I’m concidering replacing the original cedar siding on my 1914 home with Fiber Cement siding. The cedar planks on my home are only exposed 2.5 inches and it seems as though the skinniest fiber cement planks are 5″ exposed (James Hardie). Is there another manufacturer that makes skinnier planks or will I have to settle for a different look?
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Replies
What's wrong with your 1914 cedar?
Where Hardie is not a tapered siding, you could rip the stock to the size you'd like and buy a wide enough stock that you could get two pieces from one as there is no 'top' or 'bottom' to Hardieplank. That'll be labor intensive and messy for sure. But if you've got the time and are doing the work yourself, it could be the right prescription for you.
I don't believe I've ever seen a 2 1/2" exposure..... got any pictures to satisfy my curiousity?
This might not be the perfect shot to see the siding but it's the best one I have. I've been working on the interior of the house for the past 6 months and haven't had much time to stop and take photos of it. It's a Sears kit house, The Carlin.
The original cedar is in pretty rough shape. It's been painted a few times without scraping, or with very little scraping as far as I can see. Although I love the look of real cedar siding, I'm lookng for a low maintenence solution.
I think that the 2.5 inch cedar beveled siding is the best looking siding around. There are alot of old houses in my town (Madison WI) with this type of siding. In fact I tore off all the asbestos siding on my house because I had this type of siding beneath.
Why not try and repair and paint? From your photo the siding doesn't look that bad. I would rather sand some siding rather than rip some fiber cement.
My original plan was to just scrape and paint the existing cedar but after further thought I would rather replace it with something that would be less upkeep down the line. For three summers I helped my dad stain, and re-stain the cedar lap siding on my families cabin in Northern Minnesota and it just seemed like a never ending process. Plus the more I learn about fiber cement and it's positive qualities the more I am drawn to the idea of using it.
Fiber cement might be your best choice then. I've used it on several additions with good results. Keep in mind that fiber cement is 5/16 and the cedar is 1/2 in. thick which will give it a slightly different look. Also you might want to get a piece of fiber cement and rip it with a FC blade or shears and compare that with the work of repainting. In any event good luck.
I couldn't picture it, but now having seen it I'd have to agree that it can be a pretty good look. Experimenting with some FC might be just the right thing for you. You could even recreate the upper part with the shingle style FC too.
Hardie makes a 5 1/4" board that will have a 4 inch exposure.
I'm with diesel, 2 1/2" exposure? I think that would be very unattractive and busy looking. Some older houses will have tight exposures for the bottom few courses and gradually extend it out to 4" inch in 5 or 6 courses.
I would go with a 4" or 5" exposure, I think the look is the best on that area of exposure.
My house is about a 2 1/2" exposure. The siding is 1x8 with three 2 1/2 laps milled into it. It actually looks great. Wish I had a picture handyThis may be what he is talking aboutKarl
I had a house with some of the same... 3 lap siding, milled from 1x8 with three scalloped sections. Looked great.
The bottom half of the house has the 2 1/2 inch lap siding and the top half is shake. It actually looks pretty nice. I'm not a big fan of the 5 inch exposed siding because so many homes have it. The skinnier siding makes the house stand out.
Masonite corp used to make a three or two lap siding that would be about 2.5 inches. .
If you go to a home owned lumber yard sometimes they can order that siding as are repair item for remodlers . I used to fill such orders. Normally there are people with planning mills running specialty trim and could handle the job but you might have to buy them the knives if they are not in possion of them. They normally take the scap piece of siding to a machine shop and have the knives cut to fit .
Although you didnt ask for that Ive never seen hardie siding come the way you mention . I would think restoreing the cedar siding with the same would be the best answer.
We have a specialty mill here that will run what ever we want and they are a cedar mill specializing in exterior. They make all the exterior crown molding found on the out side of old colonials.
Tim
Edited 12/5/2005 11:08 am by Mooney
You can lap the fibercement board as much as you want, within reason. Get yourself the shears for cutting ,it will save your lungs and aggrivation, when done sell em. At the top (Final board) shim the back so the angle will be the same.
Keith
I once wanted 3" reveal on a house using Hardieplank. I split a few and put them up and found that the angle when they lapped concerned me. I was worried about blowing rain being forced up. Now, you could caulk each board but that makes for one large caulk bill and I don't like using caulk as the first line of defense for water/moisture penetration. I ened up using a 4" reveal.
I think that small lap style was called 'shiplap' at least in the northeast, and was very popular fow quite awhile
Yeah, I'm not in any hurry to caulk every single board. Yikes.
Thanks for the reply and the terminology for the style of reveal.
Much appreciated.
i've seen your siding... it's a 1x4 beveled siding.. so you wind up with the 2 1/2 reveal
i've laid FC 1x6.5 at 4" to weather.. it was a lot of work .... i'd think you could lay the 5.5 at say 3"... the angle will be a little severe.. but might look great..
lay up a 4x4 panel and see if you like it
I will do so. Thanks for the advice.
What part of the country are you from?
Your picture reminds me alot of some of the neighboorhoods in the town I grew up in (Geneva, IL, suburb of Chicago).
Jon Blakemore
RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA