Ok, this ideal may be nuts, feel free to say so. I was planning to cover a gable with individual Hardie shingles until I price them yesterday at local yard. $965/ 2yd. pallet! Wow, I left the yard in shock.
In know this would be labor intensive but if a fellow was willing, why could he not cut shingles from Hardie vertical siding with the shears?
Has anyone attempted this?
Listeners write in about fireplaces affecting family harmony and bionic suits, before asking questions about brick steps, ground-source heat pumps, and building a dome greenhouse in Maritime Canada.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial NowGet instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
no i haven't but if i was going to cut a ton of hardi into shingles,i would mount a 7 1/4 diamond blade in a 75.00 table saw and put on a mask and have at it. i would think the shears would be to slow with that much repeating. larry
if a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?
How about picking up a used radial arm saw? Seems like for that job it would be a lot easier - and safer - than a table saw. Plenty of them around.
The shears leave an edge that would be to ragged.
i just did an entry in the fish scale hardie... think they are like 18" x 42" each... i got half a pallet of em for haul'n em off... i never priced them... got em then found a use :)
you don't want to shear them for the reason already stated... it does not leave a great finished edge...
I could see maybe cutting some of the wide lap stuff into shingles... but... and this is just a maybe...
Take the 16" wide lap stuff... use your shears to cut slots every 10" or however wide you want your "shingles".... cut 7" to 9" up( depending on how much lap you wanted) or so that it'd have the "look" of shingles... you might then have to go back with your saw and cut this "shingle" stock into 36" to 48" sections (because no way could you hang this "notched stuff 12ft long without it breaking at your shear cuts)... cut at your shear cut to keep things running consistant (wouldn't want a butt joint mid shingle) yep in my minds eye i can see this working...
i guess all this depends how high up it is and who would ever figure out what you'd done... but i can see it working...
good luck
P
Does anyone in your area have the 24" manual shear that you might borrow or rent?
A new set would run about $650, so it might not be cost effective to buy one, on the other hand, if you can mitigate the initial cost of the tool and have use of it later then that might be another approach.
I'm not sure how clean of cut it would yield for that finished look but a few swipes with a carbide surform and some paint might do the trick.
Shop around. I just did my house with CertainTeed smooth lap siding & panels and found several lumber yards willing to discount off the list price. I got a 20% discount once quantity was determined.
Between the additional labor, and breakage and mis-cuts, I doubt the savings would be much in the end. Plus this stuff eats blades so add in the additional cost. Finally, the dust is horrific,a dust mask won't do for lots of cuts, buy a good respirator.
What about a wet saw ? I'm not sure how quickly it would cut, but would sure stop the dust. I would want to wash and dry them well before priming. Would also prime and first coat before installation, final coat after.
What are you going to do with the exposed ends after cutting? If I recall correctly FC cut ends need to be carefully sealed or they will wick water in. On a roof this problem would be multiplied. You might end up painting your roof every few years.
Scott.
Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.”
I think you mean $965 for 2 square. There's a big difference. 2 square is 200 sq ft not 18.
But that is a little high. My last quote was $387/sq.
I can't understand why the shingles are so much more than the panels and siding. My salesman doesn't know either. Does anyone know the deal?