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Hardi Shingle Installation

| Posted in General Discussion on April 26, 2005 01:43am

I am installing Hardie Shingle for first time. 48″x16″ panels with a 6″ exposure. I’m blindnailing everything. My question is all the little pieces under windows, freeze, and going up the rakes, can they be glued or mortared? I started to face nail, but didn’t like the look.

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  1. Isamemon | Apr 26, 2005 03:27am | #1

    so dont shoot me if I am way wrong

    when we have had to use hardie, and put nails where they are visible

    we................ok .......this is crude...........

    caulk the nail heads, give it a few minutes and then use the point of a nail to put "texture " in the caulk to follow or match the "grain"

    it gets painted, go ahead .....show me where I did it

    you will have to look real hard, real stinkin hard

  2. User avater
    Bluemoose | Apr 26, 2005 03:31am | #2

    I just finished Hardieshingle for the first time and was very impressed with the final product. It looked great from a slight distance.

    And I think that is what you have to keep in mind with most of the Hardie products. Even with perfect installation, Hardieplank or -shingle only looks so good. It's not like the faux wood grain is fooling anyone when you're standing right next to it. We put the Hardieshingle on a Dutch hip and a dormer so the application was a good bit away from the viewer. We blind nailed all of the full sheets but did have to face nail the top pieces and the rakes. You could smear a dab of caulk in there as you go if you're so inclined.

    I can't give you a correct answer about whether or not you could glue or mortar the pieces; I'm inclined to say no.

    You might already have it, but I've attached the pdf from the Hardie website for Hardieshingle installation.

    Good luck, I think you'll be pleased with your result.



    Edited 4/25/2005 8:31 pm ET by bluemoose

    1. MojoPlenty | Apr 26, 2005 03:40pm | #5

      Hello Bluemoose.  I am about to start my first HardiShingle installation.  We are going to put up about 50 square.  I've heard mixed things about whether to prime the back before hanging.  I just spoke to a Hardie rep yesterday who suggested we don't prime the back to let it breathe.  I know I've heard otherwise from people who have been doing installations.  I could also swear a different Hardie rep told me otherwise at one point as well.  Can you tell me what you are doing for priming/painting?

      Thanks,  Jonathan

      1. DustinThomps | Apr 28, 2005 03:47am | #9

        Hardiboard comes preprimed, no?  We have had it factory finished as well and it had coats front and back.  Hopefully that's the correct way, as that is how THEY did it.

        Dustin

        1. MojoPlenty | Apr 28, 2005 04:28am | #10

          HardiePlank comes preprimed.  HardieShingle does not.  I had an Engineer at Hardie basically tell me they didn't have the machines to do it yet.

          1. RobWes | Apr 28, 2005 06:03am | #11

            I'm really confused now. I have read and been told that Hardie shingle planks are primed and painted at the factory. The single pieces are not finish painted. Only primed.

            I'm following this really close b/c I plan on using it over SIP's. Not to derail the thread but does anyone have insight now?

          2. MojoPlenty | Apr 28, 2005 02:25pm | #12

            Give the folks at Hardie a call 1 800 942 7343 or check out the install instructions which say they need to be primed http://www.jameshardie.com/remodeler/installation/hardishingle_individual_installation.php.  Perhaps they prime them now.  I got 3 palettes of the individual shingles in January and they didn't prime them then.  I need 3 more so if things have changed, that would be helpful.

          3. DustinThomps | Apr 28, 2005 06:26pm | #13

            Ok, that's good to know.  Thanks for the heads up!

            Dustin

      2. User avater
        Bluemoose | Apr 30, 2005 04:20am | #14

        I've only done the Hardieshingle on one house and we didn't backprime it ...our painter does all the caulking and painting. I'm never around when he does that, but it seems he could pick a caulk that matches better.
        We don't use primed Hardieplank. I'm interested to hear input on this. Based on the other Hardie thread, we are going to start putting slips of tarpaper under the butt joints.Is the primary concern with non-backprimed Hardie water retention?

        1. MojoPlenty | Apr 30, 2005 04:45am | #16

          I think I was more concerned about how water entering the back of the shingle might affect the wearing of the paint on the front.  I'm not a painter nor claim to understand all the dynamics I just thought that moisture behind the painted surface would be bad.  Perhaps it's nothing to worry about. 

          1. User avater
            Bluemoose | Apr 30, 2005 05:44am | #18

            That is a very good point. I bet there are quite a few folks here who would have an opinion on that subject. I have never read anything from Hardie about that. Do you do much stained Hardie?

        2. Miko | Apr 30, 2005 09:54am | #19

          I just saw a video on the HGTV Pro website where they backprimed Hardieboard planks (lap siding). 

    2. jrmac | Apr 27, 2005 04:59am | #6

      Thanks for input bluemoose. I really like these hardie siding products. Cedar in the southeast is getting hard to work with. The wood is thin and dry. I use 1x8 fasia boards and they sink and cup. The siding on south faces will need stain every year. My faviorit house used solid stain and it still looks good. Most people here want semi-traspanent so they can see the wood grain. I tryed the caulk on the back of pieces and trim nailed face, plus caulked the nail sets, I think it will be invisible when it is painted. I don't know if this a 20 year solution, will these nails rust out?

      1. edwardh1 | Apr 27, 2005 02:23pm | #7

        what were the nails?
        aluminim?
        hot dip galv?
        bright?

        1. jrmac | Apr 28, 2005 02:54am | #8

          All I had on hand was galvanized. I'm not worried about moisture, but the thin nail in contact with cement.

    3. User avater
      Longhair | Apr 30, 2005 04:30am | #15

      durn  I really hate it when somebody throws a pdf file with no warning

      adobe sucks

      1. User avater
        Bluemoose | Apr 30, 2005 05:42am | #17

        You try to be a little helpful...

  3. Danusan11 | Apr 26, 2005 04:06am | #3

    caulk behind lap shoot with stainless finish nail

    1. jrmac | Apr 26, 2005 02:04pm | #4

      Thanks, I like this idea. I'll give it a try today, if it dont rain.

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