Lone Star State fire station has a rustic look (with related video)

The recently built Ponderosa Fire Station No. 62 in Houston has a charmingly rustic appearance, thanks in part to CertainTeed’s WeatherBoards fiber cement siding. The station is part of the Ponderosa Fire Department.

To achieve the Texas Hill Country architectural style of the building, BRW Architects, of College Station, Texas, sought exterior materials that conveyed permanence and stability. 



In addition to metal roofing and stone cladding, the design team looked to fiber cement siding for its authentic replication of classic wood siding without wood’s shortcomings. Unlike wood, fiber cement is non-combustible and will not warp or rot. CertainTeed WeatherBoards emerged as the final choice, due to its variety of color and finishing options.

"We were impressed by the WeatherBoards fiber cement siding because it offered the exact look and performance attributes we were looking for, and it was available pre-stained with a long warranty,” says Brian Gibbs, intern architect at BRW Architects. “The other fiber cement products we looked at had to be stained by hand before installation, so WeatherBoards was the clear choice for us.”



The project’s general contractor, LDF Construction, Inc., of Houston, supplied the labor to install about 5,500 square feet of WeatherBoards Cedar Lap fiber cement siding in ColorMax Mahogany stain finish, as well as CertainTeed fiber cement trimboards and soffit. The installation went well and produced the vibrant exterior that the architect and Ponderosa Fire Department desired.



“I really like how the CertainTeed fiber cement siding looks on the building,” says Tony Spitzenberger, assistant fire chief of the Ponderosa Fire Department. “The builder and I were talking about it, and I want to put it on my next house. It’s a really nice-looking product.”



The modern 11,163-square-foot fire station has sleeping facilities for 11 firefighters and room for temporary beds during a hurricane or other emergency. The station’s design mixes classic and contemporary. It includes a monument to the fallen firefighters of 9/11; the monument features an actual beam from the previous World Trade Center.

WeatherBoards fiber cement siding offers realistic grains and textures, providing the look and feel of wood, as well as profiles to match a variety of design styles. Unlike wood, WeatherBoards siding is non-combustible, impact-resistant, impervious to wood-boring insects, resistant to UV rays and will not rot. The product is backed by a 50-year limited transferable warranty, WeatherBoards contributes to LEED certification and NAHB Green Building Standards for recycled content and regional availability.

View a quality assurance manufacturing video for CertainTeed's WeatherBoards fiber cement siding.