I just bought a farmhouse that was built in 1939. I want to replace the vinyl siding with something that looks a little more appropriate to the age of the house. However, I’ve had my fill of rotted and split wood lap siding on previous homes so my first thought is a fiber cement product such as Hardi Plank. Thought I’d stop in here to get some feed back on the Hardi Plank and any suggetions on other products.
Thanks in advance.
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Replies
Hey, Spackler
Welcome to B.T.!
Just to get you started, its a good idea to fill out your profile (click on your name at the top of the post) It helps to know the region of the continent you live in.
I also have a 1930's farm house that needs siding ( just as soon as I fix the foundation)
I recently saw an O.S.B. pre-painted siding that looked good, ( Goodfellows ) but I'm also considering Hardi-plank because so many posters here seem to use it. I'll be interested in the replies you get. I've never worked with it and am curious as to what its like. I'm thinkin' its got to be heavy and how do you cut it?
Ridin' your coat tails
Thanks for the tip and the welcome Karp.
I've lurked around here in the past and I've been a FHB subsciber for about 10 years but i'm not in the construction business, just like to buy old houses and do what I can to make them whole again.
Hope you guys won't mind a novice asking a few stupid questions now and then.
Maybe we can get some answers to our questions soon.
I'd advice staying away from OSB siding of any type. We make a lot of every year replacing it. LP "Smart Siding" has the market cornered for OSB products.
Material wise locally cement siding is less costly then OSB. A 16' stick of 7 1/4" Smart Siding runs around $8.50, a 12' stick of cement board is around $5.50.
The two local cement board sidings readily available are James Hardi & Certianteed.
I personally like Certianteed better myself but would use either.
Installing wood or OSB siding is easier from a labor stand point and not terribly difficult for one person to do alone. Cement siding can be done alone though I do not believe it is efficient unless you do not value your time or are in a real pinch. The upside to OSB is it's available in longer lengths thus it covers more quicker but that's about the only upside I've found, not enough for me to use it. I have never seen cement lap siding available in anything besides 12' lengths.
On an older farm house my personal opinion is an OSB siding with a fake wood grain will not look any more appropriate then vinyl. Same goes for cement board accept I can get smooth cement board where as I can not get smooth OSB siding locally.
Yes, yes, fiber cement! Some of the folks who have more hands-on experience will be along soon, but from an aesthetic point of view, as well as a durability point of view, fiber cement walks on water!
But it can't walk on drain cleaner.
John
...if you say so...
From a past post.
http://forums.taunton.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=tp-breaktime&msg=87330.7
"Hardie is composed of a cementitious mixture that is bound by a cellulose fibre matrix. Basically kinda like adobe brick is made, but instead of clay/mud and straw, it uses a cementitious composition and strands of paper/wood. The resulting mixture is then extruded with that lovely cedar grain pattern....and voila' you have a Hardie Plank. (Not rocket science....or even chemistry really). The exposure of the product to rainwater (such as when used as siding) which is acting as a Lewis acid, causes a reaction with the alkaline cementitious base, producing a salt and leaving behind a solution of very high Ph (ie: caustic) which then attack the latticework of paper/wood....and over time I bet you can guess what happens. Yup...just like a certain roofing product. Try this if you are still skeptical. Go buy yourself a nice shiny, new, unprimed chunk of Hardie....on your way home stop at Safeway and pick up a container of Red Devil drain cleaner. This is almost 100% Sodium Hydroxide. Next make a solution by charging a vessel (a glass Pyrex measuring cup ONLY!) with 1500ml of distilled water and adding a tablespoon at a time of Sodium Hydroxide crystals, swirling between each addition, until no more crystals will dissolve and go into solution. PLEASE wear safety goggles and PVC GLOVES while doing this, as this stuff will blind you if splashed in your eyes, and burn the snot out of your skin if it contacts it. Also be advised that the solution will get VERY HOT as the breaking of bonds that occurs as it goes into solution is HIGHLY EXOTHERMIC, so BE CAREFUL. After the solution has had a chance to cool then transfer it to a plant sprayer (preferably with Viton seals) and then place the Hardie where you can access all sides of it. Finally apply the solution, making sure that you coat it on all sides thoroughly. Repeat this process each time the HP dries...until you run out of solution. Watch what happens....curious isn't it? Hmmmmmmmm......azz eh?
See..... chemistry really is fun !!"
But why would I want to put drain cleaner on my siding in the first place?
I often use lye as paint remover, but once my new siding is on & painted, I'm planning to retire.
Conversley, I'm not planning to build drains out of Hardie...
Also, the smooth, non-woodgrain, stuff is the one to use...
That was a great thread!
I still havent found the time to stop in and get my bottle of Reddevil!
Doug
Man I thought that one got flushed!"Poor is not the person who has too little, but the person who craves more."...Seneca
Took me a while to find it.
John
That was great! I liked it so much I read the entire thread.
I think I'll go with one of the fiber cement products. Hardi seems to be the most common but I noticed that several people like Certainteed better, can somebody tell me why they prefer one over the other?
And what about that Nucedar stuff?
I'd like to know how you do the butt joints with the cement board. If I was doing wood siding, I'd do a 30 degree bevel away from the prevailing wind, can you do that with Hardi, or do you just butt the ends square? Also, does it come pre-primed or pre-finished?
If I were doing it I'd use the metal joining strips. Bulletproof.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
I used those strips years ago with a pre-finished hardboard siding. They were called "joining beads", which quickly became the " Warren beatty's". Never liked the look, but I think they provide a supierior weather seal.
We also call scaffold planks "Paul Ankas"
I have more.
Their website says to butt only factory edges with a building paper flashing strip behind the joint or leave a small gap and caulk the joint. I think I would do both.
It comes preprimed and a factory paint finish is also available.
caulk every joint? is that really what they suggest? what about the corners? now that i'm thinking about it.. not sure how else it would work..without butting against the corner board and caulking it.. ugh.. not sure I want to maintain all that caulking..
They gave two options, one uses a flashing strip behind the butted joint, the other said to leave a gap and caulk the joint. My thought would be to use the flashing method and caulk the joint. Maybe that's not a good idea.
Wouldn't you need to caulk the joint where siding meets trim with any siding material other than vinyl?
ravs,
Google up one of the companies who produce the cement board siding and download there instructions. Read the instructions for yourself. But , yes caulk every joint."Poor is not the person who has too little, but the person who craves more."...Seneca
That's why tin corners is a good idea. Once again, bulletproof if installed halfway competently.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
All the new subdivisions around here run their Hardi to the corners and then slap the trim on top. Quality building. Looks especially nice at the soffit where the corner boards bend out to cover the j trim.
If you can still find good quality hardboard siding somewhere, it's worth at least 30 seconds consideration. Thicker and not as brittle as Hardi, easier to install.
Dan,
Is the hardboard siding the same thing as masonite?
Yes and no. "Hardboard" is the generic term for a rather large category of siding, while "Masonite" is the brand name of a company that used to make such siding (among other things)."Hardboard" is made from a combination of wood fibers and a resin. The amount of resin in the material determines how hard, durable, and water-resistant it is, varying from stuff not much better than cardboard to material that's essentially plastic. Unfortunately, during the late 60s, 70s, and into the 80s price competition caused most manufacturers to cut quality (reducing the amount of resin), and then the negative word-of-mouth due to this poor quality (confounded by paint technology issues) killed off much of the rest.If you can find somewhere a source for good quality hardboard siding, it's every bit the equal of fiber-cement, plus it's easier to work with and doesn't have the water-wicking disadvantages of FC.But I can't swear that there is such a source.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
Go with the Hardi in the narrowest width (if you want to keep the original look as well as you can).
"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."
~ Voltaire