Hi - As I continue to search for my NoCo project house I am interested in peoples' experience with different siding materials and the approximate cost. Is James Hardie siding really as awesome as people seem to think it is?

Thanks
Robin

Colorado is really hard on paint no matter what the substrate is. But then, I'm a low/no maintenance fanatic because I own a lot of rentals.

Thanks, Kevin... Yes, we painted our exterior in 2003 and it has already faded from a nice earthy green to a really awful dark aqua... live and learn, I guess! So, what is your siding material or choice?

Thanks
Robin

I recently completed a small building in Carbondale CO and used conventional 3 coat stucco for the exterior finish. It has been in place for about 18 months and ther are no cracks or other problems.
I know that there are houses in Denver, with this type of exterior finish, that are over 75 years old.
We put a color in the finish coat so the stucco never needs painting. The standard color options are limited so we picked a color and used double the amount of pigment to get what we wanted. It is best to have a sample of the colored finish coat applied and then let it dry for several days so you don't end up with a house color you can't live with.
The cost of the stucco was about $7/sq ft installed. Prices in the mountains are generally higher than Denver.
You can view the house under construction as well as finished if you go to www.whistlepighouse.com/pictures/resido .
The house was built using SIP's for the walls and roof.

You have a beautiful home! I really like the combination of materials on the exterior. I'll have to consider stucco if I ever actually get down to it and build something!

Robin