You know the old adage: Talk is cheap. Well, we say that depends.
That may be true when you need to prove something to somebody. Show me, don’t tell me. And we’re good with that. But it’s a different story when your business has so much on the line regarding what people are saying publicly about your professionalism and results.
We’re not alone, of course, but we rely heavily on reviews and word-of-mouth to land new roofing, windows, and siding business. As we’ve always said, we try to go above and beyond for our customers, and we know that extra effort and craftsmanship have paid us back with so many thanks and positive reviews. Even fellow professionals use that feedback.
That’s how we ended up with a 10-day project battling the elements in Pound Ridge. As it happened, the homeowner was in the construction industry himself and, along with his son, even had built multiple homes. He decided he wanted a professional siding contractor among other things, as he was remodeling this house in preparation for moving in.
He had read about us through customer reviews and knew we’d be a great fit for this project. It was also to his benefit we could install new windows as well. And while we did put in the windows, this blog post will focus more on our siding savvy.
The homeowner not only wanted a siding professional, but he also wanted one with expertise in James Hardie siding. The James Hardie fiber cement product line is the gold standard brand of siding for home exteriors.
We have worked closely with the James Hardie Contractor Alliance to become an elite preferred contractor. This is a critical designation and not just casually handed out like Halloween candy. Before a contractor can achieve this status, they must pass a tough checklist of approvals, including state licensing, a worthy credit report, a professional sales approach, and installation best practices compliance. As far as best practices, we reinforce this through regular training throughout the year.
Another line of approval for James Hardie contractor elite status must come from former customers – positive reviews through the GuildQuality survey, which is applied through a third-party customer satisfaction service. These positive reviews are a real testament to our track record and commitment.
Still not convinced we know our Hardie siding panel business? Well, we possess more Hardie certification than that.
We proudly carry the 100% Hardie Badge, which means we only install James Hardie when it comes to siding. Committing to the James Hardie badge was a decision we made because we truly believe this is the best siding in the industry, a product we completely stand behind.
We have also earned the Hardie Design Excellence Badge, which means we excel at providing customers with a wide range of design and product options (beyond simply house siding colors), along with our dependable installation.
And to top it off, we recently received the James Hardie President’s Club award as a top achiever for product growth in the industry. This is a prestigious honor, as only a few Hardie siding contractors nationwide are recognized as such each year.
So, all that to say that our Pound Ridge customer could hardly have found a better professional siding contractor for his remodel. By the way, since the house was empty and being redone, that meant we could expect a whirlwind of other contractors coming and going for other parts of the project, such as the interior work. This dance to stay out of each other’s way can sometimes lead to problems, but we must say all the outfits here were pros, and there were no issues!
Well, no issues with others. We did have a couple of weather delays to overcome in short order.
First, a storm blew through that resulted in a large tree falling across the home’s driveway, blocking our way in. That doesn’t just happen in the movies, trust us. We spent a day to have it removed so we could get going on the job the next day.
Wouldn’t you know it, the next day we were hit with a heavy snowstorm that blanketed the whole site. But 24 hours later, our dedicated (extra mile!) crew shoveled out snow around the home so we could start.
Once we got rolling, we knocked out the job in fairly short order. The customer was OK with the current facia and soffit on the home, and he chose HardiePlank lap siding with 7-inch exposure in Light Mist. (The exposure number is how much of the lap siding is visible.)
We also placed new trim around the windows, doors, and corners of the home in Arctic White, which made that Light Mist exterior siding really pop. The home looks incredible, and the owner was a pleasure to work with.
We’d say that’s worth talking up.
City: Pound Ridge
State: New York
ZIP: 10576
Category: Siding
Materials used (manufacturer): James Hardie
Materials used (type): HardiePlank Lap Siding
Materials used (color): Light Mist
Project Cost: $34,000
Time to Complete: 10 days