Siding choices?

[Innovate1]

Got a quote for Hardie siding with installation on my new construction 1600 sq ft house and 2 car attached garage. $76k!

LP smart side is supposed to be good (according to the people that sell it. Of course they say it's good).

Doing vinyl on the detached garage but wanted to do something a bit nicer on the house. Any suggestions that won't break the bank?

 

[kf4zht]

I just bought 8" fiber cement (hardie knockoff) to redo the back of my house. It worked out to around $1.05/sqft buying a moderate quantity (500 sqft). Figure with nails its going to roll in around $1.10. That not counting beer and pizza for helpers.

I've had houses with vinyl and hardie. The vinyl takes a good bit of install skill and you wont know for years if it was done right. Also after it gets brittle and cracks from a hit finding the matching stuff can be a pain. Hardie aint perfect but its tough.

 

[matt_i]

Are you sure they didn't slip a zero or decimal point there....$7600 would be more believable without even knowing anything about the siding business.

I'd get 2 more quotes to be sure.

 

[SGKent]

I did T-111 siding replacement on a 1300 sq ft house and attached garage about 2004 and it might have cost me $3k for the siding. Painted both sides, and all the cuts with 2 coats before putting it up, then a 3rd on the exterior once it was up. It's been 15 years, and it still looks new. The old siding was showing wear at 12 years.

 

[yeldogt]

Would get another quote ... I like the smooth Hardie pre-pained. Quote seems high .... I buy one size larger and use a larger head-lap.

Hardie is less of a shadow line ... The smartside is a bevel ... looks more like a cedar clap.

Boral ... I think stopped making the siding product... that was more money and no prepainted

 

[Innovate1]

I'm familiar with T-111 from growing up on the west coast (Oregon) but I haven't seen it here. Haven't really looked for it so it may be available.

Need to get a few more quotes.

 

[PNWguy]

WTF? That sounds like a contractor who doesn't want the job, and throws out a bid to see how hungry you are.

I'm getting bids on a 84' x 40' house & shop for about $200k. That includes siding.

 

[That Guy Scott]

I just built a custom home in So Cal and used Hardie Siding. It was $52k for a 4000 sq house. I’d say they’re off a bit. I’d get more bids

 

[OldNeons]

$76k is not even in the ballpark. Ask them to double check AND get another bid or two. I'd put Hardie on the garage too. Or go with metal before I used vinyl.....

 

[nadogail]

I used Hardy Plank to build a wall around a patio.

Gecko Clamps are handier than a pocket on a shirt.

I would do it again, if I live long enough (I was born in '39)

 

[regguy1]

I just had the house done in Alside cedar shake look vinyl. They did the entire house / replaced 2 windows / 1 6' patio door/ aluminized rake boards and vinyl soffits. 20K
The shake look vinyl is much heavier that regular vinyl, it's about 100 thousands thick

Here is before:

Here is after:

I used the Pelican Bay one, they have other styles. Other companies also make Cedar look vinyl.
Here is Alside: https://www.alside.com/products/siding/specialty-siding/

 

[James-W]

To "regguy1", that siding does look really nice.

 

[yeldogt]

I just had the house done in Alside cedar shake look vinyl. They did the entire house / replaced 2 windows / 1 6' patio door/ aluminized rake boards and vinyl soffits. 20K
The shake look vinyl is much heavier that regular vinyl, it's about 100 thousands thick

Here is before:

Here is after:

I used the Pelican Bay one, they have other styles. Other companies also make Cedar look vinyl.
Here is Alside: https://www.alside.com/products/siding/specialty-siding/

I have used the shakes .. great product.

 

[paredown]

A couple of years ago, we did a duplex--traditional look--in a wood clapboard (small profile) siding. I cannot remember what species--not cedar, not pine; may have been spruce? Came preprimed and was very consistent (no knots or blems)--it may have been a Euro import. This was from our local real building supply place.

It actually costed out cheaper than vinyl, gave a really nice look. And it was a good prime job--the owner saw it up, and decided to wait a year before painting, and it seemed to survive that OK.

So maybe worth a look at wood?

(Full disclosure--I hate vinyl enough that I would rather paint my house periodically.)

 

[LS6 Tommy]

$76k? Walk. I'm getting the entire house, breezeway and garage redone with the second most expensive Certainteed vinyl. I'm also getting three old windows removed, the holes closed up, the windows reinstalled in the garage and two new different windows cut in. They're also removing and reinstalling all the gutter guards and gutters, and removing all the aluminum capping and recapping it. It's running me $15k from a not-so-cheap contractor.

Tommy

 

[regguy1]

Here are some photos of the vinyl shakes

 

[strutaeng]

Somebody is looking to buy a yacht!

You can always check on RS Means for a cost comparison. I've got a copy laying around here somewhere...

How many square feet of siding is it? 1-story? If 2-story, maybe they have a huge chunk of change for scaffolding or something like that?

I'm doing an addition with siding (about 800 sq ft) and masonry (2000 sq ft). Surface area.

The framer installed the siding at not extra charge for framing it. I used the LP smartside. I've never been a fan of the cement siding, but all materials have pros and cons.

On the masonry I had a guy quote me $20k for the 2,000 sq ft, so roughly $10 per sq.ft. I thought that was highway robbery! I found another guy that charged me like $6k for labor and materials were around $4k, so basically half of the other guy. I know masonry is more expensive than carpentry, but you get the idea.

I don't think your area is that expensive as far as labor, but may be wrong. Time to get a few more bids!

 

[vavet]

Be advised that Hardi is not without it's faults. Some contractors will not install it. There was situations that arise that require a lot of thinking through to make sure it's installed correctly. It's gotten a somewhat unjustified bad reputation.
I don't know enough to speak intelligently, but I would urge you to research this yourself.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Here are some photos of the vinyl shakes

I chose handsplit staggered 9" cedar shakes. The ones you got were my second choice.

Tommy

 

[PAToyota]

Be advised that Hardi is not without it's faults. Some contractors will not install it. There was situations that arise that require a lot of thinking through to make sure it's installed correctly. It's gotten a somewhat unjustified bad reputation.
I don't know enough to speak intelligently, but I would urge you to research this yourself.

It does need to be able to dry out. I've seen a lot of failures where contractors got it either too close to grade or to a roof and it crumbles over time.


I've had it on my workshop for twenty years now with no issues. What with doing welding and plasma cutting in the driveway, I wanted something that offered a level of fire resistance unlike other products (cough, cough, vinyl).

 

[dw1]

This is what I used on my house, it is Celect Board and Batten siding, I put it on myself.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I'd give the guy a call and ask him if his $76K price is correct. If he says yes right away, tell him thanks but no thanks and you appreciate his time for the quote. If he hesitates and asks you to repeat the quote number, it's probably an honest mistake.

If he is a reputable siding contractor and his primary livelihood, he should have all his equipment and not passing on rental costs to the consumer, like scaffolding or walk planks.

 

[Pluribus]

This is what I used on my house, it is Celect Board and Batten siding, I put it on myself.

I've been a Hardie fan for quite a while, but the Celect is intriguing. How did the install go? Did you have a hard time in areas where things may not have been square. How did you seal up the ends at the trim? I noticed in the video that they put trim boards over the top of the lap siding, something I've never liked the look of, plus it's a bug & spider haven to do that around here.

 

[tymbo]

This is what I used on my house, it is Celect Board and Batten siding, I put it on myself.

I like your stone. Is it prefab panels?

 

[yeldogt]

I've been a Hardie fan for quite a while, but the Celect is intriguing. How did the install go? Did you have a hard time in areas where things may not have been square. How did you seal up the ends at the trim? I noticed in the video that they put trim boards over the top of the lap siding, something I've never liked the look of, plus it's a bug & spider haven to do that around here.

It seems this is how most are done ... I don't love it either.

All these products have a place .. at my beach house everything is designed to be low maintenance -- resistant to the harsh elements. It's the Jersey shore .. not a classic shake on the coast of Maine. Most of mine is white Azek ... doing wood would actually hurt resale !

At my weekend place in PA .. anything fake hurts resale .. unless done well.

 

[longez]

Our choice was LP Smart Siding over the Hardie; price was about the same. Our contractor and the Building Material Center uses both, but both have had a few issues with Hardie and none (recently) with the LP. Now 3+ years old and appears as the day it was installed.

 

[yeldogt]

Be advised that Hardi is not without it's faults. Some contractors will not install it. There was situations that arise that require a lot of thinking through to make sure it's installed correctly. It's gotten a somewhat unjustified bad reputation.
I don't know enough to speak intelligently, but I would urge you to research this yourself.

It does have a few knocks -- it's not ground contact suitable. If you are going to get close to the ground .... make a freeze board out of another product (I use Boral). I also don't like the trim ... Boral is the best IMO for flat boards .. and you can get 5/4.

People use too much caulk in general -- But, you don't caulk the seams w/ Hardie .. they get flashed. Like a true clap .. you don't wrap the caulk under (everybody does). Trapping water is bad .. no fake product breaths

The open edges have to be properly painted and kept away from the roof .. this requires some thought when flashing.

I buy one size larger so the lap is greater -- it's stronger and makes for a smooth wall.

I always use the pre-painted ... it takes a bit more time to install .... but it's done. I use large trim ... the Hardi disappears.

 

[dw1]

I've been a Hardie fan for quite a while, but the Celect is intriguing. How did the install go? Did you have a hard time in areas where things may not have been square. How did you seal up the ends at the trim? I noticed in the video that they put trim boards over the top of the lap siding, something I've never liked the look of, plus it's a bug & spider haven to do that around here.

The siding is foam filled, I didn't do anything to the ends. I used a miter saw and table saw to install. The pieces lock together and nail the other side, don't put the nails tight so it can move. I actually bought it through the local distributor (through my buddies acct, sales guy came out and gave me a quick lesson on installing) it was not bad at all.

 

[dw1]

I like your stone. Is it prefab panels?

No, its stone veneer.

 

[dw1]

It seems this is how most are done ... I don't love it either.

All these products have a place .. at my beach house everything is designed to be low maintenance -- resistant to the harsh elements. It's the Jersey shore .. not a classic shake on the coast of Maine. Most of mine is white Azek ... doing wood would actually hurt resale !

At my weekend place in PA .. anything fake hurts resale .. unless done well.

I used a 4' level as I went on installing the siding, you can adjust accordingly as you go.
My sister in law has a beach house in florida, we usually get down there once a summer, I cant believe the salt water damage, her three outside condenser units are ready to be replaced and they are 4 years old, the fins on the coils are literally falling off and nothing is cheap on the beach...