Hardi board siding?

[jtpryan]

Has anybody used these? Opinions? NH Seacoast region.

-Jim

[Bill]

Works great in Florida. Termites hate it. Can be painted too. (or Stained). Mess to cut, real dusty.

[Noncompliant]

Regarding horizontal lap siding from James Hardie: Real dusty when cutting, use a carbide tip blade if using an electric saw. Use a router for fancy cuts or making holes for outlets. Must be upwind from the dust to survive a cut, wear a dust mask. Joints can be little sloppy, but, all vertical joints have to be caulked. The all OSB wall is easiest for this. The other option calls far almost twice the amount of studs, and a cut-in storm brace on each corner. If handling lengthy pieces, they can break under their own weight. Difficult to nail properly whether hand or pneumatic nailer. Head of nail should be flush with product surface. Sucks up paint, even the pre-primed stuff. You'll need lots of paint. Wicks water, keep it off the ground at all times, keep covered with tarp if storing outside. Water makes it brittle and crumbly.

Warranty is only valid if the procedures for application are adhered to, including the structure is applied to, and including caulking NSTM and paint NSTM. Final product appearance it great. Seems to hold well up so far.

[John Reddy]

I recently saw an application in Tewksbury, MA where the contractor did not follow instructions regarding clearances between roofs and walls above.

All of the siding at the dormers was in contact or within 1/4 inch of the roof shingles. In every instance, the hardi plank absorbed water, froze and delaminated. Quite a mess.

Other than that, no problems and it looks fine.

Have you considered vinyl? The stuff they manufacture today is pretty impressive. Certainteed has pretty good products. I've seen them on big $$ new homes in Rye and Stratham.

[DAC]

I've used it on 2 homes, and wouldn't use anything else.

Dust -- don't cut, rent or buy shears I didn't use them but it looks like the way to go. Saw blade -- they have special 4 tooth hardi blades +-$40 Joints -- now it's recommended to used metal shingles at each joint no caulking. Paint -- I didn't experience the soak as the other poster...it was the easiest material I've ever painted. Hanging -- use solo siders makes it a one person job...send me $22, and I'll sell you a set that's "broke in" but in perfect working condition.

It's a great product...make sure you keep the end gaps and you'll get along fine.

Good luck,

DAC

[TKM]

Used it on a new house in northern Ohio four years ago. The installer was careful to seal the edges and caulk joints. Painting the pre-primed siding was routine.

Only problem so far is that some paint came off where, apparently the seal/caulk was missing. Easily fixed.

It looks much better than vinyl siding.

TKM

[Alan]

Hardi-backer siding that I installed is fire proof, termite proof, and less of a heat sink in summer than stucco. It paints very well. I used a premium quality Kiltz undercoat, and I didn't notice the "soaking" issue for paint mentioned by others. It will install 16" on center studs just fine. I recommend using screws rather than nails. Get a reversable quick change combination drill bit and driver for the battery powered drill. Use a 35 year calk bead along the recessed screw line before putting on the next board as you work up the wall. Prior to installation, I put OSB, 30 lb felt, and then foam insulation on the outside, which has really reduced exterior heat gain in our hot summer sun, and it probably will reduce heat loss in a cold climate. Layering the Hardi-backer over the foam made for nice even compression as the screws pull the boards tight. Make sure the interior lumber is dry though, and consider the "breathing" issue for the inner wall. East coast humidity apparently is a serious contributor to mold in the fiberglass insulation.

[Paul Kellerman]

[Grumman-581]

Used it on a previous house in the Houston area... Cutting it with a normal saw blade will result in the blade becoming cherry red... There are specialty blades made for cutting it, but they're expensive... For just a couple of cuts, I used masonry abrasive blades in my circular saw... They cost about a buck or so each and work acceptably... For a large project, I would suggest that you consider the electric shear type cutters... No dust, just a little strip of the cut material left over... Even better, they're very quiet and won't distrub anyone still sleeping early in the morning...

[Dennis]

Aren't you just supposed to score it with a knife and snap it like drywall. (Worked for me.)

[Bill]

I had 4X8 sheets that looked like T1-11, and it had to be cut with a saw. You might be able to score the 8" wide stuff.

[Dennis]

Opps, sorry. I was thinging of something else (1/2 cement 2x2 panels.) It may have been called HandiBoard (or something like it.)