HardiPlank or Vinyl?

[comancheflight]

I have cedar siding. It's over 30 years old. I originally nailed it on and was stained. About 5 years ago I went over it with screws to tighten it down and paint. I used consumer reports for the paint choice. Basically, at least then, they said the higher the cost the higher the quality...still looks great.
The down side to cedar is the wood bees that bore holes to lay eggs. Then the woodpeckers going after the larvae. .a vicious cycle once they get started. And yes they will bore through the paint. In the spring I go after them and pretty much have them stopped now..I think.. bottom line is, for this style of house, I have been pleased with cedar...this is around 3K square foot. Would hate to buy that much now days.
Obviously I didn't read the original post, doh

 

[turnkey4099]

As a former vinyl siding installer, I can tell you vinyl is crap. My house is brick, but if it were siding, I'd go Hardie board. Your only downside is paint every 10-15 years or so.

Agree, I don't see many vinyl jobs that look good after 10-15 years. When I did my house I only looked at aluminum (too dentable) and steel. I used steel but it was a small house so the cost wasn't that bad.

That was back in early 80s. Had on royal windstorm in this area Wed. Treeds down all over, etc. I lost a 6' piece of aluminum eaves trim, easily replaced. That is the only damage to the siding job since new and it still needs nothing but a wash job now and then.

Harry K
Harry K

 

[widefat]

Good stuff in this thread - makes me consider other options as well. thanks!

 

[C4Ranch]

Ranch house is all hardi. Even got an insurance discount because it's rated same as a stone house for fire resistance...

 

[CalG]

To me, if cost is not a factor then Hardi is far superior. I had vinyl on my last house, and while it held up perfectly well and was low maintenance (other than power washing) it looked cheap. It was also noisy whenever there was wind (vinyl must be installed loose enough to expand with temperature changes). We have Hardi on our new house -- combination of lap siding and vertical board/batten -- and it looks outstanding and gives the home a totally different "solid" feel.

Cal, are you sure that is Hardi? Because I have left some unpainted Hardi scraps stacked outside for about 12 years now and they haven't changed a bit, much to my surprise. I figured without paint it would eventually deteriorate somehow.

Positive

I just replaced over $1000 of hardi plank on a fellows house (What are friends for;-)
Went with the same product for the color match. The previous material just turned to mush where ever splash was present. That was up 2-3 feet on all the deck area, and on north facing dormers.

Where there was no splash, the material was fine. A small stack of the material placed on skids outdoors on an asphalt drive and left covered with a tarp over winter was completely worthless in the spring.

I wouldn't use the stuff myself. Nor should any structure be faced in plastic. Why build if only for a few years?

 

[s219]

Positive

I just replaced over $1000 of hardi plank on a fellows house (What are friends for;-)
Went with the same product for the color match. The previous material just turned to mush where ever splash was present. That was up 2-3 feet on all the deck area, and on north facing dormers.

That doesn't sound like the same Hardi I know -- I never saw cement board turn to mush. That does sound like Masonite siding though. Masonite siding will turn to mush. Some people who use Masonite will actually do their lower starter rows with Hardi where there is a moisture concern.

The only time I have heard of moisture issues with Hardi is when it gets exposed to moisture with repeated freeze/thaw or improper nailing, but then it tends to crack/split, not turn into mush. Based on the materials, I really don't think it could turn to mush.

I'll go pull a Hardi scrap I have had outdoors for a LONG time and look close at it.

 

[EddieWalker]

I've been wondering about that too. I've never seen or heard of Hardi having any moisture issues. I have some scraps laying right on the dirt that gets pretty wet when it rains here and after several years, still used it when I was siding my barn. I just brush off the mud and dirt with a wire brush, then paint right over it. Nobody can ever tell the difference between what was laying in mud and dirt for years and what I bought brand new.

 

[newbury]

The cement board (Hardi Plank) falls apart in wet situations. Such as shady inside corners, decks and splash off dormer valleys etc.

If you can keep it dry, it looks good. Here in VT, it's 10 years at BEST even with frequent touch up painting. (South walls do great!)

I've had Hardiboard laying outside in the grass for years and been able to pick it up. I redid my shed in Hardipanel about 8 years ago, no mushiness.

To me, if cost is not a factor then Hardi is far superior. I had vinyl on my last house, and while it held up perfectly well and was low maintenance (other than power washing) it looked cheap. It was also noisy whenever there was wind (vinyl must be installed loose enough to expand with temperature changes). We have Hardi on our new house -- combination of lap siding and vertical board/batten -- and it looks outstanding and gives the home a totally different "solid" feel.

Cal, are you sure that is Hardi? Because I have left some unpainted Hardi scraps stacked outside for about 12 years now and they haven't changed a bit, much to my surprise. I figured without paint it would eventually deteriorate somehow.

Agree

Here's an interesting article comparing the two. Vinyl won for several reasons. NOTE: the article was sponsored by the Vinyl industry, but the opinions were Bob Villa's, who probably gets paid by the Vinyl industry :laughing: Anyhow, some points to ponder.

Vinyl Siding vs. Fiber Cement - Bob Vila

That article is basically BS for vinyl -
Vinyl provides more insulation when you buy it preinsulated - DUH
You have to paint Hardie unless you buy it prepainted - DUH

I've been wondering about that too. I've never seen or heard of Hardi having any moisture issues. I have some scraps laying right on the dirt that gets pretty wet when it rains here and after several years, still used it when I was siding my barn. I just brush off the mud and dirt with a wire brush, then paint right over it. Nobody can ever tell the difference between what was laying in mud and dirt for years and what I bought brand new.

My experience exactly, it's just thin cement, doesn't burn worth a darn either.

 

[CalG]

That doesn't sound like the same Hardi I know -- I never saw cement board turn to mush. That does sound like Masonite siding though. Masonite siding will turn to mush. Some people who use Masonite will actually do their lower starter rows with Hardi where there is a moisture concern.

The only time I have heard of moisture issues with Hardi is when it gets exposed to moisture with repeated freeze/thaw or improper nailing, but then it tends to crack/split, not turn into mush. Based on the materials, I really don't think it could turn to mush.

I'll go pull a Hardi scrap I have had outdoors for a LONG time and look close at it.

You live in VA, Bring your sample to VT and we can compare apples to apples. Same for the fellow in Texas.
I feel it's the action of freeze thaw cycles, but HEY, That's what we have here.

 

[Tomtint]

We have built and sold a number of houses over the past 18 years. Most of them have been cedar claps and shingles. With the rough side out on cedar clap, it holds paint well. But today's pre primed pine trim boards are just garbage. 7 year max lifespan. We did my sisters house in Hardee and Pvc trim about 12 years ago. Painted as required and it still disintegrated at the cuts. If was replaced by Hardy under warranty but now does not match, so the whole house needs a repainted ( about 15K ) The home we are in now, I did in Cedar Impressions Vinyl with Azic trim everywhere. Home is 6 years old now and looks like it did on day 1.

 

[Rustyiron]

Well whatdaya know,James Hardie Siding Problems | Hardiboard Class Action Lawsuit

 

[polkwrangler]

my house was built in 2008 and the hardi planks have held up great so far in humid florida weather...they caulked the joints where they but up and then painted it still looks great

 

[kenmac]

I believe hardy plank advises against caulking the joints..They now say to use a flashing behind the joint instead of caulking

 

[CalG]

I believe hardy plank advises against caulking the joints..They now say to use a flashing behind the joint instead of caulking

That's because the caulk will eventually fail regardless of how much the material costs or claims to last.
Then water gets behind the siding, the sheathing get's wet and if flake board, holds moisture. Then the siding stays soaked and the sheathing rots.
Ask me how I know.

I used roofing felt for the flashing, as ALU is also not recommended for contact with the cement board siding.

Grace Ice and water membrane works too.

 

[EddieWalker]

Well whatdaya know,James Hardie Siding Problems | Hardiboard Class Action Lawsuit

I know a contractor around here who have also tried to sue Hardie claiming it causes cancer. His son has brain cancer and he wants Hardie to pay for his treatments and compensation for pain and suffering in the amount of millions. He wasn't a very successful contractor and ended up becoming a substitute teacher. I don't know how his son is doing, I gave up listening to him years ago.

I've seen too many frivolous lawsuits to give them much attention. In time, you might be proven right, but in my experience, I don't know of a better product for lap siding then Hardie.

 

[om21braz]

This may be an alternative to look at:
Royal Building Products

They are soon to have this product to market with random vertical grooves to give a more realistic look. The homework has been put in on it in New England and Florida and it's holding up well.

 

[om21braz]

This may be an alternative to look at:
Royal Building Products

They are soon to have this product to market with random vertical grooves to give a more realistic look. The homework has been put in on it in New England and Florida and it's holding up well.

 

[Coyote machine]

In 2009 I had Hardiplank siding with the pattern, (not the smooth clapboard like look), installed after stripping my house down to the sheathing. We used Kleer PVC for all corner boards, window trim, etc. The HB was pre-primed at the factory and then given another coat of their specified paint, giving us a 30 year warranty on the painted boards. We put 1" blueboard over the sheathing before attaching the HB, and used SS ring shank nails properly spaced. And the boards were spaced at the butt ends, as specified, and flashing was installed at all butt joints. All cut ends were given 2 coats of the same paint from applicator bottles supplied by Hardie.

We used it on the entire existing house and the 30 x 30' foot addition and 12 x 15 foot L addition. Then we installed smooth surface HB on our 50' W X 40' D brand new barn building. Then we bought the house next door on spec, and replaced an old garage with a brand new one, 26' W x 30' D. Again all HB siding. We have had ridiculous amounts of snow, torrential rains and Sandy and Irene whip all of the houses, and barn to no avail. The existing siding, vinyl, on the spec house has warped in the sun, gone brittle and cracked, and is just impossible to deal with. If it weren't a spec house I'd tear it all off and replace the rest of the siding with HB, no questions asked.

IMHO, if properly prepped, flashed, coated as specified, the HB is bulletproof. And I've dealt with cedar shakes, pine and cedar clapboards, and cedar shake shingles in VT and on the coast of CT, and nothing does the job HB accomplishes.

The ONLY thing that needs any attention is my southern exposure side of my house needs to be washed and given another coat of paint to reduce sun exposure fading, compared to non southern sides. No failure, just some fading. Acceptable in my opinion. YMMV.

BTW, I've never experienced any mush or water absorption issues here in VT on HB.

 

[Egon]

Often we overlook the tried and true Stucco.

 

[dmccarty]

Often we overlook the tried and true Stucco.

But stucco has to be placed on correctly built walls the prevent water from entering the structure of the house. I saw a lot of stucco used in FLA where the stucco was simply placed on plywood or OSB that was nailed to the wall frames. Surprise, surprise, you could see the 4x8 sheets already swelling from the water. Then there was/is the plastic stucco that caused so many problems. This stucco would not let water in or out of the wall, but if water managed to get behind the plastic stucco, and the wall was not built correctly to handle the water, and most walls were not, then there was water damage to the house.

Mess up the installation and any product will have a problem...

We thought about stucco for the house in our area but bricks just make more sense for a variety of reasons. But a brick house needs the wall built right too or their will be problems.

Later,
Dan