My mother,s house has hard shingles for siding. They are not asbestos. I would like to tear off the shingles and the old wood siding down to the shiplap. I think I should sheet it with a vapor barrier and some kind of sheet insulation. The house has blown in insulation but wouldn’t sheet insulation add to the R value? My question is what kind of extremely durable siding can I use? I’ve watched a lot of home improvement shows and I’m leaning toward cement siding. How hard is it to work with and what are it’s main drawbacks; such as ease of installation, holding paint, hail damage, etc.?
I also checked out Decra steel roofing. (sold at Menard’s) Has anyone used this product? How easy/difficult is it to use? Any drawbacks? I know a good steel roof is supposed to last 50 years.
Any advice on these subjects would be greatly appreciated.
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Replies
I just installed cement board siding on a 5 thousand square foot house. It was my first time and this is what I learned:
The siding comes in 12 foot lengths. lots of butt jouints.
Prime the butt joints or leave the factory edge where possible to avoid
swelling.
don't buy the shears, they cost a lot and are slow. Buy a cheap chop
saw and a hardiboard blade and go to town.
WEAR A REAL RESPIRATOR. Silica dust is bad for you. kepp the kids
away when cutting.
buy a siding nailer. much faster. hand nailing through hardiboard is a
bit more of a task than nailing through wood.
Cement board is heavy and floppy. Have a helper or buy the clips. I
have a crew so I didn't buy the clips but they look like they are worth
buying and using.
caulk all your joints as you go
blind nailing looks better than face nailing but harder to repair
damaged pieces.
All in all, I like the product enough to consider using it on my house.
It's just not as much fun as wood siding to install. the edges ding easily
as well before you get the board up.
it's not the perfect product but it's pretty decent in my opinion
you may also want to wear gloves or use a lot of hand lotion. the stuff
dries your hands out big time. at least in the winter.
Good luck
I have a metal roof and Hardi siding.
Don't buy the clips, they are a pain in the arse. Have a helper. Wayyy betta! (I bought the clips)
I shot on the Hardi board with a Hitachi roofing nailer. It worked fine, but part of the nails had to be smacked again with a hammer.
I used the standard factory primed Hardi. We still primed and then painted (both sprayed).
We have a "rib type" metal roof, as commonly used on ag buildings. I've put it one various buildings before and I like the stuff a lot. Yes, depending on your installation and your climate, I may last longer than you.
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