Hardie Board Siding?

[ponytug]

I have one of these that works great for cutting hardi siding. I don’t like hardi siding though. I’d much rather use some of the higher end vinyl/fiberglass products.

Out here, the great reasons to use it are fire resistance and UV resistance, but if it worked for everyone, there wouldn't be competing products, right?

All the best, Peter

 

[4570Man]

Out here, the great reasons to use it are fire resistance and UV resistance, but if it worked for everyone, there wouldn't be competing products, right?

All the best, Peter

This is the product that the local dealer carries that I like to use if budget allows. It’s not vinyl. It claims to be class A fire rated whatever that rating means. I’d have to disagree with hardie siding standing up well to uv. Maybe if you disregard looks but I’ve not had good experiences at all keeping paint and calk looking good and that was the point of the OPs complaint to start with. The composite siding eliminates that concern. For what the hardie siding cost plus the cost of painting it I’d just assume brick it for the best of both worlds as far as fire resistance and low maintenance.

 

[CalG]

Hardy board does not hold up in S. Vermont snow country.

 

[ultrarunner]

I’m thinking I should asked what is the preferred siding that performs well in alpine setting and fire resistant?

 

[paulsharvey]

I’m thinking I should asked what is the preferred siding that performs well in alpine setting and fire resistant?

Hardi, in shingles/sheets/planks is very fire resistant and works well. It also looks good, IMO. The other cement board brands do as well.

 

[LouNY]

Hardy board does not hold up in S. Vermont snow country.

I am surprised to hear that. What was the issue?

 

[ponytug]

This is the product that the local dealer carries that I like to use if budget allows. It’s not vinyl. It claims to be class A fire rated whatever that rating means. I’d have to disagree with hardie siding standing up well to uv. Maybe if you disregard looks but I’ve not had good experiences at all keeping paint and calk looking good and that was the point of the OPs complaint to start with. The composite siding eliminates that concern. For what the hardie siding cost plus the cost of painting it I’d just assume brick it for the best of both worlds as far as fire resistance and low maintenance.

I have no experience with this material, but the whole "Class A" thing bugs me as it is sold to us consumers as an indictator of fire resistance. Actually, it is a number comparing the amount of smoke generated in a test compared to smoke from a red oak specimen. We have a Class A deck sold to us, and signed off by a local fire agency as fire resistant, but if you put a flame to that material, the deck will burn. If you put a flame to it with wind, it burns even better. Unfortunately for us, the "flame plus wind" is a wildfire type event, probably our primary fire and home risk.

Having installed siding a bit, I would say that installation accounts for a lot of problems that get blamed on the material, and a bunch more are the fault of the architect. I looked at a roof yesterday that had a pair of roof planes draining together onto a patch of roof that had a 1:24 slope to the gutters. Yes, it had leak issues. Mixed blame in my book. The roofer didn't treat it like a flat roof, and the architect designed the section to look nice from afar.

@ultrarunner there's always the glazed enamel metal siding. (Think Harvestor(rm)) That won't fade and it is fire proof. It's not exactly cheap or widely available...Plus, I hear that it gets loud when it rains.

All the best,

Peter

P.S. here is a link to the Ascend material; vinyl over glass fiber;

Profiles - ASCEND Composite Cladding

ASCEND Composite Cladding offers a full selection of profiles and accessories including our popular 7" Plank and 12" Board & Batten.

ascendcompositecladding.com

 

[CalG]

I am surprised to hear that. What was the issue?

call it deterioration, paint fails, moisture gets in, freeze thaw breaks up the board.
When snow piles against the house is the worst. Either where it slides off, or where the melt drips and splashes.
My experience, that's all.

 

[D'oh]

This is the product that the local dealer carries that I like to use if budget allows. It’s not vinyl. It claims to be class A fire rated whatever that rating means. I’d have to disagree with hardie siding standing up well to uv. Maybe if you disregard looks but I’ve not had good experiences at all keeping paint and calk looking good and that was the point of the OPs complaint to start with. The composite siding eliminates that concern. For what the hardie siding cost plus the cost of painting it I’d just assume brick it for the best of both worlds as far as fire resistance and low maintenance.

I did this. WPC Tongue & Grove, Batten Under. Found it at Auction for the Cheap. Approx $3.50/8' Board.

Goes up quick, once the first run is layed. You could Batten over the Lap or remove and Wrap the Studs.

 

[2manyrocks]

ponytug has mentioned this a couple of times, but it may be worth repeating that you need to consider the work required to prevent water intrusion between the new siding and the old lap. Many installers do a good job on the visible outside, but not so good a job when it comes to flashing and the other work you don't see behind the new siding.

The amount of roof overhang protection for the siding also is important.

Been a few years, but I knew a guy who owned a roofing company that had a nice house overlooking the lake. He replaced all of the vinyl siding with either 4x8 or 4x10 sheet Hardie by himself. It still strikes me as an impressive feat considering the lake side of his house was two stories.

After his youngest daughter graduated only a few years later, she moved to Nashville. He sold his lake house and moved to Nashville after doing all that work.