Custer Siding Built for Ferndale's Whatcom County Climate
Ferndale sits in the same stretch of Whatcom County weather that shapes everything we do at Custer Siding: cool, wet winters, a marine air influence off the Salish Sea, and long stretches of the year when siding rarely gets a chance to fully dry out. Homes here don't fail because owners neglect them — they fail because the exterior material wasn't built for this specific combination of moisture, salt air, and shade. That's the problem we solve.
We're a local crew, not a regional franchise dispatching whoever's available that week. We know what siding looks like after five, ten, and twenty years in this corner of the state, because we're the ones who get called back to look at it.
What Ferndale Homes Actually Face
A few climate realities show up again and again on siding jobs in this area:
- Salt air: Proximity to Bellingham Bay and the greater Puget Sound means airborne salt moisture is a real factor, not a coastal-town exaggeration. Salt-laden air accelerates corrosion of fasteners and trim, and it's harder on materials that rely on paint film or surface coatings to stay protected.
- Driving rain: Wind-driven rain off the water doesn't just fall straight down — it gets pushed sideways into wall assemblies, seams, and butt joints. Siding that isn't dimensionally stable, or that relies on caulk and paint to stay sealed, tends to open up small gaps that let moisture in over time.
- Moss season: Long shaded runs, tree cover, and the sheer number of damp months each year make moss and algae growth a constant maintenance issue for softer or more porous siding materials. Once moss establishes itself against a wall, it holds moisture against the surface far longer than open air would.
None of this is unique to any one street or neighborhood in Ferndale — it's the baseline condition for exterior materials anywhere in this part of Whatcom County, and it's exactly why we've standardized on one product rather than offering a menu of options that all perform differently in this climate.
Why We Only Install James Hardie
Custer Siding installs James Hardie fiber cement siding exclusively. We don't offer vinyl, LP SmartSide, cedar, primed spruce, or other fiber cement brands, and that's a deliberate standard, not a limitation in what we're capable of installing.
Fiber cement is non-combustible and dimensionally stable in a way wood-based and engineered-wood products aren't — it doesn't swell, warp, or absorb water the way OSB-core products can when a seam opens or a cut edge goes unsealed. James Hardie's ColorPlus factory finish is baked on and warranted separately from the substrate, which matters a great deal in a climate where moss, algae, and constant dampness put real stress on any surface coating over the years. Hardie also engineers specific product lines (their HZ5 line, for example) for wetter, cooler climates like the Pacific Northwest — the product itself is built with the moisture load of this region in mind, not adapted after the fact.
That's not to say every other siding product is a bad product everywhere. Vinyl and engineered wood have real advantages in the right application and budget. But we've made the professional decision that in Whatcom County's rain, salt air, and moss exposure, we want to stand behind one system we trust completely rather than install several products with very different long-term track records in this specific climate. When we put our name on a job, we want the material underneath it to hold up the way we're telling the homeowner it will.
How We Approach a Ferndale Project
Correct installation matters as much as the product choice. A few things we pay close attention to on every job:
- Flashing and moisture management: Proper flashing at windows, doors, and roof lines keeps wind-driven rain from getting behind the siding in the first place — this is where most long-term failures actually start, regardless of material.
- Fastener and gap spacing: James Hardie specifies exact fastening patterns and clearances for a reason; installing to spec is what keeps the manufacturer's warranty valid and the assembly performing as designed.
- Ventilation behind the cladding: A properly detailed rainscreen or drainage plane gives moisture somewhere to go, which matters more here than in drier parts of the country.
Beyond siding, we also handle roofing, windows, and decks — which matters because these systems interact. A roof that's shedding water onto a wall, or a deck ledger that's trapping moisture against siding, can undermine even a well-installed exterior if it's treated as a separate problem. Having one crew look at the whole envelope catches those interactions before they become callbacks.
Local, and Sticking Around
We're based in the Custer area and work throughout Whatcom County, including Ferndale. That local presence means we're not guessing at what this climate does to a house — we're looking at it on job sites year-round, and we're the ones a homeowner can actually reach if a question comes up five years after the job is done. A siding job is a decision that outlasts most relationships with a contractor; we'd rather earn a long one.
Get a Free Estimate
If you're weighing siding, roofing, window, or deck work for your Ferndale home, we're happy to take a look and talk through what makes sense for your specific house and budget — no pressure, no obligation. Fill out the form below to get started.