Are you stuck between two hard decisions – Cheap but plain vinyl siding or spending a fortune to replace your wood lap siding… Maybe there’s a better solution? 

Until recent years Hardi was considered the “newcomer,” yet now can be considered an industry leader in quality and might be only the sweet spot you’re searching for. It is a wood-look lap siding called Hardiplank, and the most popular brand, depending on who you ask, is called HardiePlank. 

It’s unique in that it’s lap siding that still looks a lot like wood.  A blend of cellulose filaments and concrete materials, HardiePlank is fiber-bond siding that comes in long, flat strips, much the same as wood lap siding.  HardiePlank is somewhat wood (the cellulose) and mostly mineral. If you break a piece you will see a weak center intertwined with wood filaments. 

In any case, the HardiePlank’s wood substance does not impact its unmistakable wood grain appearance. That is the aftereffect of a kind of embellishment called decorated finishing. To begin with, it creates a sensible reproduction of wood grain. Second and in particular, it outwardly separates the level surfaces and gives each board a more extravagant look. Hardie offers smooth as well. 

When it comes to renovating your home you want to use products that are going to hold their value if you ever sell your home. With different sorts of siding, especially vinyl siding, it’s easily hard to get your initial investment back. However, fiber-concrete siding, particularly HardiePlank, does a great job of providing and ROI when it’s time to sell. 

Money Magazine considers fiber-cement siding to be an upgrade and estimates that you can recoup 78% of your investment. 

As far as imperviousness to fire, consider HardiePlank a kind of unbiased structure material- – not a fire feeder, however not as flame-resistant as concrete asbestos shingles. 

One reason homeowners love HardiePlank over vinyl siding is that it looks a lot like wood. 

Side by side you can tell the difference, but standing at the curb and looking at the house you would have a really hard time.  

Hardi is very paintable, but you do have to spring for a quality paint.  The high levels of minerals in Hardi equate to cheap paints not lasting.  But as with anything, if you use the right paint, it will last a LONG time.   

You don’t have to worry about insects when it comes to your new Hardi siding.  Woodworker ants and termites are consistently an issue for wood siding. Creepy crawlies couldn’t care less about HardiePlank. There isn’t sufficient wood cellulose in it to intrigue the bugs. Thusly, HardiePlank is viewed as creepy-crawler safe. 

As a standard guideline, HardiePlank is around multiple times more costly than vinyl siding. Factor in the expense of painting HardiePlank (versus no expense for vinyl siding) and the factor diminishes to about 2.5 occasions progressively costly. 

While discretionary, fiber-concrete siding is typically painted upon establishment. Painting- – both work and materials- – altogether drives up complete task cost. Vinyl siding is never painted upon establishment.