House Siding - Hardie/LP/Allura Etc.

[golferac]

Has anyone had any experience with any of the siding products (Cememnt/Wood)? Looking to redo the house in the summer and would like to get people's input.
Has anyone noticed any difference between pre/post covid quality and is there anything I should consider during the research process?

Have a nice Monday

[ghfalls]

I’m a big fan of the kwp rustic series siding. The LP stuff is pretty nice as well. My house has hardie and it’s not bad too but the kwp is far better with a nicer finish on it as well.

[oldjeda]

We installed Hardieplank 9 years ago. I did not research it though. I assumed it was quieter and more durable than vinyl. I was wrong. It rattles in a stiff wind. It sags over time due to the weight and rattling in the wind. No warranty if not installed properly which, according to manufacturer requirements at the time included 7/16 sheathing underneath not the standard 3/8. Also they recommend repainting it every 10 years. I’m hoping to get more than 10 out of it but I’ve already had to do a lot of re-nailing to stop the rattling so that we can sleep at night. Yes I live in Lethbridge but even 30 km winds rattled this stuff.

Looks great so far though. Do your research.

My 2 cents worth

[calgarygringo]

On another note if you are in 1 of the hail zone postal codes certain types of siding can save considerable dollars on your insurance with many companies. Of course letting the broker know and following it up is critcal. Many do not. Was in insurance a while back and there was good savings in many cases but not all for the more hail resistant products.

[CNP]

I have Hardie. It's been on for 8 years and shows no sign of fading and I am in direct sunlight, facing S. I have not had any of the rattle in high winds and I live in Crowsnest Pass. Proper installation is key. No matter what you decide on make sure that your installer is reputable/familiar with the product you choose.

One house a 100 yards away had to get the builder (Ashcroft) to rip off the Hardie from his entire house because the installer did a poor job. Pieces fell off and he had the rattle in high winds. This was a very expensive reinstall which the builder had to come good for.

I like Hardie and over 90% of the homes in my area have it (architectural controls).

[Cross Eyed Cowboy]

If your choice ends up in favour of vinyl siding for what ever your reasons.

Choose a brand name vinyl siding manufacture, plenty of them in Canada and stay away from those sold at Home Depot, Lowes etc.

Compare thickness of the products your interested in versus others, thicker panels provides rigidity, ensuring straighter, smoother walls and an easier install.

All vinyl products will fade over time, more so for the sides with the most exposure to direct sun. A neutral or lighter color will make fading less noticeable.

I did my own vinyl install, my choice was Gentek purchased from a local Gentek distrubutor, neutral color, coming 20 years ago and no issues.

[fordtruckin]

Have hardi on our house and am looking at replacing with lp. I’ve installed hardi on one house and owned a house with it and am not a fan. Shatters to easily if you have a ball or rock thrown against it. When installing it we frequently would have it shatter right where we short the nail. Broke out little triangle pieces around the nail. Had a buddy just do diamondkote and other than the price it’s pretty good looking. Price varies so shop around. One lumber yard was about 1.50$ cheaper sqft than local. Over the cost of a whole house even if I have to rent a trailer to get it to my house I’m better off. Just need the stupid hoa to approve the color. Has to match a forest green metal roof, beige soffit/facia and a reddish brown vertical metal along the base of the house. Darn goofy colors but I didn’t build this place.

[Travco1]

All three siding will require painting in about 7-8 years , the paint fades .
Hardie and Alura are both cement based . I prefer Alura over Hardie as its wood fiber concrete board and not as brittle . LP or smart board siding is good but less durable from moisture , not fire and termite proof.
As far as LP slapping in the wind , thats an install problem and should be face braded at the overlap to get rid of the rattling in high winds .

[Travco1]

A smart thing to do is install insulation sheathing then put siding over top . You wont regret it , Its about 3/8" foil on one side . house will be quieter from wind , traffic , ect.
Bang for buck go LP smart board battens and Alura for the field siding or Lp.

[golferac]

Thanks for all the replies. The real world info is excellent. Has anyone had experience with the rigid insulation (1.5/2 inch) underneath the planks? Any suggestions with regards to that aspect?

Other than vinyl/hardie/LP, are there any other materials one should consider? The house is 350k-400k so I am not trying to finish the Taj Mahal.

[Homesteader]

I'm getting ready to redo my cabin, and on planning on going metal, but not 100% yet. My cabin is currently done board and batten but it was local timber all milled by the guy that put it together. It's more maintenance then I want, but I really like the look and am used to it now, so pretty sure this is what I will go with. The hardie board etc will definitely have more of a real wood look.

https://www.formasteel.ca/products/panels/board-batten/

I was going to push it off another year, but holy helll did it every take a driveby from a woodpecker since winter. I have cedar shakes on the peaks and easily over 100 holes, about the size of popcans!

[Puddle]

[QUOTE=golferac;4626282]Thanks for all the replies. The real world info is excellent. Has anyone had experience with the rigid insulation (1.5/2 inch) underneath the planks? Any suggestions with regards to that aspect?

Warranty will only allow 1" rigid under your hardboard siding (due to sagging etc). I am a siding contractor in RD and 90% of the homes I work on use Smartside siding. You can either chose from their factory colours or a custom colour. Smartside siding has shown to be far superior to Hardie in many ways and can be installed with typical wood tools. Very versatile with many available products. Smartside is typically painted with 30 yr warranted paint and can be touched up easily, unlike Hardie.

Ener-air/EnerFoil or EnergyShield rigid insulation will both produce R-6 to R-6.3 per inch

https://lpcorp.com/products/siding-trim

[Map Maker]

I’ve used LP product ( used to be called Canexel) on a lot of projects. 15 years and no colour fading.
Never had an issue and even used it and self installed on my own house.

[EZM]

I've renovated and done many homes over the last 20 years. Right now, the LP seems to be the best product overall.

Hardie has disappointed me for the reasons other stated above. It is also NOT moisture resistant (despite it being a cementacous product) - it's not the cement that's the issue, it's the bonding/laminating agents that absorb water in corners where roof lines meet siding, etc... and the freeze thaw turns contact sections of the Hardie into flaky mess. Don't get me wrong, in areas where there isn't moisture, like the field of a wall, Hardie is great. But on almost every house, there are areas that Hardie is not the best choice as mentioned.

Installation is key with ANY product - but I have been using LP for years and it's the best product in my opinion. You just don't have to worry about those "special areas" as much.

[Travco1]

LP / smart board is terrible for moisture swelling in areas like kickplates under doors and low pitch roof lines . Even fiber cement cant handle that . Water divertion is the trick and cut ends need to be sealed .
Flashings installed properly is key . use a piece of cedar for kick boards or starter bands at areas that will have moisture like wet snow piled up against them . Also never start battens or siding tight or sitting on a flashing , give it a 1/2" gap so moisture cant wick up and wear that area faster . 1.5" -2' gap off the roof flashings .

[Travco1]

Only reason Fiber Cement sags is its not nailed properly . Hitting studs is important . I found Alura the better to work with and it can be treated more like wood unlike Hardie . Idealy I like smartboard battens and alura siding . Again stressing sealing and painting cut ends . Most contractors dont do that as it takes more time .

[Travco1]

Lp Is Smart board , has nothing to do with canexel. .

[golferac]

Thanks for all the replies. A lot of things to think about