Handyman or Business Person?

[aforstate]

One other thing - L/P SmartSide with DiamondKote prefinish is the bomb. It isn't cheap (but neither is good paint) but it has a 35-year warranty, and after having installed a few jobs, I can tell you it is extremely durable. DiamondKote is a trade name proprietary to Wausau Supply Company, most lumber companies buy from them. (A tip - our yard in Grimes sells it, and they deliver for free.)

I agree that DiamondKote is awesome, but homeowners/builders around here rarely use it. I also agree that LP is a superior product, but not by much. I put LP Smartside on my own house. Both will last damn near forever if installed properly. The only serious issue to be aware of when installing LP is expansion. I've seen a lot of jobs where it was installed without proper clearances that had lots of panels pop out from the wall. Can't beat light weight, no silica dust, and less seams with 16' panels though.

 

[CYEATHAWK]

I'd love to, but too damn busy. Also, I don't generally work on redos unless they're for a friend. Mostly new construction.

As far as the Hardie goes, I'd call a local rep and see who they recommend, and who is under their certification program. Take their recommendations into consideration and price compare with different companies. You may pay a bit more for a contractor that can get Hardie certification after the job is complete, but it's up to you to decide if you think it's worth it. All of my Hardie work is certified at completion by a Hardie rep. Basically, they come out and look at my work. They decide that it meets their standard. Once it is certified, all workmanship warranty is then taken over by Hardie for 10 years. The builder and the contractor I work for are no longer responsible for the project after certification. This incentivises the contractors to do better work, but there are still differences in how things are done. In my opinion, they are a bit lenient with their certifications to stay in the good graces of contractors.

As for the product itself, I would personally stay away from pre painted. I don't think it is a good product. It just has a good warranty. If you do go with pre painted, don't cheap out on the contractor. It will show in the finished product due to it being a giant pain in the ass to install properly and keep clean in the process.

I would also stay away from smooth finished trim or lap siding. They come from the factory with imperfections and EVERYTHING shows on smooth. The smooth finish on panels like 4x8s is usually pretty good.

Also, make sure whoever is caulking isn't an idiot. Proper caulking can make or break a siding job.

Never been certified by Hardie...never tried, but I have always pre-drilled and hand nailed every fastener. It just seemed with the impact of pneumatics, stress fractures could then be eliminated. Is that even a consideration with Hardie because I have come in behind some jobs that you could tell the impact caused the problem.

 

[aforstate]

Haven’t done LP but did vinyl and that was easy. Next I will get told that roofing requires a specialist. Didn’t other people’s dads put them to work when they were growing up?

You'd potentially be surprised by how many garbage vinyl siding jobs and, and even roofing jobs I've seen by so-called "professionals". Both of these things are pretty straightforward, I agree, but it's the details that make the difference. Like I said in a previous post, I can easily differentiate my work from the house next door, whether it be vinyl, Hardie, steel, cedar, or LP siding. Some homeowners can too, and that's what matters.

 

[aforstate]

Never been certified by Hardie...never tried, but I have always pre-drilled and hand nailed every fastener. It just seemed with the impact of pneumatics, stress fractures could then be eliminated. Is that even a consideration with Hardie because I have come in behind some jobs that you could tell the impact caused the problem.

Nothing wrong with that, I just usually work for builders that take advantage of the program.

I always use nail guns. The problems arise when the guns are dialed in to shoot too deep. I set mine so the nail heads stop about 1/16 shy of the surface and hand pound them in flush. Most siders that I see will just blast them into the siding so they don't have to pound on anything, and a lot don't even bother to hit studs. If they shoot part way through the piece, pieces will eventually start falling off the wall.

 

[Ms3r4ISU]

if you need some plumbing done let me know. just make sure you are at work and your wife is home

I don’t have a wife.

 

[SwirlyBird]

I don’t have a wife.

Are you available?