Update - as of Spring 2022, James Hardie building products has brought hardie trim back into the alberta market at a premium price point and limited colour options
Hardie Trim is no longer available in Alberta
In August of 2021, suppliers and contractors were notified that James Hardie Building Products is intending to permanently stop manufacturing all Hardie Trim products for select markets. This decision will affect all markets in western Canada, as well as some in the west United States.
This means that in the future, our customers will have to choose a different trim product to go with their James Hardie siding renovations. There are 4 main trim options available: wood composite, extruded aluminum, aluminum cladding, and solid PVC. Here are our thoughts on each of them:
Wood Composite Trim
Wood composite trims look very similar to Hardie Trim. In fact, many homeowners don’t even realize that there’s a difference!
Wood composite siding and trim boards (also known as “engineered wood”) have been used in Alberta for the last 20 years, with decent results. The basic idea behind wood composite trim is the same as OSB sheathing panels: wood chips glued together to form a usable wood profile. What makes wood composite trims suitable for exterior installations is that the adhesives used to bond the wood chips together have been engineered to be used in exterior installations. (There are wood composite trims available that are more like a compressed fiberboard, but these products are not durable enough our climate)
In terms of appearance, wood trims are the closest to Hardie Trim. Wood trims come in all the same thicknesses and widths, and can be installed in pretty much the same way. In fact, most contractors in Calgary have been using wood composite trims with Hardie siding for decades, and most homeowners have no idea that there’s a difference! The biggest visual difference between Hardie Trim and wood trim boards is that wood trims are typically only available with a wood grain texture, while Hardie Trim in Edmonton was almost always smooth-faced.
One downside of using wood composite trim is that factory prefinished material isn’t reliably available. This means that contractors will be forced to either send their trims out to a local paint shop prior to installation, or installed primed boards and paint them on the wall. The cost of a climate-controlled paint shop is higher than boards painted in the field, but this is our best recommendation for a high-quality, low maintenance finish similar to Hardie Trim. Pre-painted wood composite trims cost between 60% and 80% more than Hardie Trim.
Extruded aluminum Trims
J-trim style extruded aluminum reveals reduce the need for exterior caulking, and they look beautifully modern.
If you want a more contemporary exterior design, low-profile extruded aluminum trims are the way to go. These trims are super durable, will never rust, and are available to match all of James Hardie’s factory colours.
Most extruded aluminum trims are J-trim style rather than a traditional batten trim. This means that instead of Hardie Plank siding butting to the trim and being finished with a bead of caulking, the siding sits inside of a 1/2” to 3/4” channel. This reduces the amount of caulking required on the exterior, and in turn reduces the maintenance requirements.
Engage Building Products based in Calgary manufactures Easy Trim Reveals, which is our preferred extruded aluminum trim product. We’ve used Easy Trim Reveals in the past, but typically only in specific circumstances. Now that Hardie Trim is no longer available, Easy Trim will become one of our core trim offerings to future clients.
Aluminum cladding
Aluminum cladding installed over wood backing is much more solid than hollow-backed cladding.
If you just can’t stand the idea of painted trim but you still want the look of a 3.5” trim board, then aluminum cladding might be the right choice for you. We use a brake former to bend flat aluminum coil stock into custom shapes to suit your design. These aluminum trims are pre-painted, and will never rust, flake, crack, chip, or peel. We also install our aluminum cladding over solid wood backing, to make the aluminum more solid (some contractors install their cladding hollow, with no backing at all!)
The major downside to aluminum cladding is that it can be damaged from impacts. If a medium-sized hail storm were to hit, hollow cladding would likely be damaged beyond repair. Our wood backing will definitely help, but noticeable damage is still likely. Cost-wise, aluminum cladding is the most expensive of our recommended trim options.
PVC Trim Boards
PVC trim boards are extruded vinyl trims in the same lengths and widths as Hardie Trim. Some contractors swear by PVC trims because they are coloured all the way through the material, and are virtually indestructible.
Unfortunately, Edmonton’s climate gives us wild temperature swings. These extreme changes in temperature will cause PVC trim boards to expand and contract significantly, and we have seen PVC trim boards with expansion gaps as big as ½”. Factor in that PVC trims are typically the most expensive option, and have the worst stocking position in the market, and we will not be recommending this product to our clients.
Summary
Since Hardie Trim has been discontinued in Alberta, we will be recommending three alternatives going forward. Here they are again:
Wood composite trims: Looks mostly the same as Hardie Trim, but with a wood grain texture
Extruded aluminum reveals: Lower profile than regular trim boards, less caulking required
Aluminum cladding: Lower maintenance than wood, but more susceptible to impact damage
PVC trim boards: Not recommended