I’m looking at building a home in Michigan. I want siding that looks real, no vinyl. Thinking about James Hardi Clapbords, LP Smartsiding, and Boral Truexterior. I also will have a lot ot trim boards to install before the siding, which will most likely be the same as which ever siding I go with.
Which one holds paint the best?
Which is the cost difference of these?
Is Pre-painted siding worth the cost Vs. painted on-site?
Opnions?
Thanks.
Replies
Hardi has a "concrete" look
Hardi has a "concrete" look to it that I don't find attractive. Don't know about the others as I've never seen stuff identified as them.
Hardi would be my choice. It's pretty much bullet proof and will last as long or longer than you or I will. It doesn't look like concrete at all either before or after it's painted. In my opinion pre-painted is not worth the premium they charge for it. A good paint job on Hardi will last 10 to 15 years. No cost difference worth discussing. In any case I would use PVC trim since it's light, comes in long pieces and last forever.
No matter which product you chose none of these products are magic bullets. They all require fussy installation so I'd advise reading the installtion guides for each one and then find an installer who will follow that guide to the T. I go beyond the guide installing HardiLap and have never had a callback.