My wife wants to hang an ornament on the side of our house, which is covered with HardiPlank. I did a search to find out how to drill a hole into the material:
"Use a drill bit meant for concrete. Drill the holes so that the screw threads will be anchored in the wall studs - not just the Hardiplank or sheathing. The Hardiplank itself is too brittle to hold a lot of additional weight or wind loading. The usual OSB sheathing isn't very strong for this, either."
I don't know if there is sheathing under the planking. It may be screwed to studes. It is unlikely that there are studs behind where she wants this single nail or screw to be inserted. The one time I tried to drill a hole in HardiPlank, I used a masonry bit. It did not drill well. It essentially wore a hole in the siding.
Once I get the hole in the siding, I'm at the point of no return. Should I be prepared to use a plastic anchor if there is no sheathing or stud?
Suggestions?