Hardie Board Is The Durable Siding You Need In Edmonton
And Blue Jay is Edmonton’s Preferred James Hardie Siding Contractor
Do you ever find yourself slowing down as you drive past a “show stopper” siding renovation in Edmonton? If so, there’s a good chance you’ve been admiring Hardie Board (maybe without even knowing it).
From the classic horizontal HardiePlank lap siding to board & batten, shakes, and even trim boards, you can use Hardie fiber cement to mix and match colours, profiles, and textures to make sure that your new exterior design is uniquely your own.
The cherry on top? With an expert installation, your new James Hardie siding renovation will last for decades: 50 years or more!
And before founding Blue Jay, our owners were the ones in charge of all James Hardie sales and installation across Alberta: so, our expertise is second to none.
Benefits Of James Hardie Siding
When you choose James Hardie, you’re setting yourself up for the long-term. That’s because Hardie offers long-term beauty, long-term toughness, and seriously long-term protection for your home.
Unmatched Curb Appeal
You might not have noticed before, but most of the homes in Edmonton’s 1960s to 1990s neighbourhoods still have their original exteriors. So when you look down your street, you probably see quite a bit of cracking rock-dash stucco, dented metal siding, warped & rotten wood siding, or faded, worn out vinyl.
Just imagine how your home will stand out when you choose a new James Hardie exterior.
With 18 timeless and versatile colours in James Hardie’s Statement Collection (plus a few special collection colours that come available from time to time), you can unlock the design you’ve always dreamed of. And with horizontal, vertical, shake, and trim board options, the combinations are endless. (Don’t worry if all the options are stressing you out: you can count on our team to help you along the way using our amazing design visualization programs!)
Don’t you think it’s about time to say goodbye to your boring old exterior? Check out the gallery below for some inspiration and examples of the Hardie product line.
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![Deep Ocean Hardie Siding Installed in Edmonton]()
Deep Ocean Hardie w/ Plank and Board & Batten
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![Mountain Sage Hardie Plank Installed in Edmonton]()
Mountain Sage Hardie Plank and Board & Batten
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![Cobblestone James Hardie Siding installed in Edmonton]()
Cobblestone Hardie Plank and Shingle Accents
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![Iron Gray Hardie Plank installed with a Lux Panel accent in Edmonton]()
Iron Gray Hardie Plank w/ Lux Panel Accents
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![Arctic White Hardie Board & Batten Installed Edmonton]()
Arctic White Hardie Board & Batten
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![Gray Slate Hardie Plank with Pearl Gray Hardie Accents]()
Gray Slate Hardie Plank and Pearl Gray Shingle and Board & Batten
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![Deep Ocean Hardie Plank Installed on a quaint looking Edmonton home]()
Deep Ocean Hardie Plank w/ Faux Wood Accent Trims
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![Iron Gray Hardie Plank installed on a St Albert Home with stunning wood accents]()
Iron Gray Hardie Plank
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![Beautiful home sided in Boothbay Blue Hardie siding by Blue Jay Exterior Renovations]()
Boothbay Blue Hardie Plank and Board & Batten
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![Pearl Gray Hardie Plank Installed on a bungalow with a versetta stone accent]()
Pearl Gray Hardie Plank
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![Countrylane Red Hardie Siding Installed on a two storey Edmonton Home with orange brick accents]()
Countrylane Red Hardie Plank
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![Cobblestone Hardie Siding in a variety of styles on a beautiful home with wood accents]()
Cobblestone Hardie Plank, Shingle, and Board & Batten
Fire Proof Siding
If you want to seriously protect your home from an exterior fire, then you’ll want to know that as a cement based product, Hardie Board is completely non-combustible. This means that Hardie siding doesn’t burn when exposed to a flame.
Check out the photo gallery below for a real world example.
Back in 2012, there was a major fire in the Calgary neighbourhood of McKenzie Towne. A condo building under construction caught fire, and grew into an inferno. Cars parked across the road were literally melting from the intense heat.
What about the cream coloured house in the picture? The thick PVC casings of the windows were completely destroyed, and the asphalt shingles needed major repairs. But there’s James Hardie siding, looking as fresh and beautiful as the day it was installed. (Our co-founder, Paul Little, was a young Hardie sales rep when this fire happened. That’s how we got these behind the scenes photos!)
In a CBC news article from that day, the reporter talked to dozens of firefighters that credited the Hardie board siding for stopping the fire from spreading.
If you worry about fires around your home, you can have the ultimate peace of mind with Hardie on your side.
James Hardie Fiber Cement Siding In The 2012 Mackenzie Towne Fire
Incredible Impact Resistance
There’s nothing like a thunderstorm on the Alberta prairie.
One moment, it’s a sunny afternoon. Then you hear the wind start to whistle through the trees, bringing with it the sweet, earthy smell of rain. Suddenly the warm sunshine is a distant memory, replaced by the dark gray of a massive thunderhead. And with a “tink… tink…” the first hailstones start to fall.
Any true Albertan knows this feeling. Watching the little hailstones fall, and wondering if THIS is the storm that will start to drop big ones. Rushing out to move the car (and the tomatoes) into the garage.
But if you have James Hardie siding, you’ve got one less thing to worry about.
That’s because Hardie is a super-durable cement siding, and is virtually hail-proof. James Hardie Building Products is so confident in their product that they specifically cover hail damage in their siding warranty! And unlike other manufacturers, Hardie doesn’t include a bunch of limitations on their hail coverage.
If you want a real-life example of Hardie board’s hail resistance, just drive south on the QE2 for a few hours. Our neighbours in Calgary live right in the heart of “Hail Alley”, and they get hammered by major hailstorms pretty much every year.
The photo below comes from a condo building in Calgary that was damaged in two separate hailstorms. First, there was a relatively small storm that damaged half the siding. The insurance company didn’t want to pay for a complete exterior, so only some of the walls were replaced with Hardie.
Fast forward to the next storm. Old vinyl siding? Battered. Shredded. James Hardie fiber cement? Bring it on.
Low Maintenance Exterior
Summertime in Edmonton is short, so don’t spend your weekends doing siding maintenance. Let’s see… stripping, sanding, taping, and painting your whole house? Or enjoying the sunshine with a comfy lawn chair and a cold beverage? Sounds like a pretty easy choice.
When you choose James Hardie siding, you’re choosing a low-maintenance, low-stress exterior. Hardie is a painted product that will eventually require re-finishing, but in Edmonton’s climate you can expect to go at least 20 years before having to worry about re-painting.
In the meantime, you’ve only got two maintenance jobs with Hardie:
Give the house a good rinse with the garden hose every couple of years, just to get rid of the airborne dust and dirt that blows around and lands on everything.
Every 3-5 years, check the caulking beads to make sure they’re holding up. Our exterior grade Hardie caulking is warranted for 15 years, but needs a quick look every now and again so we can make repairs if anything needs attention.
That’s it: about an hour every couple of years. And you won’t even have to put down your beverage.
Why is Blue Jay the best choice to install your James Hardie Siding?
A siding renovation is a complicated project, requiring years of experience to master. And among siding products, Hardie is one of the toughest to install. If an installer doesn’t follow James Hardie’s best practices, not only will the end result look sloppy, you’ll be at risk of premature delamination (which can cut Hardie’s 50+ year expected lifespan in half).
Blue Jay’s Hardie knowledge is second-to-none in this industry. We don’t just know Hardie’s installation requirements: we truly understand how the products are manufactured, what can cause them to fail, and how to deliver an amazing exterior transformation that will stand the test of time.
Check out our extensive portfolio of siding renovations with James Hardie siding. As of December 2025, the Blue Jay team has completed more than 200 siding renovations with Hardie fiber cement for homeowners in the Edmonton area (and we’ve got photos and addresses to prove it). Check around. No other contractor even comes close.
We Only Do Siding Renovations
At Blue Jay Exterior Renovations, siding renovations in Edmonton aren’t just our main focus: they’re our only focus. . We’ve been doing exterior renovations and only exterior renovations since we opened our doors.
This means that Blue Jay has spent years perfecting not just the craft of installing siding on older homes, but the processes needed to deliver an outstanding renovation experience to homeowners.
Our clients aren’t massive home builders that only care about the fastest install at the lowest price. Our clients are people. Individuals, couples, and families: just like you and yours.
Proof First, Payment After
If a siding company ever asks you for a deposit before they start work, you should have some serious concerns. That’s because any contractor with even a half decent credit history doesn’t get billed by the supplier until 30 to 45 days AFTER the siding package has been delivered to your home.
This begs the question: if the contractor doesn’t need your deposit to order materials for your job, what are they using your money for?
At Blue Jay, our “Proof Before Pay” process makes sure that we never accept money from our clients until after it has been earned.
The key feature of the process is the way the three payments are structured over the course of your siding renovation:
Your first payment will be a deposit of 39% of the contract price. Blue Jay’s deposit is due once workers are on site, materials have been delivered, and work is underway.
The second invoice is a progress payment of 46%, due when the project is complete.
Payment 3 is a 15% holdback that you only pay when the final punch list items are finished, and you are completely satisfied with the project.
Payment checkpoints are carefully planned to come after important production milestones. Our clients never pay us in advance for something they haven’t yet received.
Obsessed With Details
No siding product, no matter how excellent, can overcome a poor installation.
So, we take extra care to ensure every last detail is absolutely correct before we move on to the next step. We do it with inspections, daily site visits, and the excellent training and complete support we give to every crew member.
And with James Hardie’s former installation trainer for all of Alberta as a co-founder, our crews know precisely what to do on every siding renovation.
Nothing is left to chance.
You’re Never In The Dark
Home renovation projects involve a ton of moving parts, and surprises are always lurking around the corner.
While surprises and delays are annoying, a contractor that tries to sweep them under the rug is absolutely infuriating. At Blue Jay Exterior Renovations, we promise to always keep you informed about what’s going on. Every step of the way, you’ll know exactly what’s happening, and why.
After all, it’s your house! And we’re there to work for you.
We Keep Our Word
The quoting process is all about getting to know the contractor you’re planning to hire. And one of the most important things to evaluate is their core values.
At Blue Jay, our core values guide us every day, and in every policy that we enact. When you work with Blue Jay, you can rest assured that you’ll be respected and listened-to throughout your siding renovation.
We don’t believe in playing games with our clients, and we never play tricks.
Don’t Take Our Word For it - Listen to our Customers
We love getting feedback from our Edmonton area customers. It shows us that we’re doing something right and lets you get a better idea of what Blue Jay Exterior Renovations is all about.
See Every Step Through Our Project Portfolio
While it’s easy to impress with stunning ‘After’ images, it’s our entire process that makes Blue Jay Exterior Renovations truly stand out. Explore the before, during, and after pics of our many siding jobs within our Edmonton siding project portfolio and get inspired with ideas for your own project!
James Hardie Colour Options for Edmonton
All James Hardie Plank, Panel, and Shingle (the horizontal siding commonly called Hardie Board, the board and batten style, and the shakes look product, respectively) are available in the same 18 colours (pictured below). And if you want to see these colours on actual Edmonton area homes, click here for our James Hardie Colour Palette Example gallery. We’ve completed multiple projects in each colour and have local, installed examples of each colour for your convenience.
Common Questions About James Hardie Siding
How Long Does Hardie Board Last In Edmonton’s Climate?
Hardie’s durability comes from research. James Hardie’s research lab soaks, freezes, bakes, and beats up their siding, simulating decades of exterior exposure. This is why we’re confident that the current generation of Hardie that we are installing today will last 50 years: or possibly even longer! James Hardie siding has been in the Alberta market for more than 20 years, and those boards are still going strong.
How Long Does A James Hardie Siding Renovation Take?
Hardie board siding takes a bit longer to install than vinyl siding, because of the weight of the material and the install method. The average Hardie installation takes us an extra 4 to 8 days longer than vinyl siding.
How Much Does A James Hardie Siding Renovation Cost?
The cost of a project will vary quite a lot depending on the project. An average bungalow renovation will likely cost between $35,000 and $50,000, and a typical 2-story home might be $50,000 to $65,000. It all depends on the size of the home, and the exact scope of work required. The only way to get you an accurate price is to give you a free, zero-pressure quote!
What Areas Do You Serve?
We are proud to serve Edmonton and the surrounding areas. Please visit our service areas page for more details.
Where Can I Learn More About Blue Jay Exterior Renovations?
If you’d like to learn more about our products and services, please visit the following pages on our website:
Ready for a consultation on your own James Hardie siding project? Reach out to us via the form below to get started!