Cost of construction.

[EddieWalker]

But boy does it go thru saw blades

I've been installing Hardi for about five years now. At first, I used diamon blades to cut it. They sort of wear their way through, and for the thin stuff, it works alright. For trim, it takes a bit of an effort.

Last year I bought a special Hardi blade by DeWalt for my circular saw. Two things really jump out at you. First, it's SUPER FAST at cutting any sized Hardi product. It just zips right through it.

The other thing that suprised me is how much debris it throughs out. It went from creating massive dust clouds to not dust at all, but flying debris all over the place. I never wore eye protection with the diamond blade, but it's an absolute must with the Hardi blade.

Eddie

 

[jake98]

Do not waste your money on a 12' building. If you are going to do it do it right and get a 14' building with a 14' tall door. I did do one thing right and do a single piece 12 tall by 20 wide slider along with the standard garage door you see in the picture alone with a identical one on the back side.

Chris

I hate to agree with Chris, but he's got a point here.

 

[Pops15]

Not all T1-11 is created equal. I don't recall who makes it but theres a type that resembles wafer board. Its pure crap. It's 1/2" thick and it has no strength, and it will rot in a short period of time.

The most common type is rough sawn 5/8" plywood T1-11. The big issue with it is it delaminates. Sometimes it delaminates before it leaves the lumber yard. If you manage to get some that doesn't have anyplace where the plies are coming apart it can last a long time.....especially if you stain or paint the laps, the bottom edge and up the back a couple of inches before you install it. There are usually voids visable in the grooves under the top ply. Once you're sure the siding is dry, seal those voids with caulk. This will prevent water from getting in which is part of what causes the top ply to delaminate.
Something to consider is the cost to stain or paint T1-11. Figure four sheets per gallon for the first coat. You'll need two coats.

Theres also a composite T1-11. It looks similar to OSB on the back but has lots of resin in it. I don't recall the brand name but it has a very good warranty against rot. It costs more than plywood T1-11 but holds up better. You get better paint coverage with it too.

 

[dcyrilc]

Anyone know how the hardi T1-11 compares in cost to the 5/8" laminated T1-11? Also, how does the strength compare? The T1-11 on the last barn lasted 25yrs without ever being repainted, but the areas with problems were where the roof was wire and had no weather protection. The stuff I've used in the past was basically ACX with cedar for the A side. Summers always get busy and I keep forgetting to paint the well house. It's been 9 years now and no problems so far, but I know I need to get it painted. I think the T1-11 I've been getting costs me about $38 a sheet. Getting the stuff with the exterior glue makes a big difference, but you pay for it. The rebuild on the barn has 156ft of wall to cover with the gable ends pushing 20ft tall. I'm not looking forward to buying siding and as somebody mentioned, the quality of lumber keeps going down.

 

[EddieWalker]

I didn't know what the price of the T1-11 was, but $38 a sheet is allot more then I thought it would be.

The last time I bought 4x8 sheets of Hardi, it was in the $27 a sheet range. I put it over 7/17 OSB which was $6 a sheet and wraped the OSB with house wrap. I think that's around $100 for a roll 9x150 ft. Pricewise, it's going to be very close.

The lap siding is 12ft long and covers six inches after overlaped. 16 pieces will do a wall, 12 feet long. At $8 each, it will cost $128 to do 12 ft, plus $24 in OSB and about ten dollars worth of house wrap for a total of $162 to do 12 ft, or $54 for every four feet of wall. Comparing $54 for Hardi Lap Siding to $38 for T1-11 is quite a bit more. I think it's worth it, but it depends on the budget and what's available to spend.

The savings is in how much longer Hardi will last and how it will look. In most cases, it will increase the value of the building over any other sheet type siding. Only brick or rock will give you move value, but at a much greater expense.

Eddie

 

[dcyrilc]

I didn't know what the price of the T1-11 was, but $38 a sheet is allot more then I thought it would be.

The last time I bought 4x8 sheets of Hardi, it was in the $27 a sheet range. I put it over 7/17 OSB which was $6 a sheet and wraped the OSB with house wrap. I think that's around $100 for a roll 9x150 ft. Pricewise, it's going to be very close.

The lap siding is 12ft long and covers six inches after overlaped. 16 pieces will do a wall, 12 feet long. At $8 each, it will cost $128 to do 12 ft, plus $24 in OSB and about ten dollars worth of house wrap for a total of $162 to do 12 ft, or $54 for every four feet of wall. Comparing $54 for Hardi Lap Siding to $38 for T1-11 is quite a bit more. I think it's worth it, but it depends on the budget and what's available to spend.

The savings is in how much longer Hardi will last and how it will look. In most cases, it will increase the value of the building over any other sheet type siding. Only brick or rock will give you move value, but at a much greater expense.

Eddie

Hey Eddie,
I guess the question here is does the 4x8 hardi have to be backed up with sheathing or will it double as sheathing as the T1-11 will? Oh yea, 16" OC for the studs.

 

[dcyrilc]

I didn't know what the price of the T1-11 was, but $38 a sheet is allot more then I thought it would be.
Eddie

I can get cheaper T1-11, but as everyone says, it doesn't last.

 

[EddieWalker]

Hey Eddie,
I guess the question here is does the 4x8 hardi have to be backed up with sheathing or will it double as sheathing as the T1-11 will? Oh yea, 16" OC for the studs.

Good question.

The first time that I bought 4x8 sheets of Hardi and installed it, I read on their website that it cold be installed right to the studs, and that no backer board was required. They claimed that it provided all the sheer strength required for a building. Just be sure to use house wrap to make sure it's water tight.

That has proven to be a mistake. A building with just the Hardi, and no OSB under it, will move so much that the Hardi will open up the gaps and pop nails.

The last time I looked at their website, it says to use sheething under it for proper installation. When I built my deer blind, I used 4x8 sheets of Hardi for the bottom level, with OSB under it. No problems or movement of any kind in over a year.

Eddie

 

[Duffster]

Isn't fiber cement a little heavy for basic post frame construction?

 

[dcyrilc]

Good question.

The first time that I bought 4x8 sheets of Hardi and installed it, I read on their website that it cold be installed right to the studs, and that no backer board was required. They claimed that it provided all the sheer strength required for a building. Just be sure to use house wrap to make sure it's water tight.

That has proven to be a mistake. A building with just the Hardi, and no OSB under it, will move so much that the Hardi will open up the gaps and pop nails.

The last time I looked at their website, it says to use sheething under it for proper installation. When I built my deer blind, I used 4x8 sheets of Hardi for the bottom level, with OSB under it. No problems or movement of any kind in over a year.

Eddie

As summer comes along, I'll start a thread and see where it leads. My barn definately doen't fit within the realm of normal construction. It's very modified pole construction.