I live along the Gulf Coast. In event of a hurricane, I plan to mount plywood over my hardie plank framed windows, and screw the plywood onto the hardie plank. Does hardie plank require special screws, or can I just use regular wood screws as if the frames were wood? Do I need to mount screw anchors in the hardie plank? Thanks.
Shouldn't you be screwing right through the siding into the frame of the house? I should think that otherwise, the plywood would go for a jaunt, taking the siding with it.
Hardie plank and Hardie panel do need special screws. Home Depot and Lowes staff can advise you on the most appropriate types to use.
For hurricane protection, you want screws LONG enough to go all the way through to the underlying wood studs. In practice, you will want to drill starter holes thru the Hardie siding BEFORE mounting the plywood. You want drill bit that are designed for concrete/hardie work (is in carbide tipped), as a regular steel bit will burn up after one or two windows.
When the danger has passed and you take down the plywood, caulk and paint the holes for long term weather protection.
I have lived through a hurricane and had all my plywood screwed into the window framing with long exterior grade screws. All the plywood stayed in place. large sections of the siding blew off, so I wouldn't think of screwing into only the hardibacker siding or trim boards if I were you. The force of a hurricane is incredible. Even a couple dozen aluminum siding corner pieces, which are hard to remove with a crowbar and hammer blew off.
thetiler
Thank you all very much for the advice, which I intend to follow!
If you still intend to screw into the Hardi you might consider drilling the holes oversize so the screw passes through the brittle panel and doesn't transfer any of the stress on the plywood into the Hardi, thus, cracking it.
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