Update - August 19, 2022 - James Hardie Building Products has discontinued their Dream Collection. Click the link below for more details:
https://www.bluejayrenos.ca/blog/2022/8/23/james-hardie-dream-collection-discontinued
When James Hardie first introduced the Dream Collection family of special order colours and profiles, we had mixed feelings. On the one hand, we were excited about the possibilities for our clients to select from more than 700 colours. On the other hand, we knew that a custom colour palette that large would pose some challenges. We were right on both counts!
This article will tell you about some of the lessons that we have learned in preparing for a Dream project, and what you can do to make sure that your project runs as smoothly as possible!
1. Allow for Longer Lead Times
Like all special order product lines, the James Hardie Dream Collection is made to order at the plant. This means that unlike standard Hardie products, we are at the mercy of manufacturing and shipping lead times. In Edmonton, Dream materials will usually be in market 5 to 7 weeks after we make our order.
A 5 to 7 week lead time is not much of an issue for an organized contractor, but then again, many contractors are not so organized! In Edmonton, we are used to being able to call up any one of the three dealers that keeps millions of dollars worth of inventory in stock ready for pickup. Make sure that your contractor is aware of the extra Dream collection lead time.
2. Allow for Extra Materials
Because of the longer lead times, contractors can’t just run to the supplier to pick up 10 more boards if we run just a little short. And there are a ton of reasons why we could run a little short:
Forklift damage from somewhere in the shipping chain
Miscommunication on site leading to incorrect measurements
Common Hardie material defects, such as lumps in the finish or skips in the paint coating
Client changing their mind on what materials should be installed where
Any of these issues could easily cost us between 4 and 12 boards, which normally how much leftover siding we aim to have at the end of a project. Because of the longer Dream collection lead times, we shoot for 20 to 40 leftover pieces at the end of the job.
3. Order Samples
Your contractor or supplier may have given you the massive Dream Collection fan to select your colour, but it’s super important to confirm your selection by ordering a painted sample directly from James Hardie. We recommend narrowing down your choice to your top 3 colours before you order your samples.Take the samples outside and look at them in various lighting conditions to see just how they will look when installed.
If you’re really concerned about getting the colour just right, you may want to order a few pieces of your favourite colour just to make sure that it looks just like you think it will on full sized, production pieces! James Hardie doesn’t usually accept orders for a single piece, so you may have to order four or five (just tell them it’s for a feature wall!)
4. Don’t Forget the Caulking
Anyone experienced with James Hardie products knows that a lousy caulking job can ruin a perfectly good project. That’s why James Hardie has worked closely with Lepage/OSI to get perfect Quad caulking colour matches on standard Hardie colours. Unfortunately, somewhere around half of the Dream Collection colours have an absolutely lousy caulking match.
Lepage does have a handy cross reference on their website that will tell you if they have a good match to a specific Dream collection colour. As a general rule, if Lepage says they have a good match, you can probably trust them. If the colour is listed as “nearest available,” you’ll definitely want to check for yourself. (This means ordering a full case of caulking just to put a small bead on one of your sample pieces. It’s wasteful, but necessary.)
If you find that the caulking match is not good enough, your contractor will then have to order a custom colour run from Lepage, which will cost over $1,000 and take somewhere around 8 weeks to complete.
This was the custom caulking colour that Lepage made for us on our Golden Leaves Dream Collection project (featuring Cedarmill HardiePlank and Roughsawn HardieTrim).
5. Have a Plan for the Metal Accessories
It’s already impossible to find a decent colour match for many standard Hardie colours, so good luck finding aluminum to match pink HardiePlank!
If you are thoughtful with your design, you may not have to worry about this at all. For example, no matter what colour your siding is, if you choose a standard window trim colour (such as white or black) then you can easily match your window flashings to the colour of your trim rather than the colour of the siding.
If you have an unusual colour of window trim (or if for some reason you need a metal flashing at the base of your wall where there is no trim) then you’ll likely be looking at a special order or custom coated metal flashing. Depending on the size of the project, count on this adding between $1,000 and $3,000 to the cost of your home renovation!
Summary
If you’re a homeowner reading this article, you may find yourself wondering if the Dream Collection is worth all this hassle. The answer is yes! When you decide to take the plunge and renew the exterior of your home, you deserve a colour and design that you absolutely love. Just keep these 5 tips in mind to ensure that your project turns out the way you hoped.