Anonymous
Post 05/30/2014 10:22     Subject: hardiplank -- is it worth it?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the replies. I guess it will ultimately come down to cost. I prefer the look of hardiplank, but 3x the cost of vinyl is a big deal.

If we do go with vinyl, are there are brands/types that look better than others? The builder suggested beaded vinyl siding and said that it looks a lot like hardiplank, but I'm not really sure.

You probably need to ask yourself why you are thinking about hardiplank. Because you think it is really better and will give you the most for the money (like, is it worth it?)? Or because it is the "thing" to do right now and what might people think if you get vinyl? If it is even a little bit of the second, go with vinyl. Nobody actually cares what you are putting up on your house and nobody is going to drive up, look at your great new addition and how great your house looks and think, "Oh, but they have vinyl siding." Hardi is going to go out of fashion in a couple of years due to maintenance and cost. There is a reason vinyl has been around and is so often used in new construction...and it is not just about pure cost. Bang for the buck, as they say.


I don't think you know much about Hardiplank if you think people are picking it to be cool. If you can't afford it, cool, but it's got a 50 year warranty from the company. That's not really the mark of a crap product.

And yes, the sole reason vinyl is used in new construction is because it is the cheapest option giving builders the largest profit. Why else would they use it?
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2014 10:15     Subject: hardiplank -- is it worth it?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the replies. I guess it will ultimately come down to cost. I prefer the look of hardiplank, but 3x the cost of vinyl is a big deal.

If we do go with vinyl, are there are brands/types that look better than others? The builder suggested beaded vinyl siding and said that it looks a lot like hardiplank, but I'm not really sure.

You probably need to ask yourself why you are thinking about hardiplank. Because you think it is really better and will give you the most for the money (like, is it worth it?)? Or because it is the "thing" to do right now and what might people think if you get vinyl? If it is even a little bit of the second, go with vinyl. Nobody actually cares what you are putting up on your house and nobody is going to drive up, look at your great new addition and how great your house looks and think, "Oh, but they have vinyl siding." Hardi is going to go out of fashion in a couple of years due to maintenance and cost. There is a reason vinyl has been around and is so often used in new construction...and it is not just about pure cost. Bang for the buck, as they say.


OP here. I just like the way hardiplank looks. To me, it looks like wood clapboard, not siding. I'm from New England, so my mental images are wood clapboard or really bad 1970s vinyl siding since that's what I saw growing up. I need to get out and look at some more houses and see the products in person because for me it is purely asthetics. I had just assumed we would go with hardiplank until I found out how much more it costs. I also have a call into my realtor to see if it will matter down the road for resale. I suspect not, but I always like to temper my personal choices a bit with wider appeal in the event that we have to move down the road. Thanks again for your help.


Personally I would never buy a house with vinyl siding. I HATE it.


+1000

We lived in a vinyl house for three years and I cringed every single time I drove up the driveway. HATED it. Even thought about replacing it even though it was just a few years old. Instead we sold it.

If someone does vinyl on a new addition these days I will definitely think that they cheaped out big time.

Aesthetics do matter to me.

Anonymous
Post 05/30/2014 09:41     Subject: hardiplank -- is it worth it?
Have had vinyl and now have Hardie on a new addition. No comparison, the Hardie looks much better. Proper installation is critical. We used factory painted and it's a great match/contrast with the original brick with wood trim.
No issues with dings or repainting, you trim the cut edges and paint them on site.

I don't think vinyl ages very well, Hardie's been around long enough to see it's at least as good IMO in that dept.

There is a difference between cost and value.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2014 09:33     Subject: hardiplank -- is it worth it?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the replies. I guess it will ultimately come down to cost. I prefer the look of hardiplank, but 3x the cost of vinyl is a big deal.

If we do go with vinyl, are there are brands/types that look better than others? The builder suggested beaded vinyl siding and said that it looks a lot like hardiplank, but I'm not really sure.

You probably need to ask yourself why you are thinking about hardiplank. Because you think it is really better and will give you the most for the money (like, is it worth it?)? Or because it is the "thing" to do right now and what might people think if you get vinyl? If it is even a little bit of the second, go with vinyl. Nobody actually cares what you are putting up on your house and nobody is going to drive up, look at your great new addition and how great your house looks and think, "Oh, but they have vinyl siding." Hardi is going to go out of fashion in a couple of years due to maintenance and cost. There is a reason vinyl has been around and is so often used in new construction...and it is not just about pure cost. Bang for the buck, as they say.


OP here. I just like the way hardiplank looks. To me, it looks like wood clapboard, not siding. I'm from New England, so my mental images are wood clapboard or really bad 1970s vinyl siding since that's what I saw growing up. I need to get out and look at some more houses and see the products in person because for me it is purely asthetics. I had just assumed we would go with hardiplank until I found out how much more it costs. I also have a call into my realtor to see if it will matter down the road for resale. I suspect not, but I always like to temper my personal choices a bit with wider appeal in the event that we have to move down the road. Thanks again for your help.


Personally I would never buy a house with vinyl siding. I HATE it.

Never say never...at least not in the DC/NOVA market.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2014 09:33     Subject: hardiplank -- is it worth it?
there is no guarantee that hardi won't curl up and cause gaps.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2014 09:32     Subject: hardiplank -- is it worth it?
Anonymous wrote:Trailers = vinyl.
Houses = hardi plank. We redid the entire back of a 4000 square foot, 3-story house, for less than $2000 in materials. It's not that expensive.


labor is expensive, alot of cutting caulking etc....
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2014 09:30     Subject: hardiplank -- is it worth it?
Anonymous wrote:My home is all-brick (masonry, not veneer). I won't even remotely consider vinyl for our addition. Vinyl screams cheap. If I saw a house with a vinyl addition, I'd wonder about where else the homeowner installed cheap materials. Fiber/OSB over plywoood? Old cast iron / steel pipes instead of pvc?


hah so you are in an on shit box with cast iron and cold ass brick. must be smelly.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2014 09:24     Subject: hardiplank -- is it worth it?
Nothing is maintenance-free.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2014 08:51     Subject: hardiplank -- is it worth it?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the replies. I guess it will ultimately come down to cost. I prefer the look of hardiplank, but 3x the cost of vinyl is a big deal.

If we do go with vinyl, are there are brands/types that look better than others? The builder suggested beaded vinyl siding and said that it looks a lot like hardiplank, but I'm not really sure.

You probably need to ask yourself why you are thinking about hardiplank. Because you think it is really better and will give you the most for the money (like, is it worth it?)? Or because it is the "thing" to do right now and what might people think if you get vinyl? If it is even a little bit of the second, go with vinyl. Nobody actually cares what you are putting up on your house and nobody is going to drive up, look at your great new addition and how great your house looks and think, "Oh, but they have vinyl siding." Hardi is going to go out of fashion in a couple of years due to maintenance and cost. There is a reason vinyl has been around and is so often used in new construction...and it is not just about pure cost. Bang for the buck, as they say.


OP here. I just like the way hardiplank looks. To me, it looks like wood clapboard, not siding. I'm from New England, so my mental images are wood clapboard or really bad 1970s vinyl siding since that's what I saw growing up. I need to get out and look at some more houses and see the products in person because for me it is purely asthetics. I had just assumed we would go with hardiplank until I found out how much more it costs. I also have a call into my realtor to see if it will matter down the road for resale. I suspect not, but I always like to temper my personal choices a bit with wider appeal in the event that we have to move down the road. Thanks again for your help.


Personally I would never buy a house with vinyl siding. I HATE it.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2014 08:48     Subject: hardiplank -- is it worth it?
Anonymous wrote:I don't like vinyl because i see houses with greenish mold (?) that forms on it. Does that happen with hardiplank?

So having cedar siding is totally ridiculous?


These are houses that need to be powerwashed. Much cheaper than painting and caulking.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2014 08:48     Subject: hardiplank -- is it worth it?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We're substantially renovating our home and need to decide about new siding. Hardiplank is much more expensive. Is it worth the extra cost? What are the differences (asthetic, construction, or otherwise) between hardiplank and vinyl siding?


It is far superior to vinyl which is why it costs a lot more. More stability and a much more authentic look. Should be roughly 2.5 to 3X the cost.

That said, you do need to get it installed properly, make sure it is caulked, and make sure that you allow it to weep at the bottom so that water doesn't get trapped behind it (this is all part of the manufacturer's instructions, just need to follow those). If you are a green person, it is a significant improvement over vinyl. Would also recommend the prepainted material if you can select one of those colors. Nothing beats a factory paint finish - you can't replicate that in the field.

Up to you to decide if you get that value back. We just built a house with Hardie on it and haven't regretted it for a second.


We selected a prepainted color and there are two issues 1) they have a very limited selection which looked very different in place than in the sample and 2) it got so dinged during installation (in a small space - DC rowhouse) that it had to be painted anyway. Absolutely don't recommend the factory finish.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2014 08:41     Subject: hardiplank -- is it worth it?
Hardi vs. vinyl - if considering resale, you will not get the difference your money back if you use hardi. Does not add that value to your house.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2014 08:38     Subject: hardiplank -- is it worth it?
Anonymous wrote:Trailers = vinyl.
Houses = hardi plank. We redid the entire back of a 4000 square foot, 3-story house, for less than $2000 in materials. It's not that expensive.

Seriously? I would respond to this, but I am sure it would not do any good in terms of your reality or your ego.

OP - http://www.hearthouse.com/vinyl-siding-or-hardie-board-which-should-you-choose.html
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2014 08:33     Subject: hardiplank -- is it worth it?
Trailers = vinyl.
Houses = hardi plank. We redid the entire back of a 4000 square foot, 3-story house, for less than $2000 in materials. It's not that expensive.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2014 08:26     Subject: hardiplank -- is it worth it?
Anonymous wrote:Hardiplank is a trick, it allows the builder to reduce costs from brick and gives you instant gratification of an organic look. Nevermind the maintenance in about 7 to 10 years.

And our profit from it is absolutely absurd.