Land O'Lakes Siding Why This Page Exists
Every so often a homeowner in Land O'Lakes calls us with a quote in hand for Allura fiber cement siding, usually priced a bit under what we quote for James Hardie, and asks why we don't just match it. It's a fair question. Allura is a real fiber cement manufacturer, not a knockoff product, and it has a legitimate place in the market. This page explains what Allura is, what it does reasonably well, and the specific reasons our company made the decision years ago to install only James Hardie fiber cement on Pasco County homes.
This isn't a takedown. It's the same explanation we give in person when someone asks us to bid against an Allura quote.
What Allura Fiber Cement Actually Is
Allura (formerly known as Plycem in some product lines) makes fiber cement board from the same basic recipe every fiber cement manufacturer uses: Portland cement, sand, and cellulose fiber, cured and pressed into planks, panels, and trim. Fiber cement as a category is a solid choice for Florida — it doesn't burn, it doesn't feed termites, and it holds up to sun and moisture far better than wood or OSB-based siding products. Allura's core product is priced to compete directly with James Hardie's lap siding and panel lines, and on paper the spec sheets look similar: comparable thickness, comparable density, similar fire ratings.
So the material science isn't where the real differences show up. The differences show up in the finish system, the product engineering for specific climates, the supply chain that supports installers here, and the warranty backing the whole thing.
What Allura Gets Right
We'll give credit where it's due:
- Non-combustible core — like all real fiber cement, it won't ignite from embers or contribute fuel to a structure fire, which matters during Florida's dry season brush fires as much as it does anywhere else.
- Pest resistance — cellulose fiber locked in a cement matrix isn't a food source for termites or wood-boring insects, a real issue for older Pasco County homes.
- Rot resistance — it doesn't absorb and hold water the way wood lap siding does, so it won't swell, cup, or rot from humidity exposure the way untreated wood products will.
- Price — it's often a few dollars a square foot cheaper installed than premium Hardie lines, which is a real consideration on a tight budget.
If a homeowner's only priority is "fiber cement instead of vinyl or wood, for less money," Allura is not a dishonest answer to that question. It's just not the answer we're willing to put our labor and our warranty behind.
Where Our Standard Draws the Line
Factory Finish System
This is the biggest gap in practice. James Hardie's ColorPlus finish is a baked-on, multi-coat factory finish engineered specifically to survive UV exposure without fading, cracking, or peeling for decades, and it comes with a finish warranty separate from the substrate warranty. Allura's factory-finished options exist, but the color and finish lineup is thinner, and a large share of Allura product sold and installed in Florida ends up field-primed and field-painted rather than factory-finished. Field-applied paint on fiber cement is workmanship-dependent in a way factory finish isn't — it depends on the temperature and humidity the day it's sprayed, the number of coats, and the paint product itself. Under Pasco County's intense year-round UV load, that difference shows up as premature fading and touch-up painting within several years rather than a couple decades.
Climate-Engineered Product Lines
James Hardie engineers regional product lines — HZ5 and HZ10 formulations — specifically for high-humidity, high-moisture climates like ours, with moisture management built into the board itself. Allura doesn't offer the same depth of climate-specific product engineering. For a coastal-influenced, hurricane-exposed county where wind-driven rain drives moisture into wall assemblies sideways during storms, that engineering difference matters more than it does in a drier climate.
Local Supply Chain and Installer Support
James Hardie has built a deep distributor and contractor network throughout the Tampa Bay region, which means matching trim, matching touch-up paint, and replacement boards are reliably available years after installation if a board gets cracked by storm debris or a lawn mower. Allura's distribution network in this market is thinner. When a homeowner needs one replacement plank five years after installation to match a section damaged in a windstorm, availability and color-match consistency become real problems with a less-established supply chain.
Warranty Structure
James Hardie backs its ColorPlus products with a longer, transferable, non-prorated warranty structure on both the substrate and the factory finish, which matters at resale — a transferable warranty is a selling point buyers' inspectors ask about. Allura's warranty terms are shorter and more prorated in practice, and warranty claims on any fiber cement product depend heavily on the installing contractor following the manufacturer's installation instructions exactly, which is a separate issue covered below.
Allura vs. James Hardie HZ10: Side by Side
| Factor | Allura Fiber Cement | James Hardie HZ10 |
|---|---|---|
| Core material | Cement, sand, cellulose fiber | Cement, sand, cellulose fiber |
| Climate engineering | General-purpose formulation | Formulated specifically for hot, humid, high-moisture climates |
| Factory finish availability | Limited factory-finished color options; field-paint common | Full ColorPlus factory finish lineup, baked-on multi-coat |
| Finish warranty | Shorter, more limited | Longer, non-prorated, transferable |
| Regional supply chain | Thinner distributor network in Tampa Bay area | Established regional distribution and trim matching |
| Fire/pest resistance | Non-combustible, pest-resistant | Non-combustible, pest-resistant |
| Typical installed cost | Generally lower | Moderate premium over Allura |
Installation Sensitivity Isn't Brand-Specific
It's worth being straight about something: any fiber cement product, Allura or Hardie, fails early when it's installed wrong. The most common defects we see on Pasco County homes with prior fiber cement installs — whichever brand — trace back to installation, not the board itself:
- Siding face-nailed too tight, restricting the board's normal expansion and contraction
- Insufficient clearance between the bottom edge of the siding and the roofline, deck, or grade, allowing wicking
- Butt joints not caulked or flashed per the manufacturer's installation manual
- Fasteners driven into the field of the board instead of the stud, or spaced incorrectly
- Cut edges left unsealed, exposing raw fiber cement to standing water
This is exactly why the brand matters less than the crew. But when the brand's own factory finish and warranty structure are already working against the homeowner, sloppy installation on top of that compounds the problem instead of being the only variable.
What Cost Factors Actually Drive the Price Gap
| Cost Factor | Why It Moves the Price |
|---|---|
| Factory finish vs. field paint | Factory ColorPlus finish costs more upfront but eliminates a repaint cycle for decades |
| Board thickness and profile | Thicker, more textured profiles cost more in material and labor to install correctly |
| Trim and accessory matching | A full system of matched trim, soffit, and fascia costs more than mixing brands |
| Tear-off and disposal of old siding | Same cost regardless of the new siding brand chosen |
| Warranty registration and labor backing | Manufacturer-certified installation can affect what the warranty actually covers |
A Checklist Before You Sign Any Fiber Cement Bid
- Ask whether the finish is factory-applied or will be field-primed and painted on site
- Get the exact warranty document, not a verbal summary — read the transferability and proration terms
- Confirm the contractor is following the manufacturer's written installation manual for nailing pattern, clearances, and joint treatment
- Ask how the contractor sources replacement boards for future storm or accidental damage
- Compare the full installed system — trim, soffit, fascia — not just the field siding price per square foot
- Verify the contractor's license and insurance directly with the state, not just by taking their word for it
Why We Standardized on James Hardie
Pasco County homes take a real beating from the outside: hurricane-force wind events, intense year-round UV that fades weaker finishes fast, wind-driven rain that pushes moisture sideways into wall assemblies during tropical systems, and the general humidity load of a Florida summer that never really lets up. We settled on James Hardie as our exclusive fiber cement brand because its HZ10 formulation is engineered for exactly this climate, its ColorPlus factory finish holds color and integrity far longer than field-applied paint, its warranty is transferable and non-prorated, and the regional supply chain means we can match trim and replacement boards years after the original install. We install every board to Hardie's published specifications, not shortcuts, because the finish and the warranty only mean what they claim when the installation is done right.
If you're weighing Allura, another fiber cement brand, or James Hardie for your Land O'Lakes home, we're happy to walk through your specific house, your budget, and what each option actually means for you long-term. Reach out for a free, no-pressure estimate — we'll give you the same straight answer we've given every neighbor who's asked.