A man from Minnesota was arrested, incarcerated for two days, and placed in electronic home monitoring for not finishing a Minneapolis siding installation in his own home, located in the Twin Cities suburb of Burnsville in Dakota County.
Mitch Faber, owner of the said residence, had been warned by city officials several times to complete his house remodeling project since 2007. Faber argued that he wanted the siding installation done himself, but severe financial issues prevent him from finishing the project.
Siding is a very important aspect of the house exterior especially in Minnesota—and it’s not just because authorities will penalize you should you fail to complete its installation. The humid Minnesota climate features a year-round precipitation, making many forms of siding such as wood, metal and vinyl not very durable materials. Faber was building his with stucco, a mixture of Portland cement, sand, and water.
A similar mixture that is more durable and aesthetically appealing is fiber cement siding. It is a composite material made of Portland cement, sand, water and cellulose fibers. Unlike wood, it does not deteriorate. Invasive insects such as termites are not a problem with this material, making it ideal for structures build near areas with heavy vegetation; in urban areas, it also makes good siding material against urban pests such as rodents, skunks, raccoons, and squirrels since they cannot chew into it to nest in and wreak havoc on households.
James Hardie, a pioneer in the development of fiber cement since the 1880s has a dedicated line of James Hardie siding for Minneapolis and St. Paul climate, lending the strength, durability, and beauty of fiber cement sidings to end products that are specifically designed to withstand the idiosyncrasies of Twin Cities weather—from its unbearably humid summers to snowstorm-filled winters. These premium siding materials are installed in Twin Cities homes by its most reliable home rebuilding contractors such as Twin Cities Siding and Roofing.
Aside from a guaranteed long lifespan—many turn-of-the-century heritage buildings made of fiber cement from the U.S. and Canada still stand—fiber cement is low-maintenace, fire resistant,and paint sticks to it twice as long as it does on stucco and plain concrete. Had Faber placed fiber cement sidings in the original house, he wouldn’t have to replace them anymore.
On the brighter side to his story, the incident incited protests among concerned residents of the Twin Cities to contest what seemed to them a ridiculous ruling; that of jailing a man who had no resources to complete a home makeover. Nevertheless, whether or not the same thing can happen to you in your state, every homeowner should take it on themselves to make sure their home’s siding are in good condition. The cost may be steep, but the benefits will more than make up for it.
Other Sources:
http://www.conservativedailynews.com/2012/03/burnsville-minnesota-man-jailed-for-failing-to-put-siding-on-his-home/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x62Q78kQSfQ
http://dakota.kstp.com/news/news/133749-burnsville-man-arrested-jailed-siding-code-violation
http://royalwindows.com/blog/benefits-of-siding
