JAMES HARDIE PRODUCTS INSTALL GUIDE

Extra capacity you can trust

Overview

When global building products leader James Hardie Building Company needed to quickly expand capacity to develop installation guides, Sprout stepped in as a trusted extension of their team. The result: clear, consistent, and technically accurate guidance that helps site teams install the range of James Hardie products correctly within timber frame construction systems — building confidence and reducing risk.

The Challenge

fermacell^®’s technical team (a division of James Hardie) faced a familiar challenge for large, fast-moving organisations: limited in-house resource and competing global priorities. Their fire boards are widely specified across timber frame construction systems, but the supporting installation materials hadn’t kept pace — creating a bottleneck that risked slowing adoption and creating inconsistency in how the boards were being installed on site.

They needed expert support to produce an Installation Guide for use of their James Hardie products within Timber Frame systems, that would meet brand standards, satisfy technical accuracy, and be ready for roll-out without delay.

Our Role

Sprout was brought in after the fermacell^® division saw the results of previous collaborative projects and wanted to test how seamlessly we could integrate with their internal team. Starting with a single project, we quickly became a go-to partner for technical communications — able to deliver with accuracy, efficiency, and brand fluency.

Working as an external resource but embedded in spirit, Sprout handled the entire development process: interpreting complex technical requirements, designing a refreshed visual format, and delivering a guide that aligned perfectly with James Hardies and fermacell^®’s global brand identities.

The working relationship was straightforward and effective — the fermacell^® team briefed, and Sprout executed, refining collaboratively until the result was exactly what was needed.

Our Solution

Sprout produced a new Installation Guide ‘A guide to using James Hardie products in Timber Frame systems’, setting the standard for clarity, usability, and consistency across future materials. The refreshed layout and style make dense technical information easier to navigate — focusing specifically on the correct installation of fermacell^® fire boards within timber frame construction systems — while remaining fully compliant with the company’s established global branding.

This wasn’t about reinventing; it was about updating. By combining fermacell^®’s technical authority with Sprout’s editorial precision and design clarity, we created a guide that reads and looks as if it came straight from their in-house team.

That integration — being part of the mission, not just an outside supplier — is what made the collaboration work.

The Impact

The success of the guide has led to an ongoing relationship with James Hardie and the fermacell^® teams, with new guides already in progress. The materials are now being used across markets as a trusted reference for installation, helping ensure products are applied correctly for fire safety, energy efficiency, and overall build performance.

“When deadlines are tight and accuracy is critical, Sara is the person you want on your team. She gets the technical detail, but more importantly, she gets us — how we work, the pressures we’re under, and what’s needed to keep things moving.

Working with Sprout never feels external; it feels like adding trusted capacity. Every project lands exactly as it should — on time, on brand, and with complete confidence.”

— Luke Wilson, National Manager Commercial Projects, fermacell^® / James Hardie Building Company

Ditching the Dull

Technical doesn’t have to mean tedious. By combining accuracy with accessibility, Sprout helped James Hardie make complex information clear, consistent, and genuinely useful.

Clarity builds confidence — and confidence drives compliance.

At a Glance

Client: James Hardie Building Company and the fermacell^® division

Sector: Construction / Manufacturing

Services Delivered: Technical Writing, Design Support, Installation Guide Production

Project Duration: January 2024 – Ongoing

Collaborators: James Hardie and the fermacell^® Technical and Marketing Teams

Outcome: Refreshed installation guide format, ongoing programme of updated materials, faster internal turnaround, trusted partnership.

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