Anyone here re-side their house with Hardie boards…..

[Fermion]

I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure that step flashing along a side wall like that is the standard (probably code) way to do it. It helps keep the water from running down the wall.

A 2" gap is probably more than I've noticed. I think even a small gap is enough to let it dry out quickly, a larger gap is good for snow/ice build up.

-ERD50

It is. I used about 200 pieces of step flashing when doing the side wall to the tower and the sides of the dormer walls where they meet the main roof. You leave part of the vertical portion of the step flashing exposed also...you don't have the siding go directly down and touch the shingles lol.

It is tough building your own house but at least I know it is done right!

 

[5Miler]

Atlanta house built in 1991 with brick front and 3 sides Masonite siding. I received reimbursement for about 30% failure of the Masonite in 2006 as part of the class action lawsuit. The siding was really breaking down due to moisture. I went with Hardie Board replacement for the entire house including trim in 2007 which 15 years later is still looking great. I have one small chip where a tree limb hit it but no other issues. Going to have the house repainted this spring but could almost get away with it a little longer if not for the wooden window frames needing paint badly. The cost was eye popping at the time but now I consider it money well spent.

 

[Marita40]

As others have stated, proper installation of Hardie board is key. Make sure you choose a business that has done a lot of these. Do homework beforehand. I got references and talked to lots of people before I hired the crew. And they did a superb job!!

 

[RetiriusMinimus]

That’s what we’re currently exploring, the vinyl cedar shakes. I’ve got samples here and their quite thick. I figure medium gray color here in Connecticut will always be a classic look…

We have vinyl cedar shakes on our home. We paid extra to upgrade. The cedar shake vinyl is much thicker than clapboard vinyl. Vinyl is final... no painting for me.

A neighbor rebuilt the same time that we did with Hardiboard and we replaced the masonite on the north side of our old house with Hardiboard and painted it. While it is a fine product, my understanding is that even the prepainted Hardiboard will need to be painted after 15 years so not for me.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

I put it on my rambler back in 2007. I wanted something to resist hail and be tough and something that could be painted. I loved it. I painted it once and 10 years later it was still perfect. Get it pre primed.

When I sold it 10 years later the realtor said it added value. She said "Nobody can complain about the quality or color, if they don't like the color they can paint it." Not the case with vinyl or steel.

I had a contractor put it on, I have done a lot of siding but would never consider doing it myself. If I was building a new house it would be with this siding.

 

[Time2]

My only experience with Hardie board is watching paint and repairs at least 3 times in 12 years on a 10 story condo building. This property is seaside so, yes, a little tougher environment. They had to install full scaffolding around the building every time they repainted. I don't know if they made a mistake with the paint the first time, but I know it wasn't cheap doing the repairs.
Maybe the building was doomed, it had two crane collapses during construction.
Just recently all the parking was moved a block to the local marina, while repairs were made on the parking garage, it's not that old, I don't know what error they corrected.

 

[Bamaman]

Atlanta house built in 1991 with brick front and 3 sides Masonite siding. I received reimbursement for about 30% failure of the Masonite in 2006 as part of the class action lawsuit. The siding was really breaking down due to moisture. I went with Hardie Board replacement for the entire house including trim in 2007 which 15 years later is still looking great. I have one small chip where a tree limb hit it but no other issues. Going to have the house repainted this spring but could almost get away with it a little longer if not for the wooden window frames needing paint badly. The cost was eye popping at the time but now I consider it money well spent.

One reason Atlanta homes are so inexpensive is that they have brick fronts and 3 sides of siding. They don't have enough labor to brick all 4 sides, and so many homes are 2 stories. The front sides sure look good, however.

I too had siding problems on my Lawrenceville home I fixed with Hardi Plank. It matched the pattern on the Masonite siding exactly.

The gutters were 28' off the ground on the back, and another story above that. When the house was spray painted, there were 5 ladders side by side--one 40+ feet tall. If the painters started to fall, they would just jump off onto their cousin's ladder beside them. Pretty scary stuff. Painting siding on big houses is not for the faint of heart.

I sold the house before window replacement was required and relocated.

 

[Out of Steam]

There's a house around the corner from me that was resided with it last year. It looks nice, but it took a while-maybe a full week of work.

 

[Fermion]

The gutters were 28' off the ground on the back, and another story above that. When the house was spray painted, there were 5 ladders side by side--one 40+ feet tall. If the painters started to fall, they would just jump off onto their cousin's ladder beside them. Pretty scary stuff. Painting siding on big houses is not for the faint of heart.

I sold the house before window replacement was required and relocated.

We bought the alumapole pump jack scaffolding system specifically to deal with the above problem and it is the bees knees. It takes away the scary ladder stuff and we can set it up now in under an hour to work at 30 feet up while walking back and forth on the 24 foot long 14 inch wide aluminum plank that has a 24 foot long 14 inch wide bench behind it for tools, paint, etc. To a ladder it is comparable to walking across the country vs flying.

 

[Out of Steam]

One reason Atlanta homes are so inexpensive is that they have brick fronts and 3 sides of siding. They don't have enough labor to brick all 4 sides, and so many homes are 2 stories. The front sides sure look good, however.

That was common with newer houses where I lived in the Maryland suburbs of DC. Those houses were far from inexpensive, probably $700K now.

 

[JP.mpls]

Retirius,
My brother was a carpenter his whole career.
According to him the Hardee board siding was the best available for a long time, but he now swears by something called Smart Siding. I recommend at least comparing the two products.
That is what I'm planning on using on my garage.
Take care,. JP

 

[JoeWras]

The gutters were 28' off the ground on the back, and another story above that. When the house was spray painted, there were 5 ladders side by side--one 40+ feet tall. If the painters started to fall, they would just jump off onto their cousin's ladder beside them. Pretty scary stuff. Painting siding on big houses is not for the faint of heart.

When the guys were fixing my siding, they were "hop jumping" 32 and 40 ft ladders for position.

I had to walk away and breathe, all while wondering about my insurance.

 

[firemediceric]

Without having read all of the replies, I'll say from experience Hardie Board is great when installed properly. I can't stress enough that before the material even shows up at your home make sure you read the complete installation requirements from the manufacturer. Covers everything from storage before installation, what fasteners to use and how to address hose bib, lights fixtures, etc. Know those manufacturer requirements and watch with an eagle eye to ensure the contractor follows all of the directions.

A great product which is dependent upon proper installation.