When the Londonderry North Fire Station’s current siding was failing they turned to James Hardie for their siding replacement needs.
We interviewed Steve Cotton, Administrative Support Coordinator for the Town of Londonderry, to get additional details and insights on their recent re-side project.
How would you describe the town of Londonderry?
The town of Londonderry is located in western New Hampshire and sits between Manchester and Derry. It’s known for its apple orchards and is currently going through a population boom. In fact, it was recently included in the list of the fastest growing towns in New Hampshire.
How long have you worked for the Town of Londonderry and what types of projects do you typically oversee?
I have worked for the town of Londonderry since February 2010. As Administrative Support Coordinator, I am responsible for overseeing town facilities, building maintenance, risk management activities, project management and scheduling.
What was the reason behind Londonderry North Fire Station’s decision to re-side their fire station?
The original Londonderry North Fire Station was built by volunteers back in the 1970’s. Around 2010, the need for an expansion and a more modern facility arose and the building was eventually torn down and replaced with a new building about a quarter mile down the road. In 2017, the fire station notified the town that the exterior siding of the station was failing. The building was clad with a competitive fiber cement siding and several areas were cracked and had become discolored. The problems persisted, so the town made the decision to move forward with replacing the siding completely rather than repairing the current siding.
What different types of siding options were considered? What influenced your decision to select James Hardie® siding?
When selecting new materials for our municipalities, it’s important that they’re low maintenance. Our buildings are funded largely by tax dollars and both the town and the tax payers want something that is reliable and will withstand the test of time. The only siding option that was even considered by the town administration for the Londonderry North Fire Station re-side was James Hardie fiber cement siding. This was largely due to the success and strong track record that our sister station has had with their James Hardie siding. (The sister station was re-sided with James Hardie siding in 2006 and they have not experienced any issues since the installation took place). We were able to see how well the other station’s siding held up over the years and that definitely factored into our decision to move forward with James Hardie for the Londonderry station.
Have you been pleased with the overall installation process and finished result of the newly re-sided fire station?
The James Hardie rep that we worked with was very knowledgeable and provided great customer service through the entire process. We have been very happy with our decision to re-side the Londonderry North fire station with James Hardie siding and love the new fresh look that the new siding provides.
