James Hardie Industries

Hardie siding is an excellent product. I am a carpenter and have installed all types. • I hate vinyl siding with a passion as it degrades in 20 year, is easily broken by stones from a lawnmower or children, it’s dishonest, masquerading as something else, and it’s not even a water barrier - it’s just a “weather barrier” with the actual waterproofing behind it. • Cedar clapboard or shakes are a wonderful product that can last for generations when installed properly, but they need to be painted every 10 years and require some maintenance. • Hardie board is a cement-like product that installed just like cedar clapboard, will not expand and contract with moisture, will not rot, does not require maintenance and comes per-painted. In my opinion, Hardie is the ideal siding material, if you are willing to forgo real wood. It’s popular because it’s cheaper than cedar and paint and long term maintenance costs are much lower. Rarely do you see a newer product, (especially a composite) that performs better than that the traditional stuff and is actually cheaper. As for the aesthetics, I believe that’s entirely a matter of design. If you take a 150 year-old home and out in larger windows, remove the shutters, install smaller trim, eliminate the frieze board, shrink the corner boards, and install modern soffit and roof venting, it won’t look like an old house anymore. All that aside, the spacing of the siding is definitely a factor - older homes have 3-4” spacing on the clapboards, while hardi plank can have 5” or more. It will cost 20% more, but Hardie plank can be installed with a 4” reveal to keep the original look of your home. (Not a shill for Hardie, I’ve only installed the stuff a couple of times, but I am a fan of anything that can outlast wood and doesn’t use plastic) I would be very curious to see photos of what you consider traditional and ugly/modern. More on reddit.com

I put vinyl siding on my house and I really regret it. It looks like crap after 10 years. My neighbor has Hardie siding and he has never painted it in 10 years, and it looks perfectly brand new. Stucco also looks like crap after a while. More on reddit.com

Both have installation issues! Need qualified contractor and installers otherwise they are both junk! Nothing is maintenance free. More on reddit.com

Hardie & LP Smartside are the industry leaders in clapboard siding. Hardie is more brittle than LP, but does better with moisture. In my opinion I would use a different trim product like LP, Miratec, Boral, or cellular PVC. Depending on the style / location LP trim tends to be used frequently with Hardie siding installs. LP is cheaper to install due to weight and the material is easier to work with (osb vs. fiber cement). Regardless, Hardie (when installed correctly), is a great product. Just ensure proper flashing and caulking methods are followed by your installer and you should have no issues. Remember you're purchasing a siding that requires maintenance. Paint and caulk every 7-10 years and it will outlast you. More on reddit.com