James Hardie Fiber Cement Siding in Biddeford, Maine

Biddeford's median home dates to about 1952, with roughly 41 percent of the housing stock built before 1940 and 56 percent before 1960, among the oldest profiles of any town in this service area. That reflects the mill era: dense triple-deckers, duplexes and worker cottages fill the neighborhoods around the old Pepperell and Lincoln Mills downtown, many with original wood clapboard, early asbestos-cement shingle, or an aging vinyl overlay from a past renovation. Outside the mill district, West Biddeford and the areas toward Route 1 hold newer capes, ranches and colonials built through the second half of the 20th century, and Biddeford Pool adds a smaller cluster of coastal cottages and shingle-style summer homes.

The Saco River runs through downtown Biddeford before reaching the Atlantic, and Biddeford Pool, at the city's southeastern tip, takes ocean weather directly: nor'easters, wind-driven rain and salt air that accelerates corrosion of fasteners and flashing faster than it does a few miles inland. Winters bring the usual freeze-thaw cycling that works on old clapboard, paint and roof shingles all over the city, and older, poorly insulated mill-era attics are especially prone to ice damming at the eaves during a hard winter. Away from the water, exposure is more typical for coastal York County, but the age of the housing stock means storm damage often reveals problems that have been building for decades.

Building permits in Biddeford go through the Code Enforcement Office, which enters near the City Theater on Main Street, for siding, roofing, window and deck work alike. Maine's Mandatory Shoreland Zoning Act applies within 250 feet of the Saco River and Biddeford's Atlantic coastline, including Biddeford Pool and Fortunes Rocks, which restricts how close new construction and some rebuilding can sit to the water. Exterior work on buildings within the Biddeford-Saco Mills Historic District downtown can face added design review, though most residential streets in the city fall outside that district's boundary.

Fiber cement is a mix of cement, sand and cellulose fiber pressed into planks, shingles and panels. It does not rot, insects do not eat it, it will not burn, and factory-applied finishes hold color far longer than site-painted wood. It is heavier and more exacting to install than vinyl, which is exactly why installation quality shows. The Back Cove home on this site was re-sided with a complete James Hardie package of wood-grain plank.

• Walls are stripped, repaired and wrapped, with flashing at every opening and roof-to-wall joint.
• Boards are cut with dust-controlled tools and fastened to the manufacturer's nailing schedule.
• Required clearances are held above roofs, decks and grade so the ends never sit in water or snow.
• Butt joints get flashing behind them, and cut ends are sealed or primed as the manufacturer specifies.
• Trim, caulk lines and touch-up are finished so the pre-finished color stays uniform.

• You want the look of painted clapboard without the paint cycle
• Wood siding keeps rotting at the bottom courses and around trim
• The house sits in wind and salt exposure that punishes other materials
• You want a non-combustible exterior

• Product line and profile: lap plank, shingle, panel or board-and-batten
• Pre-finished color versus site painting
• Trim package and detailing
• Tear-off, sheathing repair and house height
• Number of windows, doors and corners to flash and trim

Every job is priced from a free on-site visit. Typical ranges for the trade are on our siding page, and the details of this service are on the James Hardie fiber cement siding overview.

For a deeper walkthrough of materials, code details and photos, see our full James Hardie Fiber Cement Siding: Why It Holds Up Through a Maine Freeze-Thaw Cycle guide.

Back to the Biddeford exterior services overview, or see every town on our service areas page.