Can Hardie Plank Lap Siding be Installed Vertically?

[Raspy]

I sided my house with Hardy plank and really like it. The overhangs and my porch ceilings are done with it too.
On the ceilings and overhangs we put the pieces side by side with no overlap. It is nailed with stainless ring shank nails to 5/8" OSB sheeting. Each piece has a bead of construction adhesive to help hold it to the overhead sheeting and the pieces are side by side with no gap. End cuts are caulked. I see no reason why you couldn't place the boards vertically, but you might want a bead of caulk between each piece as you go. Not on top, but against the edge before the next piece goes on.

Mine are the 9.25" width Hardy boards and there is no name pressed into it, so they lay next to each other nicely with the wood grain showing. I paid $7.00 per 12' plank for most of it.

This stuff is so fire resistant that I use pieces of it as flame guards while sweating pipes. You can hold a torch on it and it just sits there.

If you choose another brand try breaking a piece first. Some competitive brands are very weak and easy to snap while working.

Mine has been up for about 5 years now and I haven't painted it yet.

 

[Redlands Okie]

HARDI brand is the way to go. Follow instructions for expansion. FULL round head nails (not the moon shaped ones) using a adjustable depth nail gun works great. use a scrap piece for practice to set the nail depth, then pry it off and toss it. Do not nail real close to the edges. Be sure to use a good brand of paint. It holds paint really well and does not need repainting as often as wood. Start on part of the house not seen to well so that when you get to the hi visibility parts of the home. You will have your install system figured out. 3 inch drywall or deck screws can often be put as temporary holders to set the siding on as a 3rd hand. Clip on and easy to remove brackets are also made for siding to hold it up for one person installs. I see people use wood trim with Hardi board, often because the supply yard does not stock Hardi trim. So plan ahead and order what you need. Netting type house wrap might be a thought to put behind the siding especially if your running It vertically. This will let any water blown in behind it run down and not set behind the siding. It's much cheaper to do it right the first time. As far as quality of the product another named brand "certainly" had some issues in the past .......

 

[Cord]

HARDI brand is the way to go.

Actually Nichiha has a way more innovative product line, but they don't have much of a presence over here in the states. Some of the stuff that they can do with cement siding isn't even fathomable.