My Thoughts on Hardie Siding for your Home or Rental Property

What should you consider when purchasing exterior siding for your home? You should consider price, durability and appearance. Hardie board siding is a great choice for exterior application. Hardie board is a fiber cement composite which means that it will resist many elements which wood siding cannot. One advantage of Hardie board siding is that it does not absorb water which means it does not rot. Although slightly heavier than wood siding it is more economical because it won’t face damage from termites and other insects. Because of its dense construction it is able to absorb impact from debris during serious storms. Most Hardie board siding comes with a fabricated woodgrain that gives it more appeal and a natural look, it also comes in other textures like brick. A cheaper option for exterior siding is vinyl siding, however vinyl siding is known to sag and is not as attractive or natural looking as Hardie board.

Sheets or Planks?

Hardie board siding comes in many different sizes, you can purchase it in sheets and planks, also sheets and planks come in various sizes. The most common sizes of sheets are 3 x 5, 4 x 8 and 4 x 4. The easiest form of Hardie board siding to install would be the sheets however planks give it a much more appealing look. A disadvantage of installing planks is there usually long and heavy making them awkward to install. If living in a Southern or coastal region Hardie board siding will be an excellent choice because mold and mildew will not easily gather on it.

Most Hardie board siding comes pre-primed you can also get them prepainted as well. If you choose to paint the siding yourself it will absorb primer and paint and will maintain the paints beauty through the years. You would be able to find cheaper siding but not one more economical and more durable. Most hardiplank manufacturers offer a 30 year to 50 year warranty. Most Hardie board installation is “do-it-yourself” but you can hire crews to do it for you as well. A three-person crew with scaffolds and nail guns should be able to install siding on a two-story home in about a weeks time.

The most time-consuming process of installing new Hardie board siding would be the pull down of old siding but if putting Hardie board on a new home the time required should be cut in half. In summary Hardie in board siding is a practical, economical and attractive way to side your exterior home. More and more people are looking into installing Hardie board on their homes because of its resilientness to unpredictable weather, insects, mold and other factors that will destroy your home’s beauty over time. It sustains paint for the life expectancy of the paint and won’t deteriorate for several decades. Hardie board is relatively easy to install and won’t take long for your home to be looking new. So when the time comes for you to purchase siding for your home consider Hardie board as your best choice.