Stucco & Exterior Walls in Winnetka
Fiber cement lap siding does not burn or swell. Fernhill Builders weighs it against cement plaster for Winnetka exterior walls.
Fiber cement lap siding earns its place on a wall that has to shrug off sun and flame. It does not burn, it does not swell and shrink like wood, and its paint holds up under hard inland sun. For a Winnetka house we weigh it against cement plaster, so each wall ends up with the material that suits it.
What the board resists
Fiber cement is made from cement and cellulose fibers, and it resists flame, rot and termites. Boards lap over a paper barrier and are nailed into the framing, then held above the ground by the clearance the maker requires. On an inland wall, hard sun and dry wind pull moisture out of wood siding until it cups and splits. Fiber cement stays flat, and its factory primer takes paint evenly. The boards arrive primed, and field cuts are sealed before they go up.
Where plaster still fits
Cement plaster remains the better choice where the house already wears stucco and a full-wall match matters. A flat, modern profile may suit plaster, while a lapped profile or a wood-sided gable may suit fiber cement. Each option goes into the scope with its layers, so the two sit side by side for comparison. At the base both need clearance above soil, and at the eaves both need ember-resistant vents when the lot falls under those rules. Neither option is chosen before the wall has been looked over.
Stucco & Exterior in Winnetka: common questions
Both can. Plaster on metal lath resists burning, as does fiber cement lap siding hung over a lapped paper barrier. Neither feeds a fire the way wood siding does. Trim, vents and the base still need attention, and the same scope covers them.
A solid wall with tight cracks can be patched. Paper that has failed means stripping to the sheathing, and that happens where water has been getting in. When a wall is stripped anyway, it is the moment to weigh fiber cement as the new covering.
Plaster stops at the screed, a metal strip with weep slots, set clear of soil and paving. Fiber cement boards stop above the ground by the distance their maker requires. Either way we cut back soil or paving, clear the base and keep plants and mulch away from the wall.
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Plan your project in Winnetka
Tell us about the house and the stucco & exterior work. We reply about a walk-through and a written scope.