Lake Minnetonka Neighborhood Gets a Makeover, featuring a Complete Exterior™ by James Hardie
When homeowners at Pelican Point on Lake Minnetonka — one of Minnesota’s largest lakes — needed a re-side for their whole community, they knew who to call.
At home on one of Lake Minnetonka’s many small islands, Pelican Point is a small, luxury community with lakeshore access an hour south of the Minneapolis metro area. Association-owned, the Pelican Point board sought to re-side their homes with a product that honored the design of the homes and reflected the character of the community.
“Lake Minnetonka is a very iconic place,” Greg Smith, Pelican Point homeowner, says. “We’re right on the shores of Spring Park Bay, and it’s a very small community.” He explained that the cedar siding which had clad the houses for the last thirty years finally needed to be replaced, as it was cracking and stressed, requiring expensive repairs and maintenance, and, “Just aged the neighborhood.”
The Board appointed an Architecture Committee to find and make a recommendation for replacement siding for the community. “It became very apparent, very quickly that [James] Hardie was leading the pack,” Sue-Ann Pirsch, the Architecture Committee Chair said. “It was water-resistant, woodpecker resistant, and just looked terrific.”
“The issues for us [were] durability and warranty,” Smith continues. “The warranty was more substantial with the Hardie® products.” All Hardie® siding and trim products come with a 30-year, non-prorated limited warranty, which includes a Lifetime limited transferable warranty covering materials and labor.
Lake Minnetonka experiences a humid climate, with warm, frequently hot, rainy summers and bitterly cold, windy winters. Additionally, Minnesota is home to nine different species of woodpeckers, vital members of the local ecosystem who nonetheless cause damage to homes they mistake for trees.
Luckily for the Pelican Point Homeowner’s Association, Hardie® products are Engineered for Climate® to protect against damage from the unexpected, whether it’s extreme weather, pest damage from woodpeckers and termites, or even wildfires.*
“We were able to give them a Hardie® product that has the durability aspect, but at the same time, be able to address the design,” says Ben Juncker, Owner of Craftsman’s Choice, an Elite contractor with the James Hardie™ ALLIANCE who was chosen for the project.
With a long history of working with Hardie® products, Juncker said that in addition to the durability angle, they wanted to ensure the re-sides were able to preserve the feel of the community. “We really pushed for the Hardie® products on the soffit and fascia. I think it gives better ventilation and more of that wood look so they can better maintain the look they have now.”
In addition to the durability characteristic to Hardie® fiber cement products, the Pelican Point community chose products from the Statement Collection®, which feature ColorPlus® Technology finishes. Factory-applied and fully-cured, ColorPlus® Technology finishes deliver superior coverage consistency that perform better and lasts longer.
“You just can’t duplicate that with a field painting process,” Juncker explains. “We feel comfortable putting that on knowing that we’re not going to be getting any calls with finish issues in the future.” Not to mention, ColorPlus® Technology finishes come with a 15-year limited warranty that covers paint and labor, protecting against peeling, cracking, and chipping.
“The Statement Collection® is very elegant,” Pirsch says. “It makes me proud that it looks so good and turned out so well. I know it’s going to be here for many, many years.”
*Hardie® fiber cement products are noncombustible and/or have a Class A fire rating when tested in accordance with ASTM E84. Fiber cement fire resistance does not extend to applied paints or coatings, which may be damaged or char when exposed to flames. The use of noncombustible siding, combined with other fire mitigation measures, may help harden a home against external fire.
