Exterior Siding for New or Remodeled Homes
Whether remodeling or building new, most people have two things on their minds: beauty and longevity. Hardie board siding fits the bill for both of these.
Unlike wood siding, which requires painting and is susceptible to insects like termites, Hardie board siding can with stand the elements with no additional protection by you. Hardie board siding is a fibrous concrete board that can be submerged in water and it will not absorb moisture. Being concrete, insects will not eat it and if you live in a southern state this is an added bonus as termites stay active most of the year in warmer climates. Hardie board siding will not sag or warp as time goes by like vinyl siding is prone to do. Hardie board siding comes in 26 different colors you can choose from or you can get it pre- primed, sealed, and ready to be painted. But, when painting this siding a color of your choice, you want to use the recommended brands of paint.
Hardie board siding also comes with a great lifetime warranty. Hardie plank lap siding, the most popular of Hardie board siding, comes with a 50 year transferable limited product warranty. Hardie Panel Vertical siding also comes with a 50 year transferable limited product warranty and provides your home with a unique look. Hardie Shingle siding comes with a 30 year transferable limited product warranty and has a very realistic wood shingle appearance and can stand up against wind, hail, rain, and snow.
The main disadvantage of Hardie Board Siding is the care needed when installing it. Where wood and vinyl sidings give and bend, Hardie Board Siding does not have much give to it and can break if it bends too much or is not properly supported. Also, since it is mostly fibrous concrete it is much heavier than other sidings. It cannot be cut like other sidings either. Scoring, snapping, and using shears are some methods preferred when cutting Hardie Board Siding. Another way to cut hardiplank is to use a Hardie blade in your saw. This method does create silica dust which you want to avoid. You can minimize the dust by using a HEPA filter on your saw and make your cuts outside or in a well ventilated environment. A breathing mask can also be used to give you further protection against this dust. If you are using nails and are not using a nail gun, you have to pre-drill the holes to hammer the nails into it or it will shatter or crack. We used a reasonably priced SENCO brand screw gun and screws and installation was fast and easy with no pre- drilling of holes.
If you are a do it yourself person, this is a project that can be accomplished with some buddies, but to get it done fast it might be best to hire a professional contractor who has the tools and knowledge to minimize mistakes. In order to make sure your warranty will still be valid, you should follow all installation instructions carefully.
