I need to reside a garage that’s presently sided with redwood barn shakes. The shakes are 6” wide and 1/4” thick with no taper. They come 36” long and need to be cut to a length of 12 or 18 inches depending on the exposure. They’re a pain to work with. I’ve used them in the past to patch sections of my house. They split easily and need to be predrilled – even then they eventually crack. I’m thinking of using Hardi lap siding instead – cutting it to the needed length. I’m aware that cutting it is an issue but is there any reason I couldn’t use it in this application? The dimensions are the same as the shakes – it would just be hung vertically instead of horizontally.
Thoughts?
Replies
The newer hardiplanks have an alignment mark on the top, and an angle cut on the bottom in the northern part of the USA, but maybe not in the south. Otherwise, they could be used as shingles.
Why not use the HardieShingle individual shingles?
http://www.jameshardie.com/Products/HardieShingle-Siding
I looked at them but the maximum exposure is 7" - mine is 8".
Cutting will not be an issue if you invest in a guillotine type hand shear. Perhaps a miter saw with a fiber cement blade and a fortified dust collection setup could be used to gang-cut the shingles. I generally stay away from FCB circ blades (due to the dust), but I have not used one on a miter saw. Either way, consider pre-priming all those cut edges.
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my experience with fibre cement siding is minimal. From all I don't know, sealing the cut ends is good advice. But, would that be enough long term to eliminate all those cut ends failing over time? Is fibrecement used this way advised and warranteed?
thanks.
I think you've chosen a reasonable and cost effective substitute for your redwood. Contact Hardi to check on warranty issues.
Personally, I don't feel it's a game killer if they won't stand behind it. I'd stack up all your pre-cut pieces and gang spray the ends 3 or 4 times with a quality acrylic ext. grade primer (Sherwin Wms Multipurpose would be a good choice). Let it dry between coats. Your installation doesn't seem to present any trapped moisture conditions which is the key to longevity. Consider running a WRB with a good capillary break behind your installation to help with drying as well. Benjamin Obdyke's home slicker is a premium choice with their HydroGap right behind it.