Hardiboard type stuff vs premium vinyl?

[Stwood_]

They use hardie on all the new homes here and it looks bad on 70% of them because I'm sure it isn't installed right.

As you drive by the homes when the sun is at the right angle, you can see the bulges and crooked warps and gaps- which I'm sure happens when it heats and cools down. Some boards look as if they may come loose soon.

I have the heavy vinyl and though it looks good as new many years later.  I never have to paint and that was my goal. My second choice would be hardie for sure.

Bulges could be from using too many crooked wall studs. A good framer will check, cut, and straighten studs in a wall before siding or sheeting them.

[vernonator]

Seems to me from reading the entire thread that the installer matters more than choosing Hardi or vinyl.

As it is with most things - does anyone remember the pressboard siding of the '90's? Fine if installed right, if not - it was rotting off in just a couple of years.

[LarryK]

If it’s true Hardi Plank it still has to be painted so maintenance is still an issue. Hardi has a list of places it cannot be installed: directly on a roof, as a horizontal sill... it’s not as durable as people think. In fact I’ve seen it bubble and paint peak off it. The siding is okay but again you’ve got to paint it. If you want a hard board the best is Boral it can stay SUBMERGED in water for a couple of months. It needs to be painted too like all hard boards. It is also more expensive than Hardi. Miratec is a product a lot of guy are using. I do think it looks that good but they say it holds up. Again it needs to be painted. Just throwing out the observations I’ve had working with the stuff. If you don’t want to paint then vinyl

[measure once cut remeasure]

About 18 years ago I went with Georgia Pacific's Cedar lane vinyl siding. We were looking for something natural looking, maintenance free, and in a darker color. The darker color meant that the vinyl had to be heavier than the economy grades sold only in very light colors. At the time, I think it was in the $ 80-100 a square range while the economy stuff was $ 35-40. I did almost the entire 2 story house myself with my wife helping with some of the cutting, when I was up on the pump jack staging. Cement siding would have required outside labor which I avoided as much as posable. No problems so far and it still looks great. At the time there were not a lot of choices in premium vinyl.

[Phil Thien]

Two houses build just around the corner have siding made from what looks like chipboard type sheathing. The face has a fake texture.

Wonder how long that will last.

[KC]

Bulges could be from using too many crooked wall studs. A good framer will check, cut, and straighten studs in a wall before siding or sheeting them.

Altho I expect some upper-end construction is wrong as well, I'm pretty sure daddo is talking about the entry-level nationwide track builder neighborhoods around here.  One in particular is just really, really bad (the one south of Walmart, Walt?).

[Stwood_]

Altho I expect some upper-end construction is wrong as well, I'm pretty sure daddo is talking about the entry-level nationwide track builder neighborhoods around here.  One in particular is just really, really bad (the one south of Walmart, Walt?).

Those hurry up and sell em Track Shacks are all over the country.