this extra protection for their home and loved ones.

I hope that you have found this post informative and will pass it along or share it with those you believe may benefit from this fire resistant siding information. If you have a home or are building a home and are not considering brick, consider fiber cement fire resistant Hardie Siding and if you are in the Houston metro area, call me personally at Texas Home Exteriors 281-919-6999. Be sure to follow the Kapitan The Siding Man blog to see future posts about home exteriors and more.

Greg Kapitan
“Kapitan The Siding Man”

Free Hardie Siding Estimate

Greg Kapitan (the siding man) of Texas Home Exteriors

With my many years of construction background of building homes, I along with many other home builders and remodelers, know the value of building a strong home. Here in the southeast Houston Texas metro area we have a good amount of wind and with our being so close to the coast, we are also vulnerable to hurricanes.

Wind Racking Force on Homes

There are two forces a homeowner should be concerned with, or should I say, anyone that lives in wind-prone areas of the USA. One is “uplift force” and the other is “racking force” from shear wind blowing directly at any home or structure.

US Department of Agriculture

The Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) is the national research laboratory of the United States Forest Service, which is part of USDA) US Department of Agriculture). They do extensive research on timber and building studies. They have published a study where plywood or (osb) was added to the outside walls of the studs of any structure. The FPL (Forest Products Laboratory) study noted an at least 300% gain in stiffness in stopping any racking force from excessive wind.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a science based federal agency within the Department of Commerce with regulatory, operational, and information service responsibilities with a presence in every state of the country and territories. They also have done a study on ground level based shear wind or wind shear and noted the forces and pressure.  When NOAA was asked, What is wind shear?, they answered, “a change in horizontal wind speed and/or direction with height. Also known as microburst. They are short-lived, ground-based, small-scale event and associated with thunderstorms”. Yep, that would be Texas weather!

Racking Force due to Wind Shear

We will be talking about Racking Force to a home due to Shear Wind in this siding post because it is a concern many homeowners should be aware of. Right around the year 1999 here in Houston Texas many homeowners were being pitched and marketed to move away from vinyl siding and installing, in its place, fiber cement siding.

The installation of this fiber cement (Hardie) siding product often meant removing the old wood siding, stripping the OSB or  plywood sheathing down to the studs and installing the installation of the new fiber cement product. In the photo below, you can clearly see how builders across the country will often build diagonal “let-in” bracing (per the green arrows in the photo) into a home to help combat the racking force caused by shear wind.

Single Wall Construction – Non Wind Areas

Single wall construction is when the siding is applied directly to the studs without any sheathing like OSB or plywood first. Single wall construction with fiber cement siding is perfectly fine for non- wind/non-coastal areas of the country as displayed in the photo below. However; for high wind areas, more than diagonal “let-in” bracing is needed as per Texas Department of Insurance TDI TDI Wind department hence, double wall construction with OSB or plywood sheathing is required to be installed before siding for added strength.

Let In bracing “diagonal bracing” a home helps combat the racking force caused by shear winds in Houston TX

Double Wall Construction – Wind Prone Areas

The best practice of using the diagonal bracing will help stop any home from racking (tilting) when strong winds are blowing. Builders will often install OSB or plywood over these outside walls by nailing them to the exposed studs as can be seen on the left side of the diagram below labeled “Wind Areas/ Houston Double Wall Construction”. Once the OSB or plywood is installed, the builders install siding over that plywood layer. By having this base layer, consisting of some sort of  LP Oriented Strand Board (OSB) or plywood sheathing attached to the the studs of any outside wall, gives the home increased strength and shear wind resistance to combat racking force. This method is called “double wall construction“.

Fiber Cement Hardie Not for Single Wall Construction

Coming from my many years of experience from using and knowledge of fiber cement, I have found it to have very little material structural strength and it can break easily. The product offers little structural support (if any) to the outside of a home and can in fact be a liability. Don’t believe me, but try taking a hammer and moderately hitting the Fiber Cement siding, and see for yourself how easily it breaks and crumbles to the ground. I was in shock back in 1999 in Houston Texas as I observed (even participated in) siding contractors removing lap wood siding and T-111 vertical siding ultimately affecting the structural value which had been an asset to the home. This was then replaced with the installation of fiber cement which without installing any OSB or plywood, offered nearly no structural value.

Movement of the home can cause cracking of the fiber cement siding.

The image on the right is of a home I received a call on that was a “call back” from an installation by another siding contractor who had removed the old wood siding and did not install any OSB or plywood under the newly installed Fiber Cement.

The result was that the home moved causing cracking of the fiber cement allowing water intrusion and causing other problems.

This Houston TX homeowner will continue to have movement problems until all of the fiber cement siding is removed and some sort of structural grade of sheathing is installed like OSB or plywood.

Keep in mind that this homeowner paid over 14k for a siding job that was done incorrectly. In Texas, homeowners often experience movement in their homes, this is yet another reason to install OSB or plywood sheathing before any fiber cement siding is installed, hence, the method of installing double wall construction will add more stability to Houston TX homes.

The best way to build strength into the exterior of the walls is with double wall construction.

How to Install Double Wall Construction

The diagram below shows how to correctly install the layers (sheathing like OSB or plywood – double wall construction) prior to installing the fiber cement siding. This will help increase any home’s structural value for both shear, racking force wind and any settling movement providing increased strength to the exterior walls of the home.

Keep in mind that this is a much better re-siding approach for homeowners when removing old structural grade siding and installing fiber cement siding in its place.

LP SmartSide Siding Best for Single Wall Construction

This is the best way to build strength into any outside wall for homes in coastal areas that are going to be sided with fiber cement siding. LP SmartSide is wood base and has a lot of what wood works calls structural value to it that fiber cement siding does not have any structural value.

Keep in mind that if you do choose to side your home with single wall construction, a propelled airborne object could quite easily come right through fiber cement siding, the insulation and sheetrock and enter your home!

When building or if you are re-siding your home and it has no OSB or plywood under the siding, single wall construction, I recommend using the LP SmartSide Siding due to its proven brute strength. This siding will be an Asset to the integrity of your home’s exterior walls and will help keep those that you love safer inside your home. You do NOT need to install OSB or plywood sheathing before installing the LP SmartSide product and racking force from shear wind becomes much less of an issue due to the increased strength of the exterior walls. LP SmartSide Siding actually takes the place of OSB or plywood and provides much structural value and looks great too.

The must-see video below explains clearly what this means for your home. Fiber cement siding, is a great siding option, however; please insist that your siding contractor install double wall construction with OSB or plywood first for the what Wikipedia calls structural integrity of the building.

The moral of the story is this:
Fiber Cement Siding Installed on Single Wall Construction = a Liability.
LP SmartSide Siding Installed on Single Wall Construction = an Asset.

~Greg Kapitan (Kapitan the Siding Man)

Featured Video: Demonstration of LP SmartSide vs Fiber Cement Durability

Free Estimate Hardie or SmartSide

Texas Home Exclusive Windows Built by Simonton Windows Winner of JD Power Award four times

A Texas Replacement Window First

Texas has its first window named after the great state of Texas, private labeled by Amcraft and and manufactured by Simonton Windows JD Power Award winner four years straight. This is a first for Texas and we here at Texas Home Exteriors located in Houston TX are excited to offer the first window named for our great state.

Two energy efficient vinyl replacement versions are offered to the greater Houston, The Woodlands – Spring TX metro area. The Texas Home Exclusive and the Texas Home Exclusive Plus.

Both energy efficient replacement windows come with a lifetime warranty covering the entire window and includes the following coverage from the manufacturer:

• Lifetime Vinyl
• Lifetime Window Seal Failure
• Lifetime Window Hardware
• Lifetime Glass Breakage

Just think how great it is for homeowners to have beautiful energy efficient vinyl windows that are named for our wonderful state of Texas. Make your selection with confidence knowing our windows are manufactured by a JD Power award winning manufacturer such as Simonton Windows. This is a nice insurance bonus for Texas homeowners. With our Energy Star rated windows, TX homeowners will realize the benefit of energy savings on their utility bills month after month, year after year.

          Texas Home Exclusive Window        Texas Home Exclusive Plus Window
              2 panes glass, low-E, 3/4″ IGU             3 panes glass, safety glass, low-E, 1″ IGU

Texas Home Exclusive Windows with low-E, Argon Gas filled Double and Triple Pane Windows

How do Energy Efficient Vinyl Replacement Windows Work?

Here at Texas Home Exteriors we are often asked questions about windows such as, “how do energy efficient windows work?” and “how much savings will I realize on my utility bills?” Several components of the window work separately for each of the following scenarios but together as a whole to make your Houston TX home more energy efficient.

Low-E Reflective Glass for Energy Efficient Windows

Low-E Glass – “Reflective”

When it comes to the sun hitting your window,  our windows include Low-E coating which reflects the suns UV rays back out, stopping the UV heat from entering your home. In most cases, it will block out 80-90% without making your windows too dark. After our vinyl energy efficient replacement windows are installed, you will notice that you can now get closer to your window with the summer sun blazing in and feel 80-90% less of the sun’s UV heat getting through and warming your skin. This will translate into summer utility bill savings due to the the sun’s hot rays not being allowed to enter your home so no need for the A/C to work as hard.

Argon Gas – “Invisible Insulation”

The climate controlled environment in your home that we call heat or air conditioning is constantly trying to escape. Your single pane windows have the lowest what is known in the building industry R-Value/U-Factor = “resistance” for temperature to travel through any material from one side to another.  Argon Gas is heavier than air and is placed and sealed in-between the two window panes of glass making it more difficult for any temperature to travel from one side to another and increasing the window energy efficiency. Other Words what I call invisible insulation that will increase the R-Value/U-Factor of your windows.

What is the Difference Between U-Factor and R-Value?

U-factor is used to measure the insulation value of windows, R-value is used for insulation in most other parts of the building (walls, floors, roofs). True that they are related, different test criteria are used in calculating the two values so they cannot be directly converted. Take R-value and U-factor, divide 1 by the U-factor number, E.g.: a 0.25 U-factor will equal a 1/0.25 = 4 R-Value.

Energy Star Rated Windows

What makes these windows great is not only do they carry our beautiful state’s name TEXAS but they are manufactured by Simonton and at an affordable price compared to competitors windows such as Anderson and Pella windows.

Free Replacement Window Estimate