Hardie Plank / Hardie Board siding ???

[tglass]

only thing to use for siding. easy to cut, with the proper blade, use an air gun to nail. another must have honey, but this is a top of the line siding. Make sure to insulate good and seal every plank or the result will be worthless.

 

[RavensRoost]

I used some of the Hardie 4x8 sheet product for gabel ends of a shed I made. I had a heck of a time nailing it, what is the secret? Otherwise seems to be great stuff.

 

[RobertBrown]

I used 4x8 sheets as siding on a shed I built 4 years ago. I considered it an alternative to T1-11.
The stuff has not changed at all, the paint looks as it did the day I rolled it out. We have extreme heat and humidity, and a long rainy season here and although hardie board is no where near as strong as T1-11 it is exponentially more durable or resistant to the elements.
If you miss the stud you could easily put your hammer right through it when trying to nail this siding. I wound up using a nail gun, I think hardi recomends screws that countersink themselves. Also consider that the dust generated is hazardous to your health, it contains silica. I cut it with an old saw blade turned backwards, and implemented a box fan to direct the dust away and down wind. I was cutting it outside, using a respirator.
I would recomend these products, much cheaper in the long run.

 

[dmccarty]

I used some of the Hardie 4x8 sheet product for gabel ends of a shed I made. I had a heck of a time nailing it, what is the secret? Otherwise seems to be great stuff.

I used screws that Hardie makes for use with their products. Predrilling was not required.

Later,
Dan

 

[heehaw]

i have never seen any screws for the hardie siding???? i will look closer the next time i am at one of the places that handles it..
heehaw

 

[dmccarty]

i have never seen any screws for the hardie siding???? i will look closer the next time i am at one of the places that handles it..
heehaw

I used Hardie screws. I cannot remember if they were REALLY supposed to used for their siding. I DID use them for their tile backer board. Seems like I might have had some left over Durorock screws that I might have used as well.

Do check and make sure that Hardie says to use the screws. I did because I had them left over and cement board is cement board. My installation is temporary as well. Course it has been temporary for about five years now and no replacement is even close to be affordable. :laughing:

Later,
Dan

 

[Bird]

I used screws that Hardie makes for use with their products. Predrilling was not required.

Later,
Dan

I didn't know they made their own screws and I also didn't know whether screws would split the boards, so when I put house numbers on my daughter's mobile home, I did predrill holes, and used small regular screws.

 

[dmccarty]

I didn't know they made their own screws and I also didn't know whether screws would split the boards, so when I put house numbers on my daughter's mobile home, I did predrill holes, and used small regular screws.

To screw/nail you had to be 3/8" inch from the edge to keep the material from breaking. I remember that much.

I had to check the installation instructions. :laughing: These instructions look similar to what I used a few years ago. http://www.jameshardie.com/pdf/install/hardiepanel-hz5.pdf.

They mention fasteners and nails but no outright mention of screws. The backer board instructions mention using screws, http://www.jameshardie.com/homeowner/pdf/backer-install-us.pdf, which is what I had left over from a our bathroom refurb.

Tis kinda odd that they mention what size fasteners to use for the Hardibacker but not the panel product.

They need to review their documents.

The lapsiding instructions give a very nice fastener schedule including screws and nails. http://www.jameshardie.com/pdf/install/hardieplank-hz10.pdf :laughing: I have not noticed any rust from the Hardie screws I used. They were coated. I did not caulk or paint the screws. Just installed it let the weather have at it.

The screws would zip right in. If I had had a nail gun I would have use it. Maybe. I had no use for the screws and they were kinda specialized for cement board. :laughing: Waste Not, Want Not. :thumbsup:

Later,
Dan

 

[Dirk Lately]

We've had Hardiplank and Hardipanel on our homes for about 12 years. My only issue with it is that my contractors can't seem to find a caulk that won't shrink after a few years. We could see a bit of housewrap for a while there.

 

[roygage]

That stuff is far superior to other siding products except maybe masonry.

I have the shears and they work great for straight cuts. I am still learning how to do the notches or holes for tricky cutouts.

Be careful, the dust it creates from saws is very bad for you. The shears produce no dust, just a curlycue of material as it cuts.

In the past, I used a jig saw. It ate blades pretty fast but the dust was a lot less.

I have been a big booster of the cement board since it came out. We used it when we put an addition on our house ten yeas ago, no regrets still holding the paint well. The contractor we used had the shears. That being said when it came time to put new siding on a small rental house I own we went with Louisiana Pacific's smart siding.LP Building Products | LP SmartSide Trim & Siding Family. Both the fellows at our local yard recommended it over the Hardi Plank. When asked why the yard manager said twenty years ago the Hardi Plank salesmen would drop a sample into a five gallon bucket of water and a month later you cold pull it out and and it would quickly dry off not having absorbed any water. He said they now use less cement in the mix and it no longer is as resistant to absorbing moisture as it used to be.

I am unsure if this is true but I dd spend a good deal of time going over the issue in some builder forums. I ran across some contractors who said much the same. Of course many made the point as some have here that proper installation no matter what you use is critical to success no matter what you use. My son did the installation. One point he picked up when he also went through the forums looking for tips was the importance of having the proper gap before caulking. He said it is important to have it wide enough that the caulk can work.

By this he means that the caulk will have the ability to contract or expand only a certain percentage of it's width, this will vary depending on the design and quality of the caulk. If the width of the gap is too small, say a 16th of an inch and the caulk has the ability to expand/contract 20% of that 16th of an inch, well you can see that it may easily split apart.

The proper caulk and the proper width of the seams therefore is critical to the success of the project. Also, going with the wider gap means you are using a great deal more caulk then you might if you just went by the seat of you pants and using the proper caulk likely will mean you are spending more money per tube. In short do not underestimate the additional cost of caulk no matter the product you chose.

We choose to use the LP smart siding with a pre-finish, barn red with white trim, Diamond Coat I believe. Our trim also came pre-finished. Another advantage to the smart siding was it was available in longer lengths and was not as brittle.

As of now happy with it, time will tell. I will note that the tip about the width of the seam to be filled is also relevant to caulking a tub or any other seam. I now pay more attention to the gaps I leave when installing tub and showers and how much gap I leave when i bring the flooring up to the tub.

 

[EddieWalker]

Smart siding is OSB with a wood grain finish on it that cuts and installs like any other wood. The guys I know who use it because it's lighter and easier to install. You have to be sure to seal the ends of it where you cut it before installing it, or moisture will get in behind the finish and expand, which leads to failure pretty quickly. When Hardie first came out it was hard to cut and very dusty if using a diamond blade. With the newer blades designed to cut Hardie, it's just as easy to cut as wood. The dust is not longer an issue, but you have to wear safety glasses because of the debris flying off of the blade.

I would NEVER have a joint any bigger then possible. Caulking works just fine on the smallest of gaps. The smaller the better. The trick to caulking is getting it into the gap, then smoothing it with a wet finger. I keep a small cup of water next to me with caulking and I dip my finger in it repeatedly to get a good finish. You do get what you pay for, but you also have to remember that the white is better then the clear. The clear tends to shrink up and need multiple applications to get the same results as the white.

On the exterior of a house, I don't know anything that comes close to Hardie for trim or siding. Smart siding is alright, but not in the same league. On the inside of a porch, I love Smart siding and use it over Hardie because it's lighter to handle and you have more options for ceilings. It is also better at spanning ceiling joists then Hardie, which is another big plus.

Eddie

 

[sld]

I agree. Hardie expands and contracts very little. Cut it tight and you don't use near as much caulk. Trust me, you will be recaulking well before you are residing. Clear caulk is pretty much worthless. The paintable white is the best.

 

[efam3300]

Hardie Board Cement siding releases Silica dust when cutting with a circular saw. Be sure to cut in open areas and use proper mask, use shears if possible.

 

[Little Tractor]

There has been a lot of good advice posted to this subject. Hardie products are well worth the time and expensive to use. Having watched Hardie products for many years in the industry, here are some more hints. Follow the instructions closely. Work safely as many have said. Back paint, even if is primed, paint the back side before installing. Paint the cut ends. Use the little metal flashing behind the joints. Leave the joints as specified and not too big like some installers. Yes, it weathers very well and holds good paint well. Have seen 25 year old projects that after a spring wash look like great. It holds the value of the property and can be repaired or renovated as time goes along. Hope this helps. Yes, have Hardie board siding on my own home and it is just great and will use it for any additions planned.