My house is clad in Hardie Siding and I agree with everything Belinda said about it's pluses, but there's another one to add. It holds paint extremely well. It's dimensionally stable, so there's no peeling. Also, if the paint color fades and it will, you can repaint it and your house looks like new again. When vinyl fades, you're stick with it.
Metal siding is one of the most eco-friendly high performance options. Sure it costs a lot to make steel or aluminum, but once made, you can get paid by the pound by recyclers, so they allmost never end up in a landfill. Add that to the fact that they can last 100 years or more, and they are by far the best material for siding and roofing. In some places, stucco and plaster may be more eco friendly if materials are available locally, the wall behind isn't concrete, no plastic or metal lathe is used, etc.
@@harrygoldhagen2732 I find that difficult to believe. It's heavily used in agriculture, commercial, and industrial construction... I would contact ABC supply (or similar retailer of siding/roofing). They will know people who install it.
@@MiroBG359 steel isn't with much, but it's enough that it is commonly scrapped when a building is taken down. Aluminum is with much more. The point isn't the scrap value, it's that the fact that it's commonly recycled that makes it eco friendly.
My house was built in 1982 and has the original hardie board cladding. It is still going strong, and doesn't look like it will need changing anytime soon.
I worked with Hardi board a couple times and bring two tips for it: Expect it to eat saw blades rapidly. And it is brittle enough that it's best to use two people to move a full sheet around.
Thank you for the helpful summary! After Hurricane Harvey stripped most of the exterior from my coastal rental house, I reclad it with Hardie products that conform to the updated windstorm codes. No complaints so far! I'm probably going to do the same with my primary residence after the interior remodel is finished, since the original wood siding is really starting to show its age.
Option 1) FIBER CEMENT Option 2) FIBER CEMENT i have built a wooden frame and cladded it with fiber cement panels, and i am still happy to this day, it resist cracking by sunlight in a way PVC can never, and it took a couple of hailstorms and harsh wind weather like PVC could'nt... Fiber cement is superior to PVChloride, healthier too... Thank you Belinda😊
So I have seen a lot of siding in my day including really old stuff. Some of the best stuff is steel siding. Lasts a long time and can be cleaned in installed correctly. Fiber board, looks good when new yet as paint fades or chips rot sets in and it breaks away. Cedar wood shakes, I lived in a house that is 120 years old that has cedar shakes for the siding and is still in good shape. Its painted yellow. I added about 10 gallons of some yellow paint to it about 10 years ago. We drove by it a year ago and still in good shape. The bad thing about shakes is if you do not have a solid wall behind it, it can be drafty. The house has new windows and all the walls filled with cellous and it keeps nice inside. Aluminum siding. Both kinds, one is like siding the other is sheets that form seems. Aloca aluminum houses were popular in Bettendord and Davenport Iowa in the 60s I think. I lived in one when I was a kid in the 80s and as far as I remember it was fine. Sheet siding 4x8 requires painting, mostly used in those sheds and Its okay as it gives the lateral strenght that you might need. I watched them put up hardy board at my neighbor's house in which they took out the vinyl. It chips easy. There is one more house I forgot about, my friend Joe lives in one. Its a enameled painted steel house. I think its 75 years old and still in really good shape as long as you take care of it. Built out of full on enameled sheets all bolted or riveted together. Overall we are going to go with painted steel with house wrap and plywood 3/4 or 1 inch thick. Then all screws will be placed only in the horizontal 2x material. The screws are suppose to be screwed to specific amount to prevent rubber from twisting.
We are going to do painted steel. If we could afford to do cedar shakes we would in a heart beat as it will last a long time. Though slate tile is suppose to last a long time on roofs yet I do not know what type of siding. Though stucco can give a really nice appearance if you are willing to spend money on the trim and moldings. Brick can be great too provided its installed the right way. There are some shoddy builders out there and water intrusion can get behind it because of the gap. Brick houses are just siding these days and not structural. Stone houses which I have seen many are really nice yet there are fake stone siding that has the same problem. There is a house that no one lives in yet is kept in really nice shape and its made with some sort of stone blocks with a rough edge. The roof is a hip roof with wood shakes. The block wall is about a foot thick and while the inside is nearly empty the windows and doors still hold up. The real question is how much do you want to spend on siding and how long will it last. It all comes down to that.
Our hardie board sided house in NV was built in '99, and had been painted at least once by the previous owners by the time we bought it in 2018. We had to paint it again ~2021, and I noticed that a lot of the boards edges and bottoms had been absorbing water and swelling, particularly if there was any sort of damage or scratching in those areas... so I wouldn't call hardie board a 50 year product. Ours, at ~25 years, was honestly pretty rough and I would anticipate the folks we sold the house to in 2022 will probably have to redo the siding in the next 10 years.
Sorry you have this issue. Doesn't Hardieboard have to be sealed on the ends anytime a piece is cut-down to fit a space rather than being installed in full lengths from the factory? Most of the times I've seen it behave as you described, it had been cut and the installer didn't know about the sealing. No, I'm not selling their board, though I have installed some of it as a contractor. No, I don't know of a fix once this happens other than replacement.
@@Rickmakes A pro-rated parts only warranty might cover an eighth of the cost of replacing it, provided the warranty is transferable and you have the paperwork from 25 years ago.
@@mysterion4301 The installer did slather silicone on the ends; however I wouldn't say they did good job of it, and I don't know if that is the correct procedure. It looked pretty amateur to me; one of the many half-ass things we had to deal with but which were not found by the inspector, nor that we as first time buyers knew how to recognize.
I built a free standing sunroom in my backyard and used the Hardi cement board siding. I would never use it on a house. The boards come in 12 foot lengths. If you're installing it by yourself like I did you definitely need a set of helper/spacing brackets to hold it in place while you are face nailing it. And because it is face nailed if you ever have to change one out due to damage that will be a challenge. If it cracks or breaks off, there's no fix, you change the whole piece. When you pick it up you need to hold it in an upright position or it will snap. The edges absorb water so caulking is required between the end and the corner board. You need a special blade to cut it and you absolutely need a respirator.
The brittleness of Hardie in cold climates led us to rule out that option. We're currently planning LP SmartSide, but there's a slim chance we'll end up with metal siding from another company.
@@dosadoodle I have PVC siding on my house. It's more expensive than vinyl but because it's thicker it does not have the wavy potato chip look on long runs. It runs dead straight. I'm very happy with it.
@@603storm my apprehension about PVC is environmental considerations (general pollution, not harm to me or my property), but I also admittedly haven't looked into environmental harms from SmartSide manufacturing
@@603storm vinyl is PVC. PVC is PolyVinyl Chloride. Depending on the intended use there will be different additives, but they both are primarily polyvinyl chloride resin.
Vinyl siding is 100 percent recyclable. I work for a company that makes vinyl fence. We take our scrap from production, grind it and use it inside of out co-extruded product. It actually increases the strength of our product. We use the scrap vinyl siding from out sister companies and run it inside out fence product. They can reuse their scrap in some of their products. It has to do with the color of the product. When I finally decide to reside my house all of my siding will go to a recycler that will grind it up, turn it into pellets to be used in another product. No waste, no landfill. The recycler will pay me for the material that I supply to him. Once cement has been cured it can not be reused other than landfill.
I always enjoy your videos. You have become a go-to individual for me. I am looking forward to your upcoming videos. Thank you for all of your knowledge and hard work.
I always appreciate your insight and explanation of building techniques. My house in Iowa has steel siding while my garage is vinyl siding. Both perform very well so far (20 years). I do like the noise reduction and fire suppression qualities of Hardie board siding over other choices. My neighbor has Hardie board siding and the only problem has been color fading, making it hard to replace remodeled sections.
Belinda, your videos are always full of useful and comprehensive information and you always seem to be talking about exactly what I need at the time as I am currently gathering information about new siding for my home. I've been looking both at Hardy and LP fiber board and they seem to be comparable except for the color coat. Hardy applies their color coat at their factory and it's baked on and LP sends their planks out to another factory and it seems to be a spayed on coating I cannot confirm if it's baked on but LP is cheaper. Thanks for the additional information, you're the best 😁
The best way to cut flat fibre cement sheet is by scoring and snapping. With some planning it is even possible to cut curves and holes with this technique, though there is a bit of wastage if you are not dividing the sheet in a straight line. There are special tools made for this, but a box cutter and straight edge will do the job if you snap off the blunted blade every so often.
Glad to see you back at a review/comparison vid. I enjoy those post the most. Hardie fan myself. Very durable and will use it extensively on or next home. Stucco on or current house. I don't mind the looks, but it cracks in time, leading to aggraviting repair. Also, seems to be the preferred surface for dirt dauber nest.
It's interesting to see and learn about these synthetic cladding options. As far i'm aware, they aren't widely used in Norway. Most houses here are typically clad with wood. Hardie fiber seems like a good alternative
I personally will never put wood on the outside of a building. It requires a lot of maintenance, is not at all fire resistant, and rots in a wet climate like mine unless it's painted/stained often. I used synthetic trim and siding on my shop I'm building, and love that even if the paint falls off, it won't rot. But I'm jealous of how much better built your structures are. We live in what are essentially sheds here. It's why people can afford big houses.
Hadi plank holds paint for twice as long as wood and masonite sidings. In most cases the hard plank is painted and vinyl is a finished product. The added cost of painting should be taken into account when comparing cost. Love your productions.
I built a small addition on my home about 15 years ago and used Hardie shingles even though the rest of my house was stucco. I loved it so much that when my builder made me an offer that was too good to refuse, we ripped off all of the stucco and replaced it with shingles. It was the best thing that I ever did to the exterior of my house. I love it. And it still looks like new 15 years later. We have a couple of neighbours with vinyl and it just looks cheap. One downside. We found out many years later that during the shingle installation, the installer shot a nail through our natural gas line. Who knows how much this cost us in excess nat gas usage over the years. So, be careful.
Another benefit of both is the color is typically infused in the material so minor scratches are less visible. While I question if fiber cement boards can actually last 50 years in Maine, I’m equally skeptical that vinyl siding would last 20 years. Installation costs are typically higher for fiber cement, but worth the extra, in my opinion. With material costs pretty much on par, there’s little reason to go a different route. I’m speaking as a homeowner. Contractors may feel differently.
Here in the northeast US, I have seen cement board installed too close to grade, where it can become water saturated. When it goes through freeze thaw cycles, it can delaminate. Outside of that, I agree, it is better.
I would agree that Hardie boards are the more durable product. However, I've seen cheaper Hardie board used in my area to compete with vinyl siding, and the Hardie board definitely doesn't hold up nearly as well, suffering more damage during installation and absorbing water on any exposed edge or surface damage. A good installation of Hardie board is better than a good installation of vinyl, but much more expensive.
I view siding as a sacrificial layer protecting everything behind it. To me replacing wood siding every decade or so is a more preferable option due to end-of-life options and the ability to see what happened behind the siding.
All I know is that I had someone from Hardie do a quote for my home to potentially replace my wood siding. The quote was ridiculously expensive. I like the look of it, but not for the price they were asking.
I decided to use vinyl after I watched a neighbor install hardie board. First he was quoted $50k just to install the board so he did it himself. It took him 3 months to complete. It does look nice though!!
Really pick any cheap siding and spend money on a large overhang. Something 4 feet or larger. Large overhang will stop water from hitting the siding and if you concrete the 4 feet under it with a curb the water splash will keep 4 feet away. Then sideways rain can prevent some of it hitting the siding based on angle and roof height. If you do not build traditional gable ends and bring out the roof the whole way around the house. Four feet all the way around then you have a 4 foot concrete walk way all the way around. In the event you need basement windows you place that roof 8 feet overhang. If done right you should be able to get away with a 8 foot unsupported over hang. Do not quote me on that, something I recall reading. Large overhang protects your foundation and siding. The roof doing the build of the work. Also with that larger over hang you will get insulation of the thickness you need near the exterior wall edges. Thick about it if you ceiling goes to the roof trusses right on the edge you would never meet the insulation code for the exterior walls.
Hardie installers often done leave an adequate gap at the bottom or don't seal it. So it goes though wet/dry cycles and crumbles. I had to trim an inch gap between the siding and roof with an angle grinder and masonry blade. It's hard to fix because its very brittle at that point.
I’d be interested in more detail on the maintenance and durability in colder temperature. Eastern canadian here. Hardie plank has not lived up to the durability in our Canadian winters in my experience. I regret it greatly.
I had vinyl siding installed on the back of my house over 20 years ago. It was cheap. Going strong, should last another 20 easily. Every once in awhile I need to power wash the east end when algae accumulates, but Dawn and bleach solves that easily. But what is your opinion on Drivit? With all the buzz about the "Pefect Wall" and "Outsulation" seems like it would be a good choice.
Having grown up in California I'm more prone to choose the fireproof option. Have you looked into solar shielding? it's like siding but it has standoffs of about 6 in Long.
There's no question that fiber cement products are better. After Hurricane Michael I made sure to note the difference between the vinyl siding homes and the fiber cement siding homes. It was no contest: the siding on the vinyl homes was obliterated, including the very popular vinyl soffits. The fiber cement siding held extremely well. I did see a few failures where lap siding boards were not installed properly for high wind zones.
I feel "forced" into using vinyl siding. I would prefer to use the Hardie products but I work alone and time and weight are the key factors for me. (sounds like I've made some wrong decisions and now find myself in a pickle...) tHanks for the video. I really enjoyed the rain wall tech you shared in past videos.
Hi, I think you explain things really well, thank you. Would you know about Mivan construction vs Brick? I feel Indian buyers both in the primary and secondary market are increasingly faced with this question.
You forgot to mention how much vinyl siding can move and warp in certain climates. All material can move, but what you showed at 4:15 is likely not caused by "scratches and dents" but from the sun. This happens especially in colder climates on a cool day, where the sun bounces off neighboring house windows. While cement board also expands/contracts, it doesn't warp nearly as easily and look like this.
A recent hailstorm completely destroyed houses with vinyl siding, but hardie fiber faired well. Are there more eco-friendly options than hardie fiber? How about metal siding? maybe aluminum?
Great video! Can you apply a fiber cement board directly overtop of an existing asbestocide exterior, or is it recommended to strap the exterior with 1x4s first? In any case, I don't want to touch the asbestos siding and would rather encapsulate it in some way, and it would be a lot easier to just directly cover it up with a product like fibre cement board, rather than go through the expense of strapping. But wondered if it would affect the moisture barrier between old and new siding without strapping. This is a heritage house where I want to maintain the character without too many exterior changes. Northern Climate zone.
Hello, did James Hardie sponsor this video? I’m curious why the video only refers to Hardie, instead of all cementitious siding since there are several brands made with the same technology, materials, some with better warranties.
"Hardie" has become the "aspirin" of cementitious siding. Everyone around here calls it that, no matter who makes the product or what label they gave it. 🤣
I hate vinyl siding, but I hate Hardie Cement siding even more. I prefer brick or a stone look composite siding. Also, would you be able to do a video on the brick-Stone composite siding?
The added weight of Cement board is my concern because I am considering new siding on a Mobile Home I just purchased to possibly flip or keep as a rental.
I agree Hardi is superior , however as a house painter Hardi will need painting as paint fades and dulls, so its back to the regular maintenance that vinyl does not . i have painted Hardi and painted it again 17 years later and it can be blistered by water intrusion. Vinyl has a much easier method of replacement .
Vinyl siding fades like crazy and look like crap after 10 years. Repaint the Hardie Siding every 6 or 7 years and the house looks new again. If you don't care if your siding is faded and crappy looking then vinyl is final.
What you didn't cover is the added labor for caulking all of the seams in Hardie plank siding. I've seen dozens of buildings with really crappy caulking. Especially at the corners. All of the install contractors just want to make as much as they can during each job so they don't seem to scrutinize the caulking. Moisture, insects etc can enter. I vote for vinyl as it's easier to install, lighter to handle, doesn't take any specialized tools and it is easy to repair. BTW, it's also recyclable. Just take your vinyl siding to the siding store and they return it to the manufacturer so it can be melted and reused. At least they did it for me.
I'm also in an extreme fire danger area. I'm getting Hardi siding very soon. I currently have particle board siding with a paper top layer. I wouldn't recommend particle board as siding!
You can cut fiber cement with minimal dust (as shown in the video) by using electric shears designed for the purpose. Also, fiber cement siding WILL absorb moisture and warp/expand at cut ends if they are not sealed. Also "Hardie Plank" is just a brand. It'd be nice if it was clearer and the material was referred to consistently as "fiber cement siding". Also, I think the lifespans of the materials is grossly understated. There's no real reason why fiber cement fails after 50 years. And there is a ton of vinyl siding out there that is close to 50 years old and still going fine. Some of it has faded though. Much of the old siding was white, so fading isn't much of an issue. Really it would make a better video if contractors who install the stuff were consulted. It'd be more interesting and informative. BTW calling an 8:40 video "in-depth" is a bit of a stretch (if it was a Joke - sorry!).
@@Mayamax3 I tend to go metal, stucco, brick or stone veneer. I have had cypress and cedar cladding, but this goes back to painting.The galvanized SIPs I have for walls don't really require any cladding
The _This Old House_ segment shows, at 4:58, fibre cement board being sawn indoors. This is explicitly prohibited by James Hardie due to the silica dust hazard.
I'd be curious more about external insulation on old homes and how they work with siding options. Seems like the insulation should be integrated into the siding product or system but maybe that's just me being a silly end user with no concept of the logistics of building material science.
I sheathed my South Texas house with 1 inch foam board that has a reflective foil face on both sides, then covered it with vinyl. With 2x6 studs the walls are at least R26 and maybe more due to the reflective barrier and the air space created by the vinyl. 40 years later the vinyl still looks new, and all we do is spray off the dust and pollen every spring. And right now it's 99 degrees outside and my 1400 sq ft upstairs is kept at 75 degrees by a 5000 btu window air conditioner.
The biggest problem with siding is that it is most of the time attached to moisture sensitive board without a proper distance for ventilation inbetween. Siding is never 100% moisture tight.
wish I could search comments to see if Adding Insulation When Siding was mentioned. Insulation can be bonded to vinyl ( not great if glued). Added as external sheets for more $. Both methods should have a breakeven via utility bills. 20% of vinyl only cost is lost when comparing effect on home value.
Every time I have re-covered a house in vinyl, I have put up a layer of foam insulation. The R-value is only like 3 per inch. The main purpose of the foam was to make the surface flat again.
In the fiber cement board manufacturing description, the silica, wood pulp, and water are mentioned... but then magically the slurry contains "cement" at 2:02. What is the "cement", if it is distinct from the sand (silica)?
@larrypahl5756 portland cement is not sand, and not silica. There is no mention of adding portland cement, or other forms of calcium silicates. Did you read anything about portland cement yourself before posting?
For me, vinyl siding looks cheap. You can usually tell that a house has vinyl siding just by looking at it. You know that less expensive houses have this type of vinyl siding. However a house that has Hardie board or Smartside, looks better (more natural/genuine). I would be more interested in a comparison between Hardiboard, Smartside, and maybe a steel or aluminum option. I will never put vinyl on my house.
In the Southern Hemisphere vinyl siding doesn't last as long as 'normal' due to the harsher sun conditions - UV. I'm not sure why they continue to make chlorinated hydrocarbon products given the toxic aspects of disposal and burning.
I had no idea that Hardy was as cheap, or cheaper than vinyl. I thought vinyl was the cheapest. As for other options, i watched another video recently that showed a metal siding that looked just like wood or Hardy.
I think and I'll say it again everything you have showed me I'm taking all of evice on the products I have seen so far one question are u single . Coolcat dan 🎉🎉🎉
My house vinyl, although, vinyl is not what I would have chosen, has held up over 30 years on the coast of Texas. Meanwhile, the Hardie Plank on my outbuildings has been a nightmare since day one. I despise it.
Really expensive and can still have major problems. Just check out brand new builds with them. Gaps, cracks and water seeping in behind them. They are no longer part of the structure anymore and are just fake walls set in front of your framed house. They allow bugs to get behind them. I have seen a small brick wall pulled off a house and the entire thing was filled with sleeping flys. They found a way in though a small hole and filled it up. The best siding would be what ever one can afford and a really large overhang. Overhangs with more than 4 feet is ideal and should keep nearly everything off of it.
@@kameljoe21 Oh, I wasn't talking about sidings. I was talking about homes made with actual bricks, real bricks, like we do them in Europe: real masonry
@@bla9803 While I do understand that Europe claims to build better, they do not always do so. How many brand new true stone buildings are going up in your neighborhood right now. Plus you also have to consider that many places unless they are farmland being turned in to new homes are going to be remolded due to their age. America is vastly larger and has the ability to drive a few miles outside the city and land in farm land, buy it and build a brand new development. While europe might consider the value of that farmland and how much said country has and prevent this via the council. The council in Europe has a lot more control and can prevent people from building. Even if there is a need to do so. They can even prevent the tear down of a place as well as requirement in how and what you can build, type wise. Though I still think you should go and find a dozen new construction sites being built right now and see what they are being made of or if they are being remolded.
@@kameljoe21 a lot, and i mean it. 99 percent of new buildings where I live are built in concrete bricks. farmlands are bought by property developers, then get authorisations to build new neighbourhoods OR private citizen buy land and build, ALWAYS in concrete bricks; it's just the norm here (FRANCE). When it's an old building, like an old farm, they use both local limestones and concrete bricks (depends on the project).
Looking for your resume that contains your qualifications or hands-on experience in the building industry? Is there a video that shows your qualifications? You have quite a few videos on a wide range of topics related to building, and construction materials. Thank you.
There's a green one and a pink one And a blue one and a yellow one, And they're all made out of ticky tacky And they all look just the same... USE BRICK ... 200yrs+ later still there still fuctional ... just a thought .. u.s .... Three Little Pigs ... nursery rime. + rocket science lol
Hardie siding is far superior. I have installed lots of both products. Hardie siding has to be installed with about an 1/8 th gap between ends of planks to allow for thermal expansions. If Hardie siding is installed tight joint to joint, it is prone to spalling at the junction. Hardie has very good instructions on how to install. Vinyl siding, as Belinda notes, is good for probably no longer than 20 years as in deteriorates do to UV rays. Old vinyl siding becomes chalking from UV deterioration.. Plus old vinyl siding is prone to mold and moss growth and seems to collect lots of air borne dust and dirt over time. Pressure washing vinyl siding is an “iffy” process as you can force a lot of water into the overlapping joints and up into the overhanging joints subjecting the house sheathing to water exposure and subsequent rotting.
I'm not sure why you say fiber cement siding is lower maintenance. It needs to be painted every 3-5 years, where vinyl generally doesn't need to be painted during its useful life.
![Chris Langan - The Interview THEY Didn't Want You To See - CTMU [Full Version; Timestamps]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/9miVG2xT5jY/mqdefault.jpg)
Good to have you back making videos.
My house is clad in Hardie Siding and I agree with everything Belinda said about it's pluses, but there's another one to add. It holds paint extremely well. It's dimensionally stable, so there's no peeling. Also, if the paint color fades and it will, you can repaint it and your house looks like new again. When vinyl fades, you're stick with it.
Metal siding is one of the most eco-friendly high performance options. Sure it costs a lot to make steel or aluminum, but once made, you can get paid by the pound by recyclers, so they allmost never end up in a landfill. Add that to the fact that they can last 100 years or more, and they are by far the best material for siding and roofing. In some places, stucco and plaster may be more eco friendly if materials are available locally, the wall behind isn't concrete, no plastic or metal lathe is used, etc.
I wanted to get metal siding, but no one installs it here in Vermont, only DIY.
@@harrygoldhagen2732 I find that difficult to believe. It's heavily used in agriculture, commercial, and industrial construction... I would contact ABC supply (or similar retailer of siding/roofing). They will know people who install it.
it would be worth next to nothing if you were to take it to the recycler
@@MiroBG359 steel isn't with much, but it's enough that it is commonly scrapped when a building is taken down. Aluminum is with much more. The point isn't the scrap value, it's that the fact that it's commonly recycled that makes it eco friendly.
Plus you can get any look with aluminum siding. It can look just like wood and feel like wood.
My house was built in 1982 and has the original hardie board cladding. It is still going strong, and doesn't look like it will need changing anytime soon.
What a well timed video. A neighbor is in the process of having his old siding replaced with what looks like Hardieplank.
Another great piece by my favorite industry critic.
Yes, she seems delightfully Honest ! Well, delightful in general. She is uplifting.
Editing style changed .. i can see the quality of work
I worked with Hardi board a couple times and bring two tips for it: Expect it to eat saw blades rapidly. And it is brittle enough that it's best to use two people to move a full sheet around.
Buy and use recommended diamond blades for Hardie type siding. They are worth the extra cost and supply a smoother cut.
Thank you for the helpful summary! After Hurricane Harvey stripped most of the exterior from my coastal rental house, I reclad it with Hardie products that conform to the updated windstorm codes. No complaints so far! I'm probably going to do the same with my primary residence after the interior remodel is finished, since the original wood siding is really starting to show its age.
Option 1) FIBER CEMENT
Option 2) FIBER CEMENT
i have built a wooden frame and cladded it with fiber cement panels, and i am still happy to this day, it resist cracking by sunlight in a way PVC can never, and it took a couple of hailstorms and harsh wind weather like PVC could'nt... Fiber cement is superior to PVChloride, healthier too... Thank you Belinda😊
Standing seam steel roof makes a good option for wall cladding. Lasts forever and is recyclable.
So I have seen a lot of siding in my day including really old stuff.
Some of the best stuff is steel siding. Lasts a long time and can be cleaned in installed correctly.
Fiber board, looks good when new yet as paint fades or chips rot sets in and it breaks away.
Cedar wood shakes, I lived in a house that is 120 years old that has cedar shakes for the siding and is still in good shape. Its painted yellow. I added about 10 gallons of some yellow paint to it about 10 years ago. We drove by it a year ago and still in good shape. The bad thing about shakes is if you do not have a solid wall behind it, it can be drafty. The house has new windows and all the walls filled with cellous and it keeps nice inside.
Aluminum siding. Both kinds, one is like siding the other is sheets that form seems. Aloca aluminum houses were popular in Bettendord and Davenport Iowa in the 60s I think. I lived in one when I was a kid in the 80s and as far as I remember it was fine.
Sheet siding 4x8 requires painting, mostly used in those sheds and Its okay as it gives the lateral strenght that you might need.
I watched them put up hardy board at my neighbor's house in which they took out the vinyl. It chips easy.
There is one more house I forgot about, my friend Joe lives in one. Its a enameled painted steel house. I think its 75 years old and still in really good shape as long as you take care of it. Built out of full on enameled sheets all bolted or riveted together.
Overall we are going to go with painted steel with house wrap and plywood 3/4 or 1 inch thick. Then all screws will be placed only in the horizontal 2x material. The screws are suppose to be screwed to specific amount to prevent rubber from twisting.
We are going to do painted steel. If we could afford to do cedar shakes we would in a heart beat as it will last a long time. Though slate tile is suppose to last a long time on roofs yet I do not know what type of siding.
Though stucco can give a really nice appearance if you are willing to spend money on the trim and moldings.
Brick can be great too provided its installed the right way. There are some shoddy builders out there and water intrusion can get behind it because of the gap. Brick houses are just siding these days and not structural. Stone houses which I have seen many are really nice yet there are fake stone siding that has the same problem.
There is a house that no one lives in yet is kept in really nice shape and its made with some sort of stone blocks with a rough edge. The roof is a hip roof with wood shakes. The block wall is about a foot thick and while the inside is nearly empty the windows and doors still hold up.
The real question is how much do you want to spend on siding and how long will it last. It all comes down to that.
Our hardie board sided house in NV was built in '99, and had been painted at least once by the previous owners by the time we bought it in 2018. We had to paint it again ~2021, and I noticed that a lot of the boards edges and bottoms had been absorbing water and swelling, particularly if there was any sort of damage or scratching in those areas... so I wouldn't call hardie board a 50 year product. Ours, at ~25 years, was honestly pretty rough and I would anticipate the folks we sold the house to in 2022 will probably have to redo the siding in the next 10 years.
It has a 50 year warranty so 8 would look into that. Are you sure it is Hardie? Sounds like Masonite.
@@Rickmakes Or OSB, which to the untrained eye can look like fiber cement and often has the problems described by the writer above.
Sorry you have this issue. Doesn't Hardieboard have to be sealed on the ends anytime a piece is cut-down to fit a space rather than being installed in full lengths from the factory? Most of the times I've seen it behave as you described, it had been cut and the installer didn't know about the sealing. No, I'm not selling their board, though I have installed some of it as a contractor. No, I don't know of a fix once this happens other than replacement.
@@Rickmakes A pro-rated parts only warranty might cover an eighth of the cost of replacing it, provided the warranty is transferable and you have the paperwork from 25 years ago.
@@mysterion4301 The installer did slather silicone on the ends; however I wouldn't say they did good job of it, and I don't know if that is the correct procedure. It looked pretty amateur to me; one of the many half-ass things we had to deal with but which were not found by the inspector, nor that we as first time buyers knew how to recognize.
One of my fave RUclipsrs. Thanks for the informative video. Great to see you post again.
Thanks.. Hardie Cement Board !!!
I built a free standing sunroom in my backyard and used the Hardi cement board siding. I would never use it on a house. The boards come in 12 foot lengths. If you're installing it by yourself like I did you definitely need a set of helper/spacing brackets to hold it in place while you are face nailing it. And because it is face nailed if you ever have to change one out due to damage that will be a challenge. If it cracks or breaks off, there's no fix, you change the whole piece. When you pick it up you need to hold it in an upright position or it will snap. The edges absorb water so caulking is required between the end and the corner board. You need a special blade to cut it and you absolutely need a respirator.
The brittleness of Hardie in cold climates led us to rule out that option. We're currently planning LP SmartSide, but there's a slim chance we'll end up with metal siding from another company.
@@dosadoodle I have PVC siding on my house. It's more expensive than vinyl but because it's thicker it does not have the wavy potato chip look on long runs. It runs dead straight. I'm very happy with it.
@@603storm my apprehension about PVC is environmental considerations (general pollution, not harm to me or my property), but I also admittedly haven't looked into environmental harms from SmartSide manufacturing
@@dosadoodle it’s a valid concern. At the time I had my house sided that was not on my radar.
@@603storm vinyl is PVC. PVC is PolyVinyl Chloride. Depending on the intended use there will be different additives, but they both are primarily polyvinyl chloride resin.
Metal clad pumicecrete building is a great option
Take care Ray
Vinyl siding is 100 percent recyclable. I work for a company that makes vinyl fence. We take our scrap from production, grind it and use it inside of out co-extruded product. It actually increases the strength of our product. We use the scrap vinyl siding from out sister companies and run it inside out fence product. They can reuse their scrap in some of their products. It has to do with the color of the product. When I finally decide to reside my house all of my siding will go to a recycler that will grind it up, turn it into pellets to be used in another product. No waste, no landfill. The recycler will pay me for the material that I supply to him. Once cement has been cured it can not be reused other than landfill.
Great video Belinda - thanks for providing this info to everyone. You're indispensable!
I always enjoy your videos. You have become a go-to individual for me.
I am looking forward to your upcoming videos. Thank you for all of your knowledge and hard work.
I always appreciate your insight and explanation of building techniques. My house in Iowa has steel siding while my garage is vinyl siding. Both perform very well so far (20 years). I do like the noise reduction and fire suppression qualities of Hardie board siding over other choices. My neighbor has Hardie board siding and the only problem has been color fading, making it hard to replace remodeled sections.
I love your material comparison videos! My only complaint is that you don't make more of them 😅
LP SmartSide would have been nice to see in this comparison.
I like Smartside - in regions where periods of rain is sporadic
Thank you again for your videos. Your content is well informed, well documented, organized and objective.
Belinda, your videos are always full of useful and comprehensive information and you always seem to be talking about exactly what I need at the time as I am currently gathering information about new siding for my home. I've been looking both at Hardy and LP fiber board and they seem to be comparable except for the color coat. Hardy applies their color coat at their factory and it's baked on and LP sends their planks out to another factory and it seems to be a spayed on coating I cannot confirm if it's baked on but LP is cheaper. Thanks for the additional information, you're the best 😁
My house has vinyl but my grandma's had Hardy, hers looked better and held up better, and if you pick an appropriate color it won't look faded
The best way to cut flat fibre cement sheet is by scoring and snapping. With some planning it is even possible to cut curves and holes with this technique, though there is a bit of wastage if you are not dividing the sheet in a straight line. There are special tools made for this, but a box cutter and straight edge will do the job if you snap off the blunted blade every so often.
Glad to see you back at a review/comparison vid. I enjoy those post the most. Hardie fan myself. Very durable and will use it extensively on or next home. Stucco on or current house. I don't mind the looks, but it cracks in time, leading to aggraviting repair. Also, seems to be the preferred surface for dirt dauber nest.
It's interesting to see and learn about these synthetic cladding options. As far i'm aware, they aren't widely used in Norway. Most houses here are typically clad with wood. Hardie fiber seems like a good alternative
I personally will never put wood on the outside of a building. It requires a lot of maintenance, is not at all fire resistant, and rots in a wet climate like mine unless it's painted/stained often. I used synthetic trim and siding on my shop I'm building, and love that even if the paint falls off, it won't rot.
But I'm jealous of how much better built your structures are. We live in what are essentially sheds here. It's why people can afford big houses.
Hadi plank holds paint for twice as long as wood and masonite sidings. In most cases the hard plank is painted and vinyl is a finished product. The added cost of painting should be taken into account when comparing cost. Love your productions.
Paint is cheap compared to messing around with vinyl.
I built a small addition on my home about 15 years ago and used Hardie shingles even though the rest of my house was stucco. I loved it so much that when my builder made me an offer that was too good to refuse, we ripped off all of the stucco and replaced it with shingles. It was the best thing that I ever did to the exterior of my house. I love it. And it still looks like new 15 years later. We have a couple of neighbours with vinyl and it just looks cheap. One downside. We found out many years later that during the shingle installation, the installer shot a nail through our natural gas line. Who knows how much this cost us in excess nat gas usage over the years. So, be careful.
Another benefit of both is the color is typically infused in the material so minor scratches are less visible. While I question if fiber cement boards can actually last 50 years in Maine, I’m equally skeptical that vinyl siding would last 20 years. Installation costs are typically higher for fiber cement, but worth the extra, in my opinion. With material costs pretty much on par, there’s little reason to go a different route. I’m speaking as a homeowner. Contractors may feel differently.
Here in the northeast US, I have seen cement board installed too close to grade, where it can become water saturated. When it goes through freeze thaw cycles, it can delaminate. Outside of that, I agree, it is better.
I would agree that Hardie boards are the more durable product. However, I've seen cheaper Hardie board used in my area to compete with vinyl siding, and the Hardie board definitely doesn't hold up nearly as well, suffering more damage during installation and absorbing water on any exposed edge or surface damage. A good installation of Hardie board is better than a good installation of vinyl, but much more expensive.
I view siding as a sacrificial layer protecting everything behind it. To me replacing wood siding every decade or so is a more preferable option due to end-of-life options and the ability to see what happened behind the siding.
All I know is that I had someone from Hardie do a quote for my home to potentially replace my wood siding. The quote was ridiculously expensive. I like the look of it, but not for the price they were asking.
Just do it yourself man. Youndont need anyone else to do it for you. Especially for that price. Besides, You'll probably enjoy it :)
I usualy use larch wood for the facade. Low cost, no maintenance the first 20 years and can easily be composted or burned.
Curious to learn how aluminum siding compares as it's what I have on my home
Aluminum is excellent, but nobody that works for a living can afford to cover their house with it these days.
I decided to use vinyl after I watched a neighbor install hardie board. First he was quoted $50k just to install the board so he did it himself. It took him 3 months to complete. It does look nice though!!
How many sqft ?
Stucco might be cheaper.
Great video. Thank you!
Thanks!
Really pick any cheap siding and spend money on a large overhang. Something 4 feet or larger. Large overhang will stop water from hitting the siding and if you concrete the 4 feet under it with a curb the water splash will keep 4 feet away. Then sideways rain can prevent some of it hitting the siding based on angle and roof height. If you do not build traditional gable ends and bring out the roof the whole way around the house. Four feet all the way around then you have a 4 foot concrete walk way all the way around. In the event you need basement windows you place that roof 8 feet overhang. If done right you should be able to get away with a 8 foot unsupported over hang. Do not quote me on that, something I recall reading. Large overhang protects your foundation and siding. The roof doing the build of the work. Also with that larger over hang you will get insulation of the thickness you need near the exterior wall edges. Thick about it if you ceiling goes to the roof trusses right on the edge you would never meet the insulation code for the exterior walls.
I had no idea the cost was almost equal. I have a strong distaste for vinyl siding. Hardie board sounds like a solid option.
Hardie installers often done leave an adequate gap at the bottom or don't seal it. So it goes though wet/dry cycles and crumbles. I had to trim an inch gap between the siding and roof with an angle grinder and masonry blade. It's hard to fix because its very brittle at that point.
I’d be interested in more detail on the maintenance and durability in colder temperature. Eastern canadian here. Hardie plank has not lived up to the durability in our Canadian winters in my experience. I regret it greatly.
I had vinyl siding installed on the back of my house over 20 years ago. It was cheap. Going strong, should last another 20 easily. Every once in awhile I need to power wash the east end when algae accumulates, but Dawn and bleach solves that easily. But what is your opinion on Drivit? With all the buzz about the "Pefect Wall" and "Outsulation" seems like it would be a good choice.
thank you for this information.
Having grown up in California I'm more prone to choose the fireproof option.
Have you looked into solar shielding?
it's like siding but it has standoffs of about 6 in Long.
Great video
There's no question that fiber cement products are better. After Hurricane Michael I made sure to note the difference between the vinyl siding homes and the fiber cement siding homes. It was no contest: the siding on the vinyl homes was obliterated, including the very popular vinyl soffits. The fiber cement siding held extremely well. I did see a few failures where lap siding boards were not installed properly for high wind zones.
I feel "forced" into using vinyl siding.
I would prefer to use the Hardie products but I work alone and time and weight are the key factors for me.
(sounds like I've made some wrong decisions and now find myself in a pickle...) tHanks for the video. I really enjoyed the rain wall tech you shared in past videos.
Hi, I think you explain things really well, thank you. Would you know about Mivan construction vs Brick? I feel Indian buyers both in the primary and secondary market are increasingly faced with this question.
You forgot to mention how much vinyl siding can move and warp in certain climates. All material can move, but what you showed at 4:15 is likely not caused by "scratches and dents" but from the sun. This happens especially in colder climates on a cool day, where the sun bounces off neighboring house windows. While cement board also expands/contracts, it doesn't warp nearly as easily and look like this.
Belinda, have a look at the James Hardy history in relation to asbestos.
Missed you!!!!!
A recent hailstorm completely destroyed houses with vinyl siding, but hardie fiber faired well.
Are there more eco-friendly options than hardie fiber? How about metal siding? maybe aluminum?
Great video! Can you apply a fiber cement board directly overtop of an existing asbestocide exterior, or is it recommended to strap the exterior with 1x4s first? In any case, I don't want to touch the asbestos siding and would rather encapsulate it in some way, and it would be a lot easier to just directly cover it up with a product like fibre cement board, rather than go through the expense of strapping. But wondered if it would affect the moisture barrier between old and new siding without strapping. This is a heritage house where I want to maintain the character without too many exterior changes. Northern Climate zone.
2:44 It even has wood texture? WOW!
Would you use Hardie on a new house in AZ? I really don't want or like the stucco everyone uses but that heat might make it my only option.
Good video 👍
I thought silica sand was in short supply?
Cheers
The only slight advantage I can see of vinyl over Hardiplank is cost and not by much. One could argue that total weight could be a plus.
Painting vinyl is iffy were as Hardie Planks look like new again after a fresh coat.
Hello, did James Hardie sponsor this video? I’m curious why the video only refers to Hardie, instead of all cementitious siding since there are several brands made with the same technology, materials, some with better warranties.
"Hardie" has become the "aspirin" of cementitious siding. Everyone around here calls it that, no matter who makes the product or what label they gave it. 🤣
True that!
Just like Jello. It's gelatin, but everyone calls it Jello.
@@Mayamax3 In any comment thread on the internet, there's always room for Jello!
I prefer hempcrete block construction with a simple lime stucco finish.
Stucco is good option.
I hate vinyl siding, but I hate Hardie Cement siding even more. I prefer brick or a stone look composite siding. Also, would you be able to do a video on the brick-Stone composite siding?
i'd like to see fiber cement vs. LP SmartSide (not sure if there's a generic for that)
The added weight of Cement board is my concern because I am considering new siding on a Mobile Home I just purchased to possibly flip or keep as a rental.
Vinyl and aluminum blew down the street in west Florida when the last few hurricanes blew through, the Hardy board held up better.
What do you think of polyash siding? Duration makes it and it looks to be far superior to cement or wood.
I still prefer vinyl siding, plus it’s easier to install
I agree Hardi is superior , however as a house painter Hardi will need painting as paint fades and dulls, so its back to the regular maintenance that vinyl does not .
i have painted Hardi and painted it again 17 years later and it can be blistered by water intrusion. Vinyl has a much easier method of replacement .
Vinyl siding fades like crazy and look like crap after 10 years. Repaint the Hardie Siding every 6 or 7 years and the house looks new again. If you don't care if your siding is faded and crappy looking then vinyl is final.
What you didn't cover is the added labor for caulking all of the seams in Hardie plank siding. I've seen dozens of buildings with really crappy caulking. Especially at the corners. All of the install contractors just want to make as much as they can during each job so they don't seem to scrutinize the caulking. Moisture, insects etc can enter. I vote for vinyl as it's easier to install, lighter to handle, doesn't take any specialized tools and it is easy to repair. BTW, it's also recyclable. Just take your vinyl siding to the siding store and they return it to the manufacturer so it can be melted and reused. At least they did it for me.
Another function of siding is to protect the home against fire. (I live in California.)
I'm also in an extreme fire danger area. I'm getting Hardi siding very soon. I currently have particle board siding with a paper top layer. I wouldn't recommend particle board as siding!
So how does it compare to stone veneer (I see this used more often)?
You can cut fiber cement with minimal dust (as shown in the video) by using electric shears designed for the purpose. Also, fiber cement siding WILL absorb moisture and warp/expand at cut ends if they are not sealed. Also "Hardie Plank" is just a brand. It'd be nice if it was clearer and the material was referred to consistently as "fiber cement siding". Also, I think the lifespans of the materials is grossly understated. There's no real reason why fiber cement fails after 50 years. And there is a ton of vinyl siding out there that is close to 50 years old and still going fine. Some of it has faded though. Much of the old siding was white, so fading isn't much of an issue. Really it would make a better video if contractors who install the stuff were consulted. It'd be more interesting and informative. BTW calling an 8:40 video "in-depth" is a bit of a stretch (if it was a Joke - sorry!).
If you like painting Hardie is the way to go.
I don't enjoy painting, but when you put a fresh coat on, the house looks new again. Vinyl, no bueno.
@@Mayamax3 I tend to go metal, stucco, brick or stone veneer. I have had cypress and cedar cladding, but this goes back to painting.The galvanized SIPs I have for walls don't really require any cladding
after spending more forty years in residential construction pick the Hardie plank
The _This Old House_ segment shows, at 4:58, fibre cement board being sawn indoors. This is explicitly prohibited by James Hardie due to the silica dust hazard.
What is the carbon foot print of cement board ref sustainability ?
I don't know why even 50 year life is considered acceptable. To me, a maintained house should last centuries, not 20-50 years.
I'd be curious more about external insulation on old homes and how they work with siding options. Seems like the insulation should be integrated into the siding product or system but maybe that's just me being a silly end user with no concept of the logistics of building material science.
I sheathed my South Texas house with 1 inch foam board that has a reflective foil face on both sides, then covered it with vinyl. With 2x6 studs the walls are at least R26 and maybe more due to the reflective barrier and the air space created by the vinyl. 40 years later the vinyl still looks new, and all we do is spray off the dust and pollen every spring. And right now it's 99 degrees outside and my 1400 sq ft upstairs is kept at 75 degrees by a 5000 btu window air conditioner.
The biggest problem with siding is that it is most of the time attached to moisture sensitive board without a proper distance for ventilation inbetween. Siding is never 100% moisture tight.
wish I could search comments to see if Adding Insulation When Siding was mentioned. Insulation can be bonded to vinyl ( not great if glued). Added as external sheets for more $. Both methods should have a breakeven via utility bills. 20% of vinyl only cost is lost when comparing effect on home value.
Every time I have re-covered a house in vinyl, I have put up a layer of foam insulation. The R-value is only like 3 per inch. The main purpose of the foam was to make the surface flat again.
What happened to make the price of cement board and PVC suddenly similar?
In the fiber cement board manufacturing description, the silica, wood pulp, and water are mentioned... but then magically the slurry contains "cement" at 2:02. What is the "cement", if it is distinct from the sand (silica)?
look it up: portland cement
@larrypahl5756 portland cement is not sand, and not silica. There is no mention of adding portland cement, or other forms of calcium silicates. Did you read anything about portland cement yourself before posting?
For me, vinyl siding looks cheap. You can usually tell that a house has vinyl siding just by looking at it. You know that less expensive houses have this type of vinyl siding. However a house that has Hardie board or Smartside, looks better (more natural/genuine). I would be more interested in a comparison between Hardiboard, Smartside, and maybe a steel or aluminum option. I will never put vinyl on my house.
In the Southern Hemisphere vinyl siding doesn't last as long as 'normal' due to the harsher sun conditions - UV.
I'm not sure why they continue to make chlorinated hydrocarbon products given the toxic aspects of disposal and burning.
I had no idea that Hardy was as cheap, or cheaper than vinyl. I thought vinyl was the cheapest. As for other options, i watched another video recently that showed a metal siding that looked just like wood or Hardy.
I think and I'll say it again everything you have showed me I'm taking all of evice on the products I have seen so far one question are u single . Coolcat dan 🎉🎉🎉
My house vinyl, although, vinyl is not what I would have chosen, has held up over 30 years on the coast of Texas. Meanwhile, the Hardie Plank on my outbuildings has been a nightmare since day one. I despise it.
There's no way your vinyl siding looks good after that long.
how about just bricks, people ?
Really expensive and can still have major problems. Just check out brand new builds with them. Gaps, cracks and water seeping in behind them. They are no longer part of the structure anymore and are just fake walls set in front of your framed house. They allow bugs to get behind them. I have seen a small brick wall pulled off a house and the entire thing was filled with sleeping flys. They found a way in though a small hole and filled it up.
The best siding would be what ever one can afford and a really large overhang. Overhangs with more than 4 feet is ideal and should keep nearly everything off of it.
@@kameljoe21 Oh, I wasn't talking about sidings. I was talking about homes made with actual bricks, real bricks, like we do them in Europe: real masonry
@@bla9803 While I do understand that Europe claims to build better, they do not always do so. How many brand new true stone buildings are going up in your neighborhood right now. Plus you also have to consider that many places unless they are farmland being turned in to new homes are going to be remolded due to their age. America is vastly larger and has the ability to drive a few miles outside the city and land in farm land, buy it and build a brand new development. While europe might consider the value of that farmland and how much said country has and prevent this via the council. The council in Europe has a lot more control and can prevent people from building. Even if there is a need to do so. They can even prevent the tear down of a place as well as requirement in how and what you can build, type wise.
Though I still think you should go and find a dozen new construction sites being built right now and see what they are being made of or if they are being remolded.
@@kameljoe21 a lot, and i mean it. 99 percent of new buildings where I live are built in concrete bricks.
farmlands are bought by property developers, then get authorisations to build new neighbourhoods OR private citizen buy land and build, ALWAYS in concrete bricks; it's just the norm here (FRANCE).
When it's an old building, like an old farm, they use both local limestones and concrete bricks (depends on the project).
Looking for your resume that contains your qualifications or hands-on experience in the building industry? Is there a video that shows your qualifications? You have quite a few videos on a wide range of topics related to building, and construction materials. Thank you.
Good video from my RUclips crush
My vinyl siding is deforming from the reflected sunlight off my neighbor’s AC compressor.
Hardie plan cannot be 5-11$ per square foot. It sells in australia for
There's a green one and a pink one And a blue one and a yellow one, And they're all made out of ticky tacky And they all look just the same... USE BRICK ... 200yrs+ later still there still fuctional ... just a thought .. u.s .... Three Little Pigs ... nursery rime. + rocket science lol
The vinyl siding on my house is so noisy when it's windy!!
Hardie siding is far superior. I have installed lots of both products. Hardie siding has to be installed with about an 1/8 th gap between ends of planks to allow for thermal expansions. If Hardie siding is installed tight joint to joint, it is prone to spalling at the junction. Hardie has very good instructions on how to install. Vinyl siding, as Belinda notes, is good for probably no longer than 20 years as in deteriorates do to UV rays. Old vinyl siding becomes chalking from UV deterioration.. Plus old vinyl siding is prone to mold and moss growth and seems to collect lots of air borne dust and dirt over time. Pressure washing vinyl siding is an “iffy” process as you can force a lot of water into the overlapping joints and up into the overhanging joints subjecting the house sheathing to water exposure and subsequent rotting.
why don't you use insulation + facade plaster like in Europe?
There are many things vinyl siding is, but attractive is not one of them.
I'm not sure why you say fiber cement siding is lower maintenance. It needs to be painted every 3-5 years, where vinyl generally doesn't need to be painted during its useful life.
There is no way that your fiber cement siding needs to be painted that often. Maybe every 10+yrs depending on you climate.