Replies

1. 
   DougU | May 15, 2006 12:12am | #1

   If you do a search on the subject of "fiber cement siding" or "hardi siding" you'll probably get more to read regarding the subject then you want.

   Personaly I dont know anything about the stuff.

   Doug

    

1. 
   user-153184 | May 15, 2006 02:53am | #2

   I am sure I read an article on this product and installation within the past few months in FH Magazine.

2. 
   bobdove | May 16, 2006 01:18am | #18

   Are there any posts recommending or discouraging particular brands of fiber cement siding? Hopefully the experiences of others are available. I'm leaning towards Hardiplank, but I know there are severral others. What about warrantees?

1. 
   DougU | May 16, 2006 05:23am | #19

   I'm the last guy that you want to ask that question to, I've never used any of it.

   I do plan to though and my preference would be Hardi because of all the good I hear about it.

   Doug

2. 
   oldbeachbum | May 15, 2006 03:01am | #3

   check out the archives...lots of info on "hardi" types

   ...two wrongs don't make a right, but... three lefts do... :)

3. 
   WayneL5 | May 15, 2006 03:25am | #4

   I used Hardie Shingle on my "dream home" and was more than satisfied with it.  The durability for me was the real selling point.

    

1. 
   mojo | May 15, 2006 02:46pm | #7

   Hi Wayne.  I see you used HardiShingle without corner boards.  Can you tell me how you joined the shingles on the outside corners?  Also, how long ago were these installed?

   Thanks,

   Jonathan

1. 
   WayneL5 | May 15, 2006 11:08pm | #14

   The corners were joined by the same method used for wooden shingles.  The last shingle in a course was cut narrower at the top than the bottom so the edge matched the angle that the shingle around the corner leaned back.  Then the shingle around the corner was done the same way, lapping at the corner.

   Then in the course above the shingles were similarly lapped, except that it was done from the other direction.  Every other course laps the opposite way.

   Of course, the housewrap wraps around the corner underneath it all.

   I fear I'm not explaining this well, but it's easy to catch on once you try.  If I'm not clear I can try again.

   I designed the house and drew the plans, but the installation is not my workmanship.  It was done by an excellent general contractor.  There were some good subs for the stonework and timber framed porch.

   The shingles were installed in 1999; the photo was taken in 2003.  Unfortunately I lost my job that year and had to move to a new town (into a vinyl spec home --- aaagh!).  In 2005 I visited the new owners and looked the siding over.  The color of the paint has faded some, but it is firmly adhered with no evidence of cracking, peeling, or weathering.

   By the way, the inside corners are Trex, which is also holding the paint very well.

   Edit:  I looked at the picture again and see that the inside corner doesn't appear.  It used a corner board 1½" square.  The shingles were butted against it.

   Edited 5/15/2006 4:14 pm ET by WayneL5

1. 
   mojo | May 15, 2006 11:30pm | #15

   thanks Wayne.  I get how to lap the shingles.  I guess I should have been more clear in my question.  How did you fasten the shingles together at the joint?  With wood shingles you can use a small gauge siding nail into the corner.  I didn't think that would work with fiber cement shingles.  I just did a house with HardiShingle and wanted to do corners like yours but was warned against it so I used corner boards.

   Thanks for the info.

    

   -Jonathan

1. 
   WayneL5 | May 15, 2006 11:41pm | #16

   No nails in the corners.  Since the material doesn't shrink or swell, the joints stay tight.  Between the lapping and the housewrap no water gets in.

2. 
   Knightdiamond | May 15, 2006 04:03pm | #9

   Wayne!

   Jomathan is asking a very good question. Just how did you but your corners? They look great!!! Maybe I'll do shingles! I really like your work.

                                                                                                KD

4. 
   RRooster | May 15, 2006 06:32am | #5

   A contractor from the Oregon coast posted some photo's and a piece on eliminating the butt joints with vertical trim.  Maybe you can find it through your searching process.  It was a month ago or so.

   Also, if you want board and batt look, what about 4x8 sheets of hardi board siding?

    

   http://grungefm.com

    

5. 
   splintergroupie | May 15, 2006 09:35am | #6

   The B&B siding should have been installed vertically, for one thing, and if the butt seams weren't covered, you must have seen all board and no batten. Or maybe i'm misunderstanding the picture. 

   I used FC panels, then ripped 3/4" wood-composite decking trim material for battens. These are installed 16" o.c., which covers the vertical butt joint every 48" as well as giving 2 fake ones for looks. Corners are also made of mitered pieces of the wood-composite material, glued with polyurethane glue before nailing them together. They look very crisp.

1. 
   dug | May 15, 2006 03:44pm | #8

   You got pictures of this? I may have a board and batten project in the future and this sounds interesting.

1. 
   splintergroupie | May 15, 2006 07:56pm | #12

   Sorry, i don't have pictures of this, only the plank part of the project, and the panel doesn't show in it. If i get enthused....

2. 
   Knightdiamond | May 15, 2006 04:07pm | #10

   Splinter,

   Yea, you misunderstood. (I probably gave you bad poop) The hardiboard I saw was installed ship lap. Horizontally. Thats why the butts were exposed. I did not like it. One solution was to go B&B. (Which I happen to prefer anyway. Feels good to my eye) But now that I have seens Waynes place I am leaning toward shingles. His place really looked sharp.

   And to all. I appreciate your inputs. I have seen the article but I wanted ask you guys who have actually been in the arena.

                                                                     KD

1. 
   splintergroupie | May 15, 2006 07:48pm | #11

   Perhaps it's a terminology problem. I read Hardieboard and i think panels, Hardieplank and i think drop-lap. When i read ship-lap, i see over-lapping rabbets on the long edges, not butt joints. I may be over-obfuscating the issue. <g> 

   I placed felt splines under the butt joints on the Hardieplank i installed on the second floor of my place, and caulked the butts. I may be slightly compulsive, as i caulked a second time after  the first layer dried and shrank a bit...but you can barely see the joins two years later. 

6. 
   user-127900 | May 15, 2006 08:17pm | #13

   I've done a couple of board and batton projects with fiber cement.  I used 4*8 sheets of fiber cement and 1x mira tech battons.   I used the mira tech ( a wood composite similiar to masonite) because it is a lot easier to work with.  You could also use azek or another pvc product.  Because the sheets were only 8 feet tall I used aprons and frieze boards were possible.  On the gables I bent a drip cap  where the 8 foot sheets butted together.  Once it was painted, everything looked very good.  The customers were very happy.  The first one I did was three years ago, and as of six months ago it still looked great.  There was no signs of any paint failures or water infiltration.

   I'm a believer in the non wood products out there.

   Good Luck

7. 
   hammerhands | May 16, 2006 12:27am | #17

   Hardi Plank is a great product, but do  yourself a favor if you use it and get some Porter Cable shears to cut it.