May 20, 2026 – 11.13amBuilding products group James Hardie is increasing prices across its range of wall cladding, interior panels and outdoor decking to claw back a $140 million jump in costs since the outbreak of war in the Middle East, as it battles weaker housing and renovations markets.The company, which generates about 80 per cent of its revenue from North America after the controversial $14 billion buyout of outdoor decking business Azek last year, warned that the new home construction market in the US was likely to shrink by 5 per cent over the next 12 months and renovation spending was tipped to fall by 2 per cent.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles