Hardie Board

We have discussed the uses of hardy board and hardy backer as a subfloor, and on interior walls for tile, now let’s talk about the most common use of hardy board. Hardy board siding in many peoples opinion, is one of the best home exterior sidings you can choose to put on your house.

Hardie board siding offers a wide variety of not only planks and colors, but also offers a wide variety of different textures to give your home a unique look, even if your next-door neighbor has installed Hardi board siding as well. James Hardie board siding comes in 4 x 8 sheets, 3 x 5 sheets, 4×4 sheets and planks that vary in different widths, lengths and textures.

In the same manner that hardie backer withstands extreme amounts of water, heat, and steam in your bathroom, hardie board siding withstands extreme temperatures and weather including rain, wind, hail and flooding. It is hard to imagine that an exterior wood siding would stand up as well as a hardie siding product would.

Hardi board siding comes pre-primed and ready to paint, saving one whole step in the painting process, which in return saves you time which equals money. Hardy board siding also accepts caulk very well, and is easy to clean after the caulking process is over. If you’re like most people do not like to paint, you can buy Hardie board siding prepainted in one of many colors that James Hardie siding offers. Install it, clear caulk it, and you’re done.

Once again, you may ask, How do I cut hardie board siding? Cutting the planks can be done the exact same way that you would cut the backer board, with Hardie shears, circular saw, table saw, four-inch grinder and jigsaw. Remember that cutting Hardiboard produces a lot of dust, so take caution by wearing a dust mask along with earplugs and eye protection.

This amazing concrete siding also known as fiber cement board and cement board siding is definitely one of the most versatile, longest lasting exterior sidings available on the market today. You can find Hardie siding at your local hardware stores, such as Lowe’s and Home Depot, along with ordering it in bulk online or through a Hardie siding contractor. Always shop around and look for discounts, sales and coupons. Making a purchase this big should not be rushed, and keep in mind that most retail hardware stores and Internet sites will fight for your business. Many times one store will not only match another stores price, but beat it as well.

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When it comes to installing hardie board, overall it is fairly simple. It is however a bit labor intensive. I recommend having at least one person help you in your installation of hardie board. James Hardie board is a bit on the heavy side, so use your legs and not your back!

The biggest issue with the installation process of hardy board, seems to be the process of actually cutting the hardy board. I get asked what the best way to cut hardy board is all the time. I am going to break it down in to my top pick of the easiest, fastest, and cleanest methods of cutting hardy board. These hardie tools listed below will cut all variations of James Hardie Board, including hardibacker, hardie board siding, hardie plank, and any other kind of cement board or hardie panel. Some of the methods however, do not work well when attempting to cut dura rock as it is made up differently from James Hardie siding plank products.

• Hardie Board Shears

• Circular Saw with Hardie Blade

• 4″ Angle Grinder with Diamond Blade

• Jig Saw

• Utility Knife

Starting with the first on the list, Hardie Board Shears. These shears are number one on my list for a big reason. They are lightweight, compact, easy to use, and virtually dustless. One of the major manufacturers of Hardie Board shears, is Hilti. You can pick up these shears at your local hardware store such as, Home Depot. and Lowes. Hardie Shears do have a draw back however, they tend to crush, crumble, and break the edges of the hardie board if you get too close to the edges. Hardi shears are expensive, and if you are looking to buy instead of rent, I suggest waiting for a sale to find them on discount, or even shopping online.

If you have basic power tools, chances are you will have a circular saw. You can use a circular saw and a traditional blade to cut hardi board. However, a tradition blade in a circular saw will produce a massive amount of dust. Unless you have a dust collector, the amount of hardie board dust created is almost unbearable. For this reason, you can now buy hardie blades specifically designed to cut down on the amount of dust produced while cutting hardi board.

Another very conventional way to cut hardy board, is to use a 4″ angle grinder equipped with a 4″ diamond blade. A diamond blade will easily cut through hardy board, and is great for making small intricate cuts, that you would normally have to make around windows, and door trim. The draw back to a 4″ angle grinder and a diamond blade to hardi board is similar to most other disadvantages, It creates a whole lot of dust. Once again, the dust is almost unbearable, so investing in a cyclone dust collector may not be a bad idea!! You must also be careful when using a grinder to cut hardi board, that it does not kick back on you possibly cutting you.

Using a jigsaw for cutting hardie board, is not my first recommendation when attempting to make long cuts. If you are making cuts that zig and zag, are very tight, or even circular, a jigsaw is definitely the way to go. The hardie board will eat through the blades quickly though, so make sure to change them often.

The last way that I would recommend cutting hardie board, is with a utility knife and a straight edge. This is the cheapest tool that you can buy to cut hardie, and really is still pretty simple and fast. The cuts will have to be straight for the most part for a utility knife to work effectively. Simlpy draw your line, score it a couple times with the knife, and break. This method works better on the 1/4″ hardie board but will still work with the 1/2″ hardie board.

It is a good idea to always take the proper safety measures when dealing with installing hardie board. Remember to always cut in a well ventilated area or outside, and always wear the appropriate protective gear. Such as safety goggles, ear plugs, and gloves. If you have found a more effective way of cutting hardie board, feel free to leave a comment explaining how you prefer to do it.

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When should I use hardy board on the floor? Many people wonder this when they are in the process of some kind of home remodel. Hardy Board plays a big role in doing a remodel the right and best way.

If you are wanting to install tile in your home, such as ceramic, porcelain, granite, marble, or any kind of stone, using hardy board is vital to insure that your new flooring will last a life time. James Hardie only requires that you install a quarter inch hardy board on your sub-floor before installing tile. However, it is vital to any warranty that your subfloor is at least 3/4″ thick and is an exterior grade plywood.

If your home does not meet these requirements, it is important that you fix this before installing your hardy board. Although Hardy board is strong, it is only strong if it is supported well from underneath. A weak subfloor will allow your hardie board to flex and move causing the tile or stone floor to shift. Over time, your new tile floor will crack, come up, and break way prematurely.

Once you have met the requirements for your subfloor it is time to install the hardie board.

• Measure each room you plan to hardy back.
• Add your total square footage and buy the amount of hardy board you need accordingly.
• Cut the jambs of the door ways so that the hardy board will slide underneath.
• Start dry laying hardy board on the floor trying to get it to fit in the room like a jigsaw puzzle, making sure to stagger the seams.
• Anywhere a full piece will not fit, measure and cut a piece to fit.
• Pull the hardy up one room at a time
• Spread a multi purpose thinset on the floor with a 3/8″ trowel
• Lay the hardy board on top of the thinset while it is still wet.
• Screw or nail the hardy board 8 inches apart in every direction making sure to get the edges and corners well.
• Tape and float your seams using a 2 inch fiberglass mesh tape and thinset, similar to how you float drywall. This is required for your James Hardie warranty.
• Install your tile!

These are very basic guidelines to installing hardy board. Keep in mind that hardy is not light by any means, so make sure you do not attempt this task without help. This is at least a two man job.

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Why should you use hardie board in your home? If you are planning on remodeling your home, your kitchen and bathroom are the two most important rooms in your house to remodel, when thinking of resell in mind. If you want to do the remodel right, the best way is to start at heart of your home by gutting to the studs.

Any area in your home that may be exposed to any water, moisture, or humidity is the perfect candidate for hardie board. Hardie board is impermiable to water, making it resist the build up of mildew, mold and bacteria in your walls. Replacing any drywall in your bathroom that is in direct contact with water, with Hardie Board, really is a must do in any remodel.

Area’s in a bathroom that are not in direct contact with water can be covered with a water resistant dry wall and will be fine. Hardie Board comes in 2 different thicknesses, 1/4″ and 1/2″. The half inch hardi board is for use on walls in bathtub surrounds, back splashes, and any other vertical surface. Quarter inch hardi board can be used on walls as well, however it should have a backing behind it. Simply meaning that a 1/4″ hardi board should not be attached with nails, or screws, directly to studs on a 16″ center. Quarter inch hardi board is not strong enough to keep itself from breaking with no support behind it. This makes thinner hardi a better candidate for floors.

Hardie board in the kitchen is not quite as important, but is still good to use, in areas such as the backsplash and counter tops. Hardie board is great to use around fireplaces in your homes are well because of its awesome strength it can hold the weight of brick, stone, granite, and marble. When using hardie board remember that although it is strong, it can be brittle at the same time. So having support under it is important. Any edges need to end over a stud and be screwed securely ever 8 inches.

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