While working for James Hardie, one of the questions that always came up was "what is the Hardie board warranty in Canada?"
While there are some differences between the Hardie install requirements in Canada and the US, the warranties are actually the same. And that's great news for us up in Edmonton, because it is a fantastic warranty!
Below you'll find each separate Hardie warranty for Edmonton, Alberta, and all of Canada! You'll also learn about some of the aspects of the Hardie warranty that most people don't know about.
1. Hardie has Different Warranties for Different Products
Ask most people in the industry what the James Hardie warranty is in Canada, and they'll tell you 30 years non pro-rated. And they'll be right - sort of!
James Hardie actually has different warranties for its different products. The Hardie siding products (Hardie Plank, Hardie Panel, Hardie Shingle) do each come with their own 30 year non pro-rated warranty. Hardie Soffit also falls under the same warranty.
Hardie Trim (NT3 trim if you live in Alberta or any province East of Alberta, and BHT trim if you live in BC) carries a 15 year warranty. This is typical with most siding manufacturers as the trims take more of a beating from weather relative to most other siding applications.
2. The Warranty Actually Applies to Each Individual Piece
A major misconception with the James Hardie warranty in Canada is how it's applied. Many homeowners and homebuilders fear that if their installer misses one detail from the installation guideline, they could jeopardize the warranty for the whole house.
Thankfully, this is not the case! If you read the Hardie warranties closely, you'll see that the warranty actually applies to each individual board on the wall. To re-state that so it is clear, each piece carries it own warranty.
So, if your Hardie installer makes one or two mistakes, those pieces may not be warranted down the line if there are issues, but that does not necessarily mean that the rest of the wall or the rest of the house isn't warranted.
That said, I always recommend following Hardie's best practices wherever possible, as they are there for a reason! There are some cases where a missed detail could affect your entire wall, and as a result have a much bigger impact on your warranty.
3. James Hardie Does Not Certify Installers or Their Installs
During my 5+ years with Hardie, I received more calls than I could count from designers, builders, and homeowners asking if their installer was certified or asking us to check out their install to see if it qualifies for warranty.
However, James Hardie doesn't have a certification program for their installers. They do have technical specialists who train installers to follow best practices, but ultimately anyone in Canada is allowed to install Hardie so long as they follow the installation guidelines.
James Hardie also does not come out to job sites and sign off on warranties for installations. The James Hardie warranty does not require an inspection,or for any paperwork to be filled out. After installation, you are covered by the Hardie warranty. If any issues arise, the warranty is evaluated on a case by case basis by Hardie's warranty team in California.
My best recommendation for finding and using a skilled installer is to ask them about their previous experience with the product! I'd check out the James Hardie best practices and ask them a few specific questions to see how well they know the guidelines. Lastly, you could always reach out to a local Hardie rep and get their recommendations!
4. The Hardie Canada Warranty Doesn't Apply to all of Canada!
This is surprising to some, but at this point James Hardie's warranty doesn't apply to all of Canada. Currently, the product is warranted in all of the provinces except for the Maritimes. Hardie's warranty also does not extend to any of the Territories.
If you're in the Maritimes or the Territories and you're interested in using the James Hardie product, unfortunately you're out of luck. They do not make exceptions at this time.
5. The Warranty can Help Out With Labour Costs
Hardie knows that the majority of cost of using their product comes in the installation, not the product. That's why the James Hardie Canada warranty allows them pay out more than just the cost of the siding.
At their discretion, Hardie will issue a warranty payment of up to 2x the cost of material to help towards the cost of replacing defective product. The takeaway here is that installed correctly, Hardie knows the product is going to last a lot longer than the length of the warranty in Canada!
6. james hardie has a separate warranty for paint
That's right, if you use Hardie siding, you might end up with three separate warranties! James Hardie warrants their ColorPlus finish on all products for 15 years against cracking, peeling, and chipping. Of course the siding is warranted for 30 years, so what are you supposed to do if you want to refresh your paint?
Simple, go ahead and paint! Your siding or trim warranty will not be affected at all, and your original ColorPlus warranty will be void and replaced by the warranty for whichever paint manufacturer or contractor that you choose. If you want to know more about repainting Hardie siding, read our post 4 Things to Know Before Painting Your Fiber Cement Siding.
--- --- ---
If you choose to use Hardie siding on your home, take comfort in the knowledge that they protect you with a world class warranty. The product has been tested heavily in their weather chambers and they know how it performs when installed according to the best practices.
Because of this testing and knowledge, problems with James Hardie products in Canada are rare. But when they do arise, you'll be covered.
Interested in looking at James Hardie siding for your Edmonton area home? Reach out to Blue Jay Exterior Renovations today for a consultation: