[broke]

Hello everyone,

Trying to do a little research here. What do people think about fiber cement board? We are considering this versus vinyl.

What material do you prefer and why?

What do you think about Tyvek wind barriers beneath? This isn't needed with the FCB is it?


Thanks.

[woodworkingmenace]

I saw on a program this weekend, that you have to "prime" the back of that, if you put it up. Something about moisture wicking, either around it, or through it, (no, its doesnt have the same qualities as vynol), and that was the only "downside" to it.

Its going to be heavier than vynol, and not damage as much with baseballs, unless they crack when hit hard enough, but, besides the weight and cost would be the two perogatives in my notions...

Jesse

[oldslowchevy]

i have used the cement siding i don't like it!ok frist yes you should still use the tyvek with any type of siding in my opion.the cement siding is is a pain in the neck as in you need a daimond blade on your saw for al the required cuts you should drill an 3/16th" hole to meet at every stud on the wall(never nail just in the ply wood or osb as there is very little holding power) .this stuff is very very heavy.now once it is up on the wall you now will have to go back and caulk the over laps prep the home then paint the home and you will have to paint the home every few years.it is up to you really but IMHO it just doesn't seem to be worth it to me also most contractors will only warrinty for a year and vinyl for up to 5 years.vinyl is also much easyer to repair if damage does seem to happen.just a thought and i am sure you will get a few more respones to compair with

[inspectorD]

My opinion... Tyvek is for marketers... I have seen failures of tyvek in more than one situation,only sometimes due to faults of the installer.
Fiber cement board is not new, it used to be the old asbestos type where you had to drill holes. Now there are new products and you NEED to read the manufacturers instructions as to how the install goes.
I used a cement fiber board that looks like clapboards on the Corwall church in Cornwall CT 5 years ago. The product had to stay dry before the install. It was then hung from the top of the piece with roofing nails. Worked like a charm when you cut it with some power shears. Prime all cuts and leave a small gap for slight expantion of the pieces.
This stuff still looks like brand new ,paint and all.
I'm not a fan of new things unless they are proven, in this case I think still looking new in 5 years is not so bad.
We used 15lb felt paper as the weather barrier. I remodeled my second house from 1740 and the paper from the remodel done sometime around 1938 was in good shape....so much for marketing....

[broke]

This stuff still looks like brand new ,paint and all.
....
I'm not a fan of new things unless they are proven, in this case I think still looking new in 5 years is not so bad.
....
We used 15lb felt paper as the weather barrier. I remodeled my second house from 1740 and the paper from the remodel done sometime around 1938 was in good shape....so much for marketing....

Yes, the result is more what I'm interested in. I have heard many good things about the engineered stuff but need to research so I, hopefully, don't fall into those marketing traps. Vinyl is just unappealing to me. Fast, cheap, and easy isn't always better.

I'm thinking the cement board looks more like a wood siding, although I haven't gone to see it in person yet. They say it holds up for 100 years and I don't think it needs painting maintenance unless you want to change your colors.

I read the cost is about the same as a high-grade vinyl selection ???? Anyone know? Maybe they were just talking about materials w/o installation increases.

Tyvek scares me. It just looks like a bad idea. I saw something on TV where there was a lot of mold accumulating underneath which was causing health hazards.

The felt paper serves the same purpose as Tyvek?

Thanks.

[inspectorD]

Tar paper or 15# felt or 30# grade D building paper in some parts of the US.It lets vapors out and does not react with concrete cement.Tyvek is great under vinyl siding, they go hand in hand however it needs to be installed correctly. Not done most of the time.

My opinion of housewraps is that sometimes I have seen stains and deceay on the house wrap and damage behind cedar clapboards when they are on the home only 5 years later. They were not primed but bare.Also these wraps stick to concrete and bond to it. I dont know if it can breath when bonded to concrete or mortar from bricks.More testing needs to be done on new products.
Tar paper has had some deterioration sometimes also but it is still my personal and less expensive choice.

[asbestos]

I just looked at a job at a house with 10 y/o FC siding on it and it looked brand new, just great. In the Pac. NW FC board is used a lot.
Some manuf. say that caulking seams is optional.
In my town, houses start at 450,000 and most are 600,000+ and many of the new ones have Hardieplank. I don't think you will see to many houses over a half million with vinyl siding.

[Daryl in Nanoose]

Here on Vancouver Island BC Canada it seems that almost every house built has hardi plank on it.I have used this on some projects and I just love it. You can use a carbide blade to cut it but make sure you use a good quality mask since it really kicks up the dust. I also use Stainless steel siding nails and fasten on every stud . As InspectorD said quote: Tar paper or 15# felt or 30# grade D building paper is the best way to go. I did not predrill but the nails do like to bend some times but thats up to you. All in all I would use it on my own house.

[broke]

Thanks for the input.

What's a general price comparison for FC vs. vinyl?

If the vinyl project is $100K, labor and materials, say, with Tyvek, very generally, about how much % higher would the FC be to do?

I guess one would compare it to a mid-value vinyl from CertainTeed (think they said 'Main Street' was being used).

[inspectorD]

About all I can say is it will be more due to ,
It has to be painted when finished, and it is more labor to put in.The vynil siding comes in larger pieces .It is 2-3 rows instead of only 1 row at a time.
Get some price quotes then go from there.
Good luck.