Re: [GBlist] Hardie siding

[John Salmen <terrain@shaw.ca>]

Hardiplank has become a bit of a standard on the wet coast as an alternative
to cedar (am glad you are concerned about my B.C. forests). I still have
reservations about continuous wetting of the material and have been looking
at buildings that have used it but it is still relatively new. I would
definitely use it over a rainscreen for that reason. In that way it will not
have an adverse affect on the structure. Because the material has no
inherent structure and is quite thin you will see some waviness over time
and you will need to refinish in the 5-7 yr time frame. Look up the
hardiplank installation specifications and make sure that the installer is
contracted to meet those requirements. End finishing of seams and caulking
becomes extremely important.

Other than that it is probably one of the few choices you have and in a
stained finish with good detailing it is a good finish. I still prefer
stucco for our climate as it is actually inherently less prone to mildew,
without the fungicides typically used in stains over wood or composite
sidings, but again you need an affective rainscreen for it to perform well -
but you will find it needs less maintenance if done properly.

In terms of environmental and social impact you need to consider the source
of material. If you were to use a locally and sustainably derived 2nd growth
cedar product you might be further ahead and washington has had many
programs in affect to develop such products to help develop a sustainable
forest economy. The social considerations are unfortunately important and  I
think it is good to support local economy as opposed to shipping in a
generic complex product where the emphasis is on low-cost manufacturing and
high end marketing.

definitely an opinion

John Salmen
TERRAIN E.D.S.




----- Original Message -----
From: "Patrick Christie" <patrickc@u.washington.edu>
To: <greenbuilding@crest.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2002 6:17 PM
Subject: [GBlist] Hardie siding


> We are about to start new construction in the Seattle area and are
> researching options for siding.  It'll be a bungalow style, 1500 sq.
> ft. house in the woods.  It's a two-story house that will have modest
> eaves.  It rains a lot and the house will get some weather.  Our builder
> is encouraging us to
> consider cedar shingle or Hardie plant beveled siding.  While the cedar
> looks beautiful, we are uncomfortable with the notion of adding to more
> clear cuts in BC.  We checked out Hardie plank and think it looks OK.  Our
> questions are: 1) how does this stuff wear over time? 2) will it mildew
> and turn green (like stucco here? 3) what are the environmental
> impacts associated with production of this product?
>
> Many thanks, Patrick and Stephanie
>
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
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> ______________________________________________________________________
>



______________________________________________________________________
This greenbuilding dialogue is sponsored by REPP/CREST, creator of
Solstice http://www.crest.org, and BuildingGreen, Inc., publisher of
Environmental Building News and GreenSpec http://www.BuildingGreen.com
______________________________________________________________________