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I have read several of the postings here about installing hardie plank siding. Here is some information you may find interesting.
For those of you who have been tracking it, Hardie Plank recently changed their recommendations regarding field seams. Two years ago, they advised spacing field seams 1/8" apart, now they are saying "moderate contact." I emailed their customer service department and asked if they had any data regarding expansion and contraction of Hardie Plank siding due to temperature and moisture. They responded that their siding was dimensionally stable compared with other siding products, they had no data. How can this be? How can you say the product is comparable when you have no data? Perhaps more importantly, why doesn't Hardie Plank have any data?
Being resourceful, as contractors are known to be, I took some 12 ft. siding to a commercial walk-in freezer. I froze the siding down to -10 degrees, removed it from the freezer, and blocked both ends on a backing board. It was a warm day, about 95 degrees. When the siding warmed up to air temperature it had buckled off the backing board by and inch and a half! It had expanded approx. 1/16"+. This suggests that their recommendation of moderate contact with field seams is problematic, particularly if the siding is installed cold. We found similar expansion when the siding was exposed to moisture.
Don't get me wrong, I think Hardie Plank is a great product. I installed it on my own house. But why are they giving contractors such poor information? Haven't there been enough law suits over failed siding?
One other note. I think you should always predrill the corners at the end of each piece of siding. I have heard of failed siding jobs due to the corners cracking. Just use a standard drill bit. When it gets dull, break a piece off the tip. A broken bit actually works best.
Hope this is useful.
For those of you who have been tracking it, Hardie Plank recently changed their recommendations regarding field seams. Two years ago, they advised spacing field seams 1/8" apart, now they are saying "moderate contact." I emailed their customer service department and asked if they had any data regarding expansion and contraction of Hardie Plank siding due to temperature and moisture. They responded that their siding was dimensionally stable compared with other siding products, they had no data. How can this be? How can you say the product is comparable when you have no data? Perhaps more importantly, why doesn't Hardie Plank have any data?
Being resourceful, as contractors are known to be, I took some 12 ft. siding to a commercial walk-in freezer. I froze the siding down to -10 degrees, removed it from the freezer, and blocked both ends on a backing board. It was a warm day, about 95 degrees. When the siding warmed up to air temperature it had buckled off the backing board by and inch and a half! It had expanded approx. 1/16"+. This suggests that their recommendation of moderate contact with field seams is problematic, particularly if the siding is installed cold. We found similar expansion when the siding was exposed to moisture.
Don't get me wrong, I think Hardie Plank is a great product. I installed it on my own house. But why are they giving contractors such poor information? Haven't there been enough law suits over failed siding?
One other note. I think you should always predrill the corners at the end of each piece of siding. I have heard of failed siding jobs due to the corners cracking. Just use a standard drill bit. When it gets dull, break a piece off the tip. A broken bit actually works best.
Hope this is useful.