Hardi plank siding vs. pre-primed cedar
Hardi plank siding vs. pre-primed tight knot cedar….
My client wants to know the pros and cons of each and I have never used hardi plank siding or any other man-made product for siding. What would be best for our wonderful rainy, moist, Seattle area weather?
Replies
I've owned homes with both. Cedar shingles shrink and swell with moisture. They cup and flatten. Eventually, any painted on finish will peel as the surface fibers get broken down by the elements. Once peeling starts repair is difficult, because even 2-3 weeks exposure on bare wood will damage the surface so that it would need to be sanded before repriming, something few people bother to do. But cedar shingles have a precisely authentic look because they are real.
Hardie has no dimensional changes with moisture. If the proper primer is used as the manufacturer specifies it should hold paint for 15 years or more. The paint won't peel, it will just eventually weather thin. If you like the shingle look, Hardie makes shingles as well as plank siding. Most people can tell it's not quite real cedar, but they aren't sure what it is. In my opinion, though, it holds up so much better, though, that after a few years the Hardie looks better than cedar.
Here's some photos of the house I had with Hardie on it. http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=35025.3
There are more photos, as well as discussion of its resistance to weather and the 50 year warranty on the Hardie web site, http://www.jameshardie.com.
WayneL5 has it right.
I prefer the Certainteed plank for some minor reasons. I'm just finishing off a house with Certainteed's prestained product, which comes with an array of stain choices.
Here's a shot of it as we started putting it up.
BTW, I;m in the PNW too, and the FC has been a godsend against the quality of WRC now available....it also has a good fire rating.