We Embrace New, Weird & Wild Industry Innovations…
As Long As It Leads To Better Results For YOU.

BY JEFF BROOKS, FOUNDER

The reason I’m the biggest James Hardie superfan in Central MA? They have the audacity to try to improve on perfection.

“Good enough” isn’t in their vocabulary. It’s always “This is great… but what can we do to make it better?”

Case in point: Hardie recently partnered with leading nail manufacturer Paslode to develop a custom scrail (a screw/nail hybrid) called HardieNail™.

Looks like something out of a Saw movie… but with good reason!

That barbed helix? It creates ultra-strong helix-to-wood engagement for a high-load capacity—so much so that the scrail doesn’t even need to hit the stud. In fact, HardieNails have more holding power in the plywood than an ordinary nail does in the stud.

You might not realize how amazing that is, so allow me to explain. Even the most talented installers in the world hit the studs only about 75% of the time. (Any contractor who says they hit the studs every time? Check if his pants are on fire.) By eliminating the need to hit the studs while creating a stronger hold, HardieNails ensure your siding is firmly fixed to your home for LIFE.

Since we’re the James Hardie “teacher’s pet” in New England, Hardie gave us an exclusive first look at their scrails. Here is a clip of me using a Herculean amount of effort to pull a few HardieNails out of the mock house in our Hardie training facility…

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But strength isn’t the only advantage of HardieNails. Since they don’t need to hit the studs, they can be shorter. This eliminates one of the biggest problems with siding installation: nails hitting vital pipes and wires in your walls.

Here’s our Hardie representative, Ian, explaining things a little further…

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Why We’re The Only MetroWest Siding Company Using HardieNails

HardieNails are available to all James Hardie contractors in Central MA… but we’re the only one that uses them. The reason why is simple: money.

HardieNails require a special scrail gun that’s $300-$400. Not a huge expense, but it can add up when you need one for every member of your installation crew.

The bulk of added cost comes from the scrails themselves. They’re 3x more than stainless steel siding nails and 8x more than roofing nails (both of which Hardie allows for siding installation). Companies simply don’t want to pay the price of admission. They’re perfectly happy to continue using the nail-in-stud method. After all, why fix what isn’t broke? Especially if it’s going to cost (a lot) more money?

That’s not the mindset at Solid State Construction. Just like Hardie, our philosophy is to ALWAYS seek ways to improve… even if what we’re doing is already great to begin with.

It’s why we’re the Hardie “teacher’s pet” of New England. We’re the one exterior remodeler open to innovation, utilizing new cutting-edge techniques, and challenging the status quo. And we’ll gladly pay the price of admission to do so.

If that sounds like the kind of MetroWest siding company you want working on your home, get in touch. Our willingness to invest in the best tools, technology, and installers may not make us the cheapest siding contractor around. It does, however, ensure you maximum value for your dollars. That’s a promise.