What You Absolutely Need to Know About Hardie Board Siding

By HomeAdvisor

Updated August 30, 2017

Hardie Board Siding

What the heck is hardie board siding?

You may not even know when a house is covered in it because it so effortlessly creates the look of wood or vinyl siding. However, this material is in fact constructed of cement fibers. This kind of cement board siding was invented over a century ago by James Hardie, who wanted to develop an exterior product that could endure extreme climates while still retaining the beauty of wood siding.

It was originally used in Australia, but over the years it has become common place in all regions of the world, especially in areas of intense weather.

Beautiful Protection

Hardie plank comes in many different colors and shades and closely resembles the look, texture, and grain of wood siding. However, unlike wood, hardie board siding is impenetrable to any kind of climate-related damage or injury.

  • Weather: Due its concrete fibers, hardie plank is impervious to any external elements, such as rain, hail, wind, flying debris, and humidity. Not only will cement board siding not chip because of its strength, it doesn’t retain moisture either; therefore it never rots or swells.
  • Pests: This type of siding defends against most insects, such as termites, that can eat away at wood siding. This is especially helpful in southern climates where moist air and pests thrive all year long.
  • Fire Prevention: Because it is made of concrete fibers, hardie board is even fire-resistant, protecting your home from any exterior threat.

Saves Time and Money

Hardie siding isn’t more or less expensive than other forms of siding and it requires almost no maintenance. Since cement board siding is so durable to pests and rot, repair is rarely needed and unlike other siding, hardie plank will never deteriorate.

  • Painting: Hardie board siding is known to retain paint longer than wood. Because it is moisture-resistant, it never swells or rots so the paint never peels, chips or cracks. Since you don’t have to invest in future re-painting, this product not only saves you money in the long run, it also saves you time and energy.
  • Selection: If you want to select your own personal paint color, hardie plank can come pre-primed for easy application. It also comes in a variety of pre-painted colors from which to choose, allowing you to select the proper shade without lifting a finger.
  • Less Upkeep: Maintaining wood siding is troublesome, but what about the convenience of vinyl siding? Sure, vinyl siding is durable but it is far from impenetrable. It dents, sags, bends and fades. Hardie siding avoids all these troubles.

Get It Right the First Time

When you select the type you want, it is best to leave the installation to the professionals. You could do it yourself, but unlike conventional siding, hardie board requires a special technique. It’s a bit heavier and can be brittle if handled improperly. So when it comes to the nailing and hammering, allow the trained siding experts to take care of it.

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16 Comments

  1. Moni, June 14:

    I just had your product installed on only one side of my house. Hoping that it would be close enough to my paint color. It is off enough that I feel the need to paint it. Please advise as to the best paint to use and anything also we need to know. Thank you.

  2. Marjorie &Ernie Griffin, August 1:

    We put white hardie board on a double garage and on a sunroom attached to our house. The house is insulated aluminum siding which is fading. The house is white as well. What kind of paint do i use to change it? The caulking we used on the garage is separating from the siding. What kind of caulking should I have used? Ernie

  3. Debbie Blanson, August 8:

    Just had Hardy Siding put on this week and it is yellow. When they painted it the true paint colors are not even close to how they look on a sample swatch of wood. I know it’s pre primed but do you think it has something to do with the yellow u der tone of the Hardie Siding?

  4. Charlotte, August 13:

    We just had your hardieboard installed as skirting around our mobile home. Should It be ventilated? Thanks for your help.

  5. Reg Finch, January 29:

    If the Hardie board is not exposed to the weather does it need to be painted ? Thanks .

  6. Edward ciappa, February 25:

    How is this board cut

  7. Kelly, April 6:

    I am considering replacing my old siding to Hardie Board. Should I be concerned about the extra weight?

  8. Ram Midhe, April 10:

    Hello .
    My builder told me that Hardie plank sidings do not need any painting at all as they are prepainted and made of cement . The house was built in 2009-10. The HOA says that the sidings need to be painted. .I’m confused 🙁
    Can you please clarify , 1) Does Hardie plank sidings need painting? 2) If yes , how often? 3) best options for paint ,
    Thanks

  9. Whit, April 16:

    I’ve had hardie board siding since I built my house in 1997. Very satisfied. Only painted two times. Original then 10 years ago !!

  10. Charlotte M, April 23:

    I have had hardy board on my house for the whole 30 years I have owned it. It is virtually impervious to the weather. Last year, I enlarged the house from 840 sq ft to 1650, doubling the size. I used Hardy board for the house and garage I built. It is cheaper to insure due to the sidings’ resistance to the elements. I plan to use it again in another addition in a few years.

  11. PATRICIA C YOUNGS, May 5:

    Installed the Hardiie Plank siding. Decided to paint it after 5-6 yrs. pre washed the sideing and let dry. Painted with a mix of paint and primer. That was 4 yrs ago. Now there are a couple of areas where the paint is chipping off……Would it hurt to softly sand those area, then paint over with kilz, let dry and repaint? Would appreciate any help. Thank you.

  12. Bronson, February 10:

    My Daughter just bought a house that has Hardie cement panels on it

    Does it need to be painted in Queensland or is there no law to for it to be painted? It also looks like the builder has not sealed it properly at the spacing between the sheets

  13. Natalie Christensen, February 11:

    Hardie plank siding is on my building and is peeling. The building is about 15 years old. It is a townhome,
    How can this be fixed? If you can paint it, what kind of paint would work best.

  14. Valerie, February 14:

    I am pretty sure the joints between boards on this type of siding are intentional and not to be caulked, is what I was told by the guy who put my siding on my previous home. It also says this on the actual website.

  15. Jane M, March 28:

    We built our house 12 years ago used Hardie. Board pre painted . In the last year we have paint pealing and chipping & fading it needs to be painted. 1. Is it suppose to need repainting.
    2. What paint do you use for this. How often. Will it need to be painted?.

  16. Dorine Hage, May 29:

    Hi, I have hardie board siding on my house, however I don’t like the colour and would like to paint it. Is it recommended to paint on top of the existing paint? Thank you

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