A lot of homeowners in Dunedin come to us asking about wood siding. It makes sense — this is a town with real architectural character, from the craftsman bungalows around Edgewater Drive and the historic downtown core to the coastal cottages tucked along the causeway toward Honeymoon Island. Wood siding is part of that visual language, and if you're picturing that warm, natural, board-and-batten or lap-siding look on your own home, we understand the appeal.
Here's the honest answer, though: as your exterior contractor, we don't install real wood siding, and we won't quote it. Not because it can't look good — it can — but because Dunedin's climate is genuinely hard on wood, and we're not willing to put our name on a product we know will cause problems for you in five or ten years. Instead, we install James Hardie fiber cement siding, which gives you the same board profiles, shadow lines, and wood-grain texture people are searching for, without the maintenance and moisture issues that come with actual lumber this close to the Gulf.
This page walks through why that trade-off exists, what fiber cement actually looks and feels like once it's installed, and how we think about siding differently depending on where in Dunedin your home sits — right on the water, near St. Joseph Sound, or further inland toward Alt 19.
Wood siding fails in fairly predictable ways once it's exposed to Pinellas County humidity year-round and a hurricane season that runs June through November. It's not a manufacturing defect — it's just what happens to organic material in this environment:
None of this means wood siding is a scam or a bad product everywhere — it simply isn't well suited to a barrier-island-adjacent, subtropical climate with a six-month storm season. That's our professional judgment, not a knock on anyone who's installed it in the past.
We install James Hardie fiber cement siding exclusively. We don't offer vinyl, LP SmartSide, or engineered wood products, and we don't install real wood siding. This isn't a marketing preference — it's a standard we hold because fiber cement is manufactured specifically to resist the failure modes that make wood, vinyl, and engineered wood products a poor long-term fit for a coastal Florida town like Dunedin.
Fiber cement is a mix of cement, sand, and cellulose fibers, formed under pressure and cured into a dense, stable board. It doesn't absorb moisture the way wood does, it's not a food source for termites, and it holds paint and factory finishes far longer than wood in humid, salty air. James Hardie also engineers a version of its product line — HardieZone HZ5 — specifically for climates with the kind of moisture exposure Dunedin sees, which is one of the reasons it's the only fiber cement brand we put our name behind.
The good news for anyone set on that natural wood aesthetic: fiber cement is designed to replicate it closely, and most people can't tell the difference from the street.
This is the most common wood-siding replacement. It comes in a smooth finish or a cedar-grain textured finish that mimics traditional wood lap siding, in reveal widths that match the horizontal board look common on Dunedin's older homes.
For homes going for a coastal-cottage or craftsman look — common in the historic districts near downtown — HardieShingle replicates staggered or straight-edge wood shingle patterns, often used as an accent on gables or dormers.
For a more modern or farmhouse-adjacent look that's shown up in some newer Dunedin builds, vertical board-and-batten fiber cement panels give that same clean, rhythmic siding pattern without the seams and moisture traps that vertical wood boards create.
Rather than site-applied paint, most Hardie products are available with a factory-baked ColorPlus finish, which holds color and resists fading from UV and salt exposure far longer than a field-painted wood board would.
Dunedin sits close enough to the Gulf and St. Joseph Sound that salt air, humidity, and wind-driven rain are a near-constant factor, and storm season adds sustained wind and heavy rain events into the mix. Fiber cement addresses each of these in ways real wood simply can't:
Upfront, real wood siding can sometimes come in slightly cheaper per square foot than fiber cement, depending on the wood species. That number doesn't tell the whole story once you factor in what each product costs you over a 20-30 year window in this climate.
| Factor | Real Wood Siding | James Hardie Fiber Cement |
|---|---|---|
| Repainting/refinishing | Every 3-5 years, sooner near the water | ColorPlus finish rated 15+ years before repaint |
| Termite/rot risk | High in Pinellas County; ongoing treatment needed | Not a food source; no rot from moisture |
| Storm/moisture resilience | Prone to swelling, cupping, cracking | Engineered for humid, wind-driven-rain climates |
| Typical lifespan | 15-25 years with diligent upkeep | 30+ years with normal maintenance |
| Insurance/resale consideration | Varies; some insurers flag wood exteriors | Often viewed favorably for fire and wind resistance |
The real cost comparison isn't installation day — it's year eight, when wood siding is due for another repaint and possibly some board replacement, and fiber cement isn't.
We don't quote every Dunedin home the same way, because exposure varies a lot across town.
Homes closer to the Dunedin Causeway, Edgewater Drive, and the marina district get the most direct salt spray and wind exposure. These are the homes where the case against real wood is strongest, and where we're most particular about fastener selection and flashing detail.
A lot of the bungalow and craftsman housing stock here was originally built with wood siding, and owners often want to preserve that look during a renovation. HardiePlank and HardieShingle let you keep the historic profile without inheriting the original material's maintenance burden.
Slightly less salt exposure here, but Pinellas County humidity and tree canopy shade still create the damp, slow-drying conditions that encourage wood rot and mildew. Fiber cement performs consistently regardless of tree cover or sun exposure.
Whether you're removing failing wood siding or starting from an older vinyl or stucco exterior, the process is the same core sequence:
If you've been searching for a wood siding contractor in Dunedin because you want that natural board look on your home, we'd like to show you what HardiePlank and HardieShingle look like in person — the texture and shadow lines read as wood from the street, without the upkeep. Reach out for a free, no-pressure estimate, and we'll walk your property, talk through the right profile and color for your home, and give you a straight answer on what it'll take.
No. We install James Hardie fiber cement exclusively, including on historic homes where owners want to preserve a wood-look exterior. We've found real wood doesn't hold up to Pinellas County humidity and salt air well enough to stand behind long-term, so it's simply not a product we quote.
Ask for their Florida license number, proof of insurance, and whether they're a certified installer for the specific product they're proposing. Also ask what fastener type they use on homes near the water, since standard fasteners corrode faster in salt air than the siding itself does. Alpine Exteriors is licensed under FL RB29003900.
James Hardie engineers a version of its siding, HardieZone HZ5, specifically for humid, moisture-heavy climates like ours, and backs it with a strong warranty and factory-applied ColorPlus finish. Sticking to one manufacturer also means our crews are deeply familiar with its exact installation specs rather than juggling several systems.
HardiePlank replicates traditional horizontal wood lap siding and is the most common full-house option. HardieShingle mimics wood shingle siding, often staggered, and tends to get used as an accent on gables, dormers, or full facades on coastal-cottage-style homes.
Yes. Homes closer to the water get corrosion-resistant fasteners instead of standard galvanized ones, and we're more particular about flashing at windows and doors since wind-driven rain is more frequent that close to the coast. Inland homes still need those details done right, just with somewhat less exposure to salt air.