T1-11 VS. smart siding?

[mopower440]

wondering which is better for siding..the front side seems to look the same on both products, but the back side of the smart siding is OSB rather than plywood like the T1-11, anyone know wich would be better for siding? I know ive heard that the T1-11 soaks up paint like a sponge and therefore needs lots of paint, i also know the t1-11 likes to warp giving the building a wavy look..i was looking at the 3/8 smartsiding at lowes and am wondering about it..?

 

[chucko]

I just help my Father-in-law reside some on his house using something called hardyboard (sp?) I think it was. It is a conc / fiberglass product and worked great. He says it come is all kinds of patterns (we used stuco) you can get it that looks just like t 1-11

I have t 1-11 on my barn and like the looks og the stuff but don't like the way it has held up over the years

 

[mahlers]

I've installed lots of the smart siding, and it is pretty good as long as you follow the manufacturer's instructions. Biggest things to watch out for: don't install too close to the ground, leave recommended space between sheets, caulk all seams before painting, and paint very soon after you've installed it.

If you see a wavyness to the install, it's likely because the sheets were installed too close together. If you install during the summer and don't leave enough room for the sheets to swell, you'll get a very wavy result when the wet weather arrives. I made that mistake on one side of my house where I had no room to work (and about 50 feet to fall if I screwed up) and I didn't measure carefully enough.

 

[OkeeDon]

Considering the price increases in wood products, I think the HardiPanel is the way to go. Has a 50 year warranty from James Hardie Company for exterior siding use, won't burn, won't rot, won't warp, and comes pre-primered to take paint beautifully. You will need a diamond blade to cut it, and it makes a lot of dust, so do it outside, wear a mask, and figure on losing one cheap circular saw to the dust. Lowes and HD have it; I haven't priced it lately, but a couple of years ago it was around $18/sheet, 4'x8'. It's not tongue & groove; looks best if you put a batten at the joints. Great stuff, highly recommended.

 

[mopower440]

I really want to use metal like i did on the roof, on the end roof panels, i had to cut some off and it was harder than heck to keep the cuts straight and it looked awful, the reason i am now considering wood siding is because i will have to do a lot of cutting, like for the windows, doors and the angle on the gables to the roof, and i dont want it to look bad and it will be a lot easier to cut wood perfectly straight than that metal..unfortunately

 

[ChrisJ]

Any wood product should be kept away from the earth, you may want to use an azek (pvc) freezeboard at the bottom. I just built a rectory and put hardiplank on. Architect wanted it, I thought it was difficult to work with. There are warnings that the silica dust caused from cutting is cancer causing, sounds a lot like the asbestos siding that a lot of the older houses have on them. Try getting that stuff disposed of cheaply. I may be a new englander that doesn't take well to new technology, but I would go with barn boards ( shiplap or board and batten ) plywood prices are nuts right now and metal dents easy. I'm building a barn for my new tractor and it's going to be shiplap siding, I was going to vinyl it, but then you still have to plywood it and then side it, boards are finished product.

 

[OkeeDon]

If you want to use metal, I suggest a nibbler or shears. Harbor Freight has manual, air and electric nibblers from $6 to $70. I have the air nibbler and air shears; they work great if you have a compressor.
If you don't get the exact page I posted in the above link, use the keyword seach first for "nibbler" and then for "shears". You won't believe how easy it is to cut with the right tools.

 

[mopower440]

well, the metal cut easy, i used a circular saw with metal blade, but it was just hard to keep it straight, the cut ended up being wavy..dont want that around the windows and doors..lol..

 

[BXMMCC]

Around the windows and doors, wouldn't you be using a "J" channel? If so, the cut wouldn't be seen unless the wave was wider than the channel.

 

[OkeeDon]

Use the shears for long cuts; pretty easy to keep straight, you have to work to get them to turn. Use the nibbler for small, concise cuts, like around an outlet box or hose bib. It turns on a dime.