Replies

1. 
   ciocan | Aug 02, 2006 06:36am | #1

   I have just installed 12 foot hardiplank and had the same issue. I considered having a random pattern but, I did not like cutting the prepainted factory ends and the extra labor. I think a random pattern works better if you have longer boards. So I just went for 4 foot offset of butt joints, tryed to match the grain and then color caulked the joints. The result was looking good.  Beware about having flat walls or the result will be wavy. 

2. 
   DanH | Aug 02, 2006 01:28pm | #2

   It's your choice. I prefer random, but it's most important to be consistent.

   If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
1. 
   Scott | Aug 02, 2006 07:11pm | #3

   "I prefer random, but it's most important to be consistent."

    

   I like that quote. It's oddly paradoxical. Can you be random and consistent at the same time? This is going to rattle around in my head all day......  :o

   Scott.Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.”

1. 
   DanH | Aug 02, 2006 07:46pm | #4

   Nothing more irritating to the eye than a nice even pattern, broken up by an "oops". Unless perhaps it's a random pattern that turns into a regular pattern for 4-5 rows.One thing to beware of, especially on regular patterns, is having a plank end a coupla inches short of a window or door. With a random pattern you can fairly easily avoid this (so long as you catch it before you start the row), but with a regular pattern you can be stuck if you don't plan ahead quite a bit.

   If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison

2. 
   Sailfish | Aug 02, 2006 09:42pm | #7

   "I prefer random, but it's most important to be consistent."

   I prefer to be consistently random with my hardi.

   as with others, no patterns-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

    

   WWPD

3. 
   MGMaxwell | Aug 03, 2006 06:29am | #16

   Someone once said "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds." I like to drag that out from time to time.

1. 
   DanH | Aug 03, 2006 01:15pm | #17

   When it comes to "staggering Hardiplank" I don't know why someone hasn't suggested simply getting it drunk.
   If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison

2. 
   toolbear | Aug 04, 2006 02:28am | #22

   Google and ye shall find...

   NUMBER:6279AUTHOR:Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

   QUOTATION:  A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.

   ATTRIBUTION:Essays. First Series. Self-Reliance.BIOGRAPHY:Columbia Encyclopedia. The ToolBear

   "Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.

3. 
   Smokey | Aug 02, 2006 08:18pm | #5

   I like to use a 32" stagger for lap siding.

   It makes a nice pattern and makes installation pretty efficient.

   With 12' material you could repeat as infrequently as every fifth course.

   Avoid making joints in the the cut out courses below and above openings
   and short pieces at the end of courses.

1. 
   kenaz | Aug 02, 2006 09:25pm | #6

   Thanks Smokey, I really like that 32" stagger, I was  kind of stuck on 2, 4, 6, ft thinking.

1. 
   Smokey | Aug 02, 2006 10:17pm | #8

   You want to nail at studs and break the joints at studs.If the studs are 2'O.C. instead of 16" you would probably need to go with the 2'or 4' stagger.

1. 
   jimxxx | Aug 02, 2006 11:58pm | #9

   Why would you want to do that Hardie doesn't reccomend nailing that close to the end; so you couldnt nail both butting pieces to the same stud.

1. 
   Smokey | Aug 03, 2006 04:29am | #15

   They reccomend nailing 3/8" from the edge at the joints so if your are
   close to centered over the stud that shouldn't be a problem.

4. 
   ponytl | Aug 03, 2006 01:50am | #10

   around here they run a 5/4 x 4 hardie board  vertically every 12ft and butt all the runs to it... so there is a vertical board every 12ft...  at first you might think it odd... but on the ones that they don't do this way you can see every wave in the wall... with these "batter or butt boards... you see none of the waves... it goes up faster and i swear it looks better... most of these walls are 40-60ft long and at least 18ft tall....

   p

   
   

   ---

   Edited 8/2/2006 7:57 pm ET by ponytl

1. 
   kenaz | Aug 03, 2006 02:11am | #11

   ponytl- I don't follow, you mean the batter boards are nailed to the OSB sheathing every 12' horizontally and nothing in between?  Or do you mean vertically?

1. 
   blue_eyed_devil | Aug 03, 2006 02:12am | #12

   Thanks for asking that Kenaz. I was confused too.

   blue 

1. 
   ponytl | Aug 03, 2006 02:58am | #14

   fixed it...  :)

2. 
   ponytl | Aug 03, 2006 02:56am | #13

   sorry i was lay'n down when i typed it ... sitting up type'n i can see where it should have been...vertically

   p  :)

2. 
   blue_eyed_devil | Aug 03, 2006 05:35pm | #18

   I'd like to see a picture of that.

   blue 

1. 
   Philter | Aug 03, 2006 06:26pm | #19

   We're in the middle of Hardie-Har Har- ing, on that length we use:

   12-12-12-6

   6-12-12-12

   9-12-12-9

   3-12-12-12-3

   10-12-12-8

   8-12-12-10

    

    then start again, no overlap for 6 rows, it looks fine, cheers,Phil.

    

    

    

   "If 'tis to be,'twil be done by me."

   Edited 8/3/2006 12:02 pm by Philter

1. 
   kenaz | Aug 03, 2006 06:54pm | #20

   Does that wall go from 42' to 36'?  Are you an archeytec?

1. 
   Philter | Aug 03, 2006 06:58pm | #21

   Ooooopps, skipped a row of 12's in there,it's morning here.....d'oh!

    

   (and some real numbers,sorry...)

    

   "If 'tis to be,'twil be done by me."

   Edited 8/3/2006 12:03 pm by Philter

2. 
   Gene_Davis | Aug 04, 2006 02:44am | #23

   We learned addition in third grade. 

   Were you graduated to fourth? ;-)

3. 
   kenaz | Aug 04, 2006 05:18am | #25

   Why do you find the need to tell us you went as far as the third grade???

4. 
   DanH | Aug 04, 2006 06:26am | #26

   It was his favorite year -- he liked it so much he repeated it 3 times.(Yeah, I know -- old joke.)
   If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison

5. 
   MrJalapeno | Aug 04, 2006 04:46am | #24

   I use a 4' staggered pattern.  Gang cut it.  Face nail it just above the lapped piece.  1/8” gap at the splice with a piece of 4” felt flashing behind.  Caulk and paint.