Replies

1. 
   kurt99 | Nov 12, 2015 11:43pm | #1

   The factory does all 6 sides

   The factory primed fiber cement siding is primed front, back and all 4 edges.  I would think you would want to do the same for any unprimed material.  This means getting out your roller and painting one side and the edges, rigging some sort of drying rack and letting them dry.  Flip them over and paint the other side.  More work than throwing the siding up on the barn, painting and hoping for the best, but will get all the edges and areas where water may wick into.

1. 
   DanH | Nov 13, 2015 08:17am | #2

   Yeah, I'd prime both sides, if I wanted it to last.  For just a few pieces some sawhorses work OK as a "drying rack", but for more you'd want to, eg, get some vertical boards and drive long screws into them.  (The studs in your garage will work pretty well for this, if you can actually get that close to the wall.)

2. 
   renosteinke | Nov 13, 2015 02:10pm | #3

   Visit Their Web Site!

   The James Hardie Company has all manner of information available about their products.

   Here are just a few exerpts from their site:

   "DO NOT use stain, oil/alkyd base paint, or powder coating on James Hardie products"

   "Caulking is not recommeded"

   "James hardie Products must be painted within 180 days for primed product and 90 days for unprimed."

   "Caulk, paint, or prime all field cut edges."

   "For best results with unprimed James Hardie siding and trim products, prime first with exterior-grade acrylic primer,"

   I cannot find any reference to back-priming. In the past, they were most insistant that back-priming was NOT required.

3. 
   florida | Nov 13, 2015 02:52pm | #4

   All the unprimed Hardi I've seen was factory seconds. Some of it is too long or too short which will mean lots of cutting to size. I'll be willing to bet that Hardi will not honor their warranty on product that old and left unprimed so long. I'd lay it oput, prime the top edge, ends and back then hang it. Once each piece is up I'd prime the front. I'd also expect it may need to be clenaed before priming. Or, since it's a barn nail it up then prime what you can see. I honestly would not put it on a house at all.

1. 
   TWFAUST | Nov 13, 2015 04:06pm | #5

   I understand the potential downside, but at $75 for 8 squares I couldn't resist.  I have never seen unprimed Hardie, Hardie isn't much used around here.  It all seems to have a light green tint which I understand this indicates some sort of factory finish. But certainly not like any primer I have ever seen. Most does have some of the freaded "effloresence".

1. 
   florida | Nov 14, 2015 09:51am | #6

   Just because it was cheap doesn't mean it will be less expensive. By the tie you've gotten rid of the efforscense, primed it all over and trimmed it to size it could end up costing more than new siding. We had access to all we wanted of fresh factory seconds at $5.00 a pallet  once but after calculating the cost of having to pick it up and unload it ourselves, trmming it to size (it was all 1/2" too long)and priming  it we realized it was far more expensive than new stock delivered and unloaded.

1. 
   TWFAUST | Nov 14, 2015 01:24pm | #7

   I keep learning things. It apparently is "primed"  It appears that Hardie now mixes the "primer" in with the other compounds giving it a slightly green tint.  It has the green tint, I expected to see a coat of what I would recognize as primer. Length seems to be correct. But even if it isn't I have a few 60 foot runs with 3X4 studs on 24 inches. Sheathing is  1 1/4" Chestnut, so I think I can nail it about anywhere. This real old stuff (1770 +/-) the house is sheathed, without studs,  with 1 1/2 x 18" wide chestnut.  I have had offers on the barn from people who wanted to tear it down to salvage the wood. The efflorescense is slight, I understand it will wash off with 25% solution of white vinegar in water. I am having a tough time getting info locally. Apparently there is a class action lawsuit against Haredie and local suppliers have stopped carrying Hardiplank. A friend recently built a house for his son, that is Hardiplank. He had no trouble getting it. It isn't seen much up here. Suppliers may have stopped carring it for lack ofd sales.

1. 
   edwardh1 | Nov 19, 2015 09:16am | #10

   Hardie is good stuff.

   Carpenters dont like it, and painters dont like it cause they wount be redoing the work in 8 years. (loss of income).

   wood twists, warps, oozes sap, cracks, bends, blisters etc etc

2. 
   TWFAUST | Nov 14, 2015 01:27pm | #8

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2. 
   TWFAUST | Nov 14, 2015 01:27pm | #9

   I understand the potential

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