CountryByNet.com Forums :: Anyone Using Hardy Plank

Hmm. I'm seeing some misinformation in some of the posts. I have a lot of experience with HardiPlank and HardiPanel (4'x8' sheets). We used to use the HardiPanel as an underlayment for the custom outdoor kitchen cabinets we built professionally. As for the HardiPlank, I've installed it on 3 buildings so far, and plan to use it on both my new home and barn.

First of all, the finish on the HardiPlank is only a primer. If it wasn't painted, it's no surprise to me that it faded. Second, we have never had any problems with paint coverage or adherence. Paint loves the stuff and vice versa. The only thing I can think of to explain why one of the folks above had to use 6 coats of paint is possibly because they let it sit outside for a while before painting it. It really needs to be painted quickly.

It is heavy, and is difficult to cut. A regular saw blade will cut it, but will dull quickly. A diamond blade is a definite advantage, but in many cases, the blade will outlast the saw, because the cement dust gets at the saw bearings. The best tool is a Snapper cement board shear -- looks like a powerful hand-held electric drill, but with shear jaws instead of a chuck. The only problem is they are expensive -- about $450 list.

The surface on which you install it should be flat. It would be next to impossible to install it over existing clapboard siding. The whole idea of lap siding is to nail the top of the board and overlay the nails with the next layer -- there is no way you can do that over existing lap siding, regardless of whether the new siding is HardiPlank or wood. However, the surface need not be solid -- the James Hardie company says it can be installed over vertical studs. They do insist there be Tyvek or similar house wrap under it. If you do install it on studs or furring strips, however, then the brittleness mentioned above comes into play. If you ran into it with a tractor loader or dimilar between the studs, you could break it. I don't have any experience with animals, but I wouldn't use it for a horse stall, for example, because I can imagine a horse could kick it out rather easily. Not only is it somewhat brittle, but it's only 5/16" thick.

When we used it as an underlayment on our outdoor kitchen cabinets, we screwed it to welded aluminum cabinet frames, then veneered it with whatever "look" the client wanted. We painted it, stuccoed it, used ceramic tile, slate, granite, field stone, etc. as a veneer. There were no problems mortaring anything to it.

In the attachment to this post, one of my guys is using the Snapper shear to trim the underlayment for a countertop. In the next couple of posts, I'll show an assembly collage and a completed outdoor kitchen.

...Don

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