[Big Johnson]

Vinyl isn't allowed in our town on new construction.
So I tend to forget it exists.



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Vinyl is standard here so smartside is considered a premium product used on custom homes.

We had 60 mph gusts the other day and they made it out to be the storm of the century.

 

[Randy Bush]

Vinyl is standard here so smartside is considered a premium product used on custom homes.

We had 60 mph gusts the other day and they made it out to be the storm of the century.

60 mph is just a breeze here some days. :laughing: Have seen vinyl sucked right of the walls, main reason I don't like putting it on, only have done 3 in 20 yrs.

 

[Bull Trout]

Why? My customer could care less about how many joints or if one person can carry it (with or without a notch for a window).

Hardie is very utilitarian, it does a good job of keeping the elements out if properly installed, it just doesn't look good doing it

the biggest disadvantage for your customer will be the looks

the biggest disadvantages for you will be the looks, and working with it, as others have said, it is flimsy, the dust control is added pita, and did anyone mention it looks like $h!t?

 

[Patrickstew]

Just my two cents. I’m in the middle of the Coastal (see heavy rain high heat and hurricanes) Region and Hardie is my preferred cladding.

We use both color plus and pre primed for installs and for a long lasting and weather tight finish the Devil is just in the install details.

To prevent issues:

Use the proper Hardie product for your jobs region. They make multiple products designed for particular regions/conditions.

Don’t install Hardie with less than 6” clearance from the foundation. If you’re on a reverse grade use PVC for your bottom band and paint to match trim. Leave the proper clearances between butt joints so the material can expand and contract with the weather. Flash the butt joints properly with 6”x6” aluminum trim coil. Use stainless siding and finish nails and follow Hardie nailing diagram. Leave proper clearances over mechanicals and openings and run drip caps over top. With pre primed everyone seems to miss a very important step by priming the field cut ends and keeping the material covered from the elements before installing.

With color plus same applies and either leave the plastic on while nailing off on the wall or running painters tape before you nail to keep the depth of the holes minimal. And last but not least caulk all the end joints properly with no tooling. Has to have some depth to do its job.

I’ve used and installed all of the above Mentioned products and they all have their merit. If anyone has any tech questions pm me and I’ll gladly give my cell # or whatever answers I can provide.


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[Bum30]

I’ve been installing Hardie since the early 1990’s and have never had an issue with it. As with anything I believe if it is installed correctly you will not have any issues. I’ve also come across some older and more current LP issues that were not due to installation issues, but due to product failure. I am in a color plus market and do not have any experience with primed only though. I will say though that it does take a more experienced installer to install it and yes you do have to take different steps in handling it and installing it. Here’s a pic of I project from 1994 that looks as good as the day we installed it.

 

[C to the G]

For me it's the fact that it can not withstand damp or wet conditions.
I have used the "good" stuff (Hardie color match plus), very time consuming so bid accordingly. It, like most things has it's place.

I agree on the LP Smartsiding. 12’ pieces means less joints. One person can carry a piece, even if you have to notch one around a window. It also has a nicer look.

I agree on the LP Smartsiding. 12’ pieces means less joints. One person can carry a piece, even if you have to notch one around a window. It also has a nicer look.

16' and Hardie blows.

Why? My customer could care less about how many joints or if one person can carry it (with or without a notch for a window).

Brittle: It is extremely hard but if hit with a sudden impact the material will shatter. This can be particularly troublesome in areas where hailstorms are common. Hail damaged James Hardie products are NOT covered by their warranty.


Efflorescence: There is really nothing that can be done to prevent this and it is not covered by the James Hardie warranty.

Carcinogenic: one of the main ingredients in James Hardie siding is silica dust. Just like asbestos, when silica dust is undisturbed/NOT airborne the material poses a very little risk. And just like asbestos, Silica dust is a known carcinogen.


warranty:

LP SmartSide 50-Year Limited Warranty

James Hardie 30-Year Limited Warranty

I believe the Smartside will hold up better to hail than Hardie.

Tom

Why? My customer could care less about how many joints or if one person can carry it (with or without a notch for a window).

Hardie is very utilitarian, it does a good job of keeping the elements out if properly installed, it just doesn't look good doing it

the biggest disadvantage for your customer will be the looks

the biggest disadvantages for you will be the looks, and working with it, as others have said, it is flimsy, the dust control is added pita, and did anyone mention it looks like $h!t?

Where to start ... JAMES HARDIE SIDING IS THE BEST SIDING!!!

That's why it has the Good Housekeeping Seal of approval. Only 1 siding gets that award and it is Hardie.

When installed properly by someone who knows what they are doing Hardie has the best looking siding, it is the most durable with a class A fire rating and class 4 Hail rating and the Complete Colorplus Hardie system has the least amount of maintenance.

Less than 1% of homeowners are not going to buy over seams. And if it is that big of a deal you can still use a butt joint flashing and caulk. It will just cause a little more maintenance in the future. That complaint is mostly someone that doesn't know anything about Hardie and just wants to find a reason to not like it due to a lack of knowledge and experience with the product.

Hardie is Not Brittle - After it is installed on the wall it is pretty hard to damage. It has a class 4 Hail rating, the highest rating. Hardie even say is there is a hail storm file a claim with them before your insurance company. They have an unmatched warranty and stand behind it.

Next, Efflorescence is a process that happens to the primed product but after it has the colorplus finish it doesn't experience that. Also that typically happens when the product has not been stored properly. That is also covered under the warranty.

Carcinogenic: one of the main ingredients in James Hardie siding is silica dust. Just like asbestos, when silica dust is undisturbed/NOT airborne the material poses a very little risk. A d that is why you wear a mask when cutting but other then that is a save Green Product.

I live in Central Indiana and we deal with a freeze thaw cycle every year along with regular rain and when Hardie is installed properly it can handle damp, wet and freezing conditions.

The "good" stuff is almost all we install. It does take a little more time but if you spend time with your crewss to train them it doesn't take much more time then primed and looks better, plus lasts longer then field applied paints.

Hardie does have its place, on over 8 million homes, it is the #1 choice by home builders the last 10 years and has been the #1 return on investment by home remodeling magazine for 10 years in a row at 80% Roi. It great for any area because it is the only siding built, tested and improved in 2 dedicated R&D facilities before it fails and has a class action lawsuit.

It has a 30 year non depreciating warranty and if it goes bad they will give you new materials and the cost of materials to pay for the labor. Most other warranties are 50 year depreciating limited warranties.

LP is junk, it is scraps of wood that has been glued into osb. Then they glue paper to the front and paint it. It is in the patent, look it up. They dont test it, they just sell it and make money until they get sued and have to "reformulate".

We tear off LP almost every week and put up new Colorplus Hardie with Hardie trim. None of it is lasting over 20 years. I have had multiple jobs that we replace wood trim only because their 20 year old Hardie is still in great shape.

All people that like LP over Hardie are Lazy and or Cheap.

 

[Bull Trout]

Where to start ... JAMES HARDIE SIDING IS THE BEST SIDING!!!

That's why it has the Good Housekeeping Seal of approval. Only 1 siding gets that award and it is Hardie.

When installed properly by someone who knows what they are doing Hardie has the best looking siding, it is the most durable with a class A fire rating and class 4 Hail rating and the Complete Colorplus Hardie system has the least amount of maintenance.

Less than 1% of homeowners are not going to buy over seams. And if it is that big of a deal you can still use a butt joint flashing and caulk. It will just cause a little more maintenance in the future. That complaint is mostly someone that doesn't know anything about Hardie and just wants to find a reason to not like it due to a lack of knowledge and experience with the product.

Hardie is Not Brittle - After it is installed on the wall it is pretty hard to damage. It has a class 4 Hail rating, the highest rating. Hardie even say is there is a hail storm file a claim with them before your insurance company. They have an unmatched warranty and stand behind it.

Next, Efflorescence is a process that happens to the primed product but after it has the colorplus finish it doesn't experience that. Also that typically happens when the product has not been stored properly. That is also covered under the warranty.

Carcinogenic: one of the main ingredients in James Hardie siding is silica dust. Just like asbestos, when silica dust is undisturbed/NOT airborne the material poses a very little risk. A d that is why you wear a mask when cutting but other then that is a save Green Product.

I live in Central Indiana and we deal with a freeze thaw cycle every year along with regular rain and when Hardie is installed properly it can handle damp, wet and freezing conditions.

The "good" stuff is almost all we install. It does take a little more time but if you spend time with your crewss to train them it doesn't take much more time then primed and looks better, plus lasts longer then field applied paints.

Hardie does have its place, on over 8 million homes, it is the #1 choice by home builders the last 10 years and has been the #1 return on investment by home remodeling magazine for 10 years in a row at 80% Roi. It great for any area because it is the only siding built, tested and improved in 2 dedicated R&D facilities before it fails and has a class action lawsuit.

It has a 30 year non depreciating warranty and if it goes bad they will give you new materials and the cost of materials to pay for the labor. Most other warranties are 50 year depreciating limited warranties.

LP is junk, it is scraps of wood that has been glued into osb. Then they glue paper to the front and paint it. It is in the patent, look it up. They dont test it, they just sell it and make money until they get sued and have to "reformulate".

We tear off LP almost every week and put up new Colorplus Hardie with Hardie trim. None of it is lasting over 20 years. I have had multiple jobs that we replace wood trim only because their 20 year old Hardie is still in great shape.

All people that like LP over Hardie are Lazy and or Cheap.

Strong first post, how long have you worked for James Hardie?

 

[C to the G]

Strong first post, how long have you worked for James Hardie?[/QUOTE]

I have never worked for Hardie but I have been selling and installing Hardie for years. I'm a smaller contractor in the Indianapolis area. You and anyone else on this blog that dont think Hardie is the #1 siding in America with the best warranty are welcome to come to town and I'll show you my business and how we do what we do. Even though I'm not a Hardie rep if you come to town and I will show you how good the Hardie reps support contractors that want to do quality work and sell on value not price.

I can understand why you think that I work for Hardie, most contractors dont know this much about the product they sell. But because of the hard work we have put into learning about the product and how to install it properly I seem like a Hardie rep, we just consider ourselves experts. I do take that as a complement. It surprises me more contractors dont know the facts about the products they sell then get onto blogs and post false information. I would venture to say that anyone talking negative about Hardie hasn't taken time to learn what they need to know about Hardie or hasn't install more then 10 jobs.

 

[Randy Bush]

Just because someone does not use and do things they way you do does not make them lazy and cheap. It is just your opinion.

 

[C to the G]

Just because someone does not use and do things they way you do does not make them lazy and cheap. It is just your opinion.

Randy, it may be an opinion but when you do not install products to the manufacturers specifications then you are installing them wrong and can be voiding the manufacturers warranty. That would make it wrong if you are not giving them the warranty they deserve and expect. If you are not installing the product to the manufacturers specification then you are saving time or materials and that makes you lazy and cheap. Your customers expect and deserve more.

LP costs less then Hardie and Hardie has been proven to be a better product over the years. More LP has been taken down due to it failing and a class action lawsuit. Hardie has been in business sell Hardie in the US for over 20 year and has been in busines for 127 years and has not had a class action lawsuit. More Hardie is installed the LP per year to my understanding. If LP was better then Hardie then they would demand a higher price, ie, like Hardie does. LP costs less making it and who ever buys it cheap compared to contractors like me that install Hardie.

 

[Randy Bush]

Randy, it may be an opinion but when you do not install products to the manufacturers specifications then you are installing them wrong and can be voiding the manufacturers warranty. That would make it wrong if you are not giving them the warranty they deserve and expect. If you are not installing the product to the manufacturers specification then you are saving time or materials and that makes you lazy and cheap. Your customers expect and deserve more.

LP costs less then Hardie and Hardie has been proven to be a better product over the years. More LP has been taken down due to it failing and a class action lawsuit. Hardie has been in business sell Hardie in the US for over 20 year and has been in busines for 127 years and has not had a class action lawsuit. More Hardie is installed the LP per year to my understanding. If LP was better then Hardie then they would demand a higher price, ie, like Hardie does. LP costs less making it and who ever buys it cheap compared to contractors like me that install Hardie.

I don't install either one of them, if someone wants that they have to get someone else.

 

[C to the G]

Randy, it may be an opinion but when you do not install products to the manufacturers specifications then you are installing them wrong and can be voiding the manufacturers warranty. That would make it wrong if you are not giving them the warranty they deserve and expect. If you are not installing the product to the manufacturers specification then you are saving time or materials and that makes you lazy and cheap. Your customers expect and deserve more.

LP costs less then Hardie and Hardie has been proven to be a better product over the years. More LP has been taken down due to it failing and a class action lawsuit. Hardie has been in business sell Hardie in the US for over 20 year and has been in busines for 127 years and has not had a class action lawsuit. More Hardie is installed the LP per year to my understanding. If LP was better then Hardie then they would demand a higher price, ie, like Hardie does. LP costs less making it and who ever buys it cheap compared to contractors like me that install Hardie.

I don't install either one of them, if someone wants that they have to get someone else.

Sorry to hear that, there is a lot of money to be made installing Hardie and more people ask for it by the day.

 

[MinnSidingGuy]

Hardie vs. LP

Over the last few years, I have seen posts here where guys are not happy with James Hardie siding. What are the problems? What alternatives do you recommend?

Most of the "problems/complaints" I've seen regarding Hardie are either due to it not being installed properly or guys doing one or two jobs and not being used to working with it.

We've been using Hardie since 2000 and it has performed great for us. Even in cold, snowy, wet Minnesota. LP started creeping into MN over the last few years but I don't trust it. We've already seen instances of it swelling due to moisture(not covered by warranty) and woodpeckers damaging the board.

Hardie does have shorter lengths which create more seams but you can butt them together. LP requires a 3/16" gap which is just ugly. So you do have less seams but the seams you have, stand out more.

If you dig into the warranties, Hardie's 30 year non pro-rated warranty is much better than LP's 50 year pro-rated warranty.

I guess it depends on what your end goal is: An easier installation for you or a better product for your customer. If it's a better product for your customer, I'd choose Hardie.

My two cents...

 

[donerightwyo]

I like hardie, just because in a few more years, we are gonna make a killing taking it off and putting something that isn’t junk on:thumbsup:

The main problem here is the wind eventually breaks the nails out and the chit falls off the walls. Any of the darker colors look like chit now to.

 

[Randy Bush]

Sorry to hear that, there is a lot of money to be made installing Hardie and more people ask for it by the day.

Almost 100% of my siding installs are steel. I make very good money and stay busy doing it. Have been doing it for 20+ years. A good product , works well on older homes, a long life span, a recyclable product, unlike most others. And I realize it is not for every part of country, but with our climate it works very well. Also I can make it look as good or better then LP or Hardi. Properly installed it holds up well to hail, which we get a lot of. I feel I am selling a guality product that will provide years of service the customer will not be disappointed in.

 

[avenge]

All people that like LP over Hardie are Lazy and or Cheap.

I absolutely hate everything about Hardie siding I'm content being lazy and cheap I would have never known without your analysis.

 

[Big Johnson]

Sorry to hear that, there is a lot of money to be made installing Hardie and more people ask for it by the day.

What a crock of shlt.

 

[Bull Trout]

Most of the "problems/complaints" I've seen regarding Hardie are either due to it not being installed properly or guys doing one or two jobs and not being used to working with it.



We've been using Hardie since 2000 and it has performed great for us. Even in cold, snowy, wet Minnesota. LP started creeping into MN over the last few years but I don't trust it. We've already seen instances of it swelling due to moisture(not covered by warranty) and woodpeckers damaging the board.



Hardie does have shorter lengths which create more seams but you can butt them together. LP requires a 3/16" gap which is just ugly. So you do have less seams but the seams you have, stand out more.



If you dig into the warranties, Hardie's 30 year non pro-rated warranty is much better than LP's 50 year pro-rated warranty.



I guess it depends on what your end goal is: An easier installation for you or a better product for your customer. If it's a better product for your customer, I'd choose Hardie.



My two cents...

Another strong first post, how long have You worked for James Hardie? We know it has been at least 1 day now

 

[builditguy]

I believe the Smartside will hold up better to hail than Hardie.

Tom

We did a house in LP Smartside, about 5 years ago. 2 years ago, there was a major hail storm. The Smartside looked perfect. All of the neighbors had extreme holes in their vinyl siding. The Smartside looked brand new.

 

[C to the G]

Sorry to hear that, there is a lot of money to be made installing Hardie and more people ask for it by the day.

What a crock of shlt.

Could you hold back on the cussing and keep this professional. With your lack of professionalism I could see how you wouldn't have the same experience as we do in my company by being professional.

Your welcome to come look at my business in Indy. Also of you live in the Detroit area look up John McCarter Construction and ask him if that is true or not. I'm pretty sure that is almost all he does.