Hardi plank vs Certainteed siding

[jplasater]

We are building a home with the cedar home style. However, because of the higher cost of cedar and maintenance, we are considering using one of the planks like Hardi Plank or Certainteed. These boards come with wood grain texture and can be stained or painted to look like wood. Certainteed even has a plank that comes stained with a 15 year guarantee and looks almost like cedar. If anyone has experience with any of these products, I would like to know your experience and degree of satisfaction with them. We need to make a choice within about a month.

[Leon]

I have used Hardi Planks to replace Masonite siding on my house and to exclusively cover my store room. IIRC the Hardi products have a 50 year warrantee. It is a little difficult to work with but IMHO will never have to be replaced.

[J. Clarke]

Just a comment on the "15 year guarantee". The real cedar on my house is going on 40 years old and while it doesn't look too pretty thanks to previous owners putting on layer after layer of crap paint that I need strip some day it's still perfectly sound.

[Wilson Lamb]

[Maurice Herboldsheimer]

This is an area in which I have some expertise. But I don't claim to know everything.

First, Hardi and similar products are a fiber-cement material. If not primed and painted ON BOTH SIDES, they will absorb moisture and cause problems for any paint you use pretty quickly-even more quickly than wood. Secondly, there are very few contractors that know how to put fiber-cement materials on a house properly. Most just apply it like regular wooden siding: WRONG! You should use the outside corners, inside corners, and "J"-channels made for it. Thirdly, if a backer is not used (OSB, etc) this material is pretty easy to break, and it is a PITA to replace. Cutting the stuff requires a diamond saw blade if you're going to do any volume at all. Personally, I hate it.

However, for the insurance wise, it has almost the same fire rating as brick.

Were it me, I'd go with a premium vinyl siding. There are reputable installers that can really make it look good.

JMHO

Maurice

[Swingman]

I have used Hardi on a number of homes and never found that to be the case. My own home uses Hardi. AAMOF, it holds paint better than any other siding I've used. Hardi does NOT need to be painted on both sides as it is pre-primed.

That would depend upon your location.

??

Say no more ... there is NO requirement for J channels with Hardi siding. You obviously do not know what you are talking about.

For the OP: Installation instruction are available at:

and a FAQ at:

[Brian Elfert]

Seamless steel is even better than vinyl. No seams. For my house, vinyl was $12,000 and seamless steel was about $13,400 or so. This was a new house and the price included the eaves too.

The vinyl price seems high, but maybe they were going to do premium vinyl.

Brian Elfert

[Dave Jackson]

I install the hardi products constantly, and agree with Swingman that the other responder doesn't kow what he's talking about. No J channel needed, and the stuff is pre-primed, just install and paint. It's a dusty product to cut and is somewhat of a PITA. Also, it's devastating to carbide blades, so get a dimond blade or cement siding shears to cut it. For corners, facia and other trim, I usually use a product called Mira-tec. It's basically cement coated MDF with a smooth side and a rough cedar looking side with the same dimentions as regular wood. It's considerably heavier than wood and will split if it's nailed through the end grain, just like MDF. Also devastating to carbide, and cuts dusty as can be. Both products should have a long service life if installed correctly. hope this helps, --dave

[Maurice Herboldsheimer]

BTW, Mr. Swingman,

I just perused your gallery of finished projects. I must assuredly say that you are a craftsman in those endeavors. Great work!

Maurice

[Leon]

Geez you went to school and apparently ate the teacher... I think you have been sold a bill of goods. You do not need flashing and the caulk will last much longer than you suggest. My caulk is going on 10 years and still looks fine. Further, BRICK leaks more than Hardi. If you are getting leaks it is your method of construction.

[bluemax1811-newsgroups]

I am having my home completely resided with hardi-plank. Its an extremely popular and accepted product in the Houston area, a tropical climate. Wood siding of any type requires much more maintenance in this area. Vinyl doesn't have that good a reputation here either.

I'll tell you what its like in 10 years. For now, it really, really looks great. The material comes pre-primed and the builder is putting on two coats of paint. They put Tyvek wrap underneath it. We thought long and hard about adding sheathing beneath it. The builder said he would be glad to do it but it was not necessary. I was concerned about the "smoothness" of the application. He said that was determined by the stud spacing and how square the studs were. My house had nice tight stud spacing. He corrected or replaced some of the studs before applying the siding. He completely rebuilt the garage door frame (sagging) before adding the siding.

Bob

[Slowhand]

Both are excellent products. Keep in mind that if you use the stainable stuff, you will have gaps between the edges where two boards come together that will need to be caulked. I have noticed the stainable type really shows these gaps where if you use the paintable stuff, you paint over the caulking and it is not so apparent. Food for thought. SH

[david]

to add my 2 cents:

I just resided our house and renovation wih Hardi plank (replaced vinyl)...I used stainless steel gun nails...It's important to drive any nails you use flush with the surface, not down into the siding...

david

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