muddy, The battens are 1x3 pre-primed pressure treated. I'm not sure why that decision was made, as that was on DH's plate, not mine. I can try to figure out pictures in the next couple days if you'll bear with me. I'm still figuring out the new camera. :) The only thing about my siding that I'm not crazy about is the caulking product we used. It was labeled as paintable, but it clearly didn't mean that it excelled in that department, because it is a PITA to get the paint to adhere to the caulk, which, since you have to caulk every seam, is everywhere. On the up side, once I experimented a little, I learned that spraying the house lightly 3 times usually did the trick. I am going to back and do touch-ups in the spring. As far as install was concerned, the PT wood was nice because its rough texture made it easier to caulk because I didn't need to try to make the caulk smooth, I just rubbed it to match the texture of the wood, if any of that makes sense... Will post pics ASAP.

I have Hardiplank on SEVEN homes which I own. Speaking from experience the James Hardy product is pure junk. It is highly hydroscopic, meaning iT absorbs water readily. Once the siding has absorbed water, paint peeling is the likely result. We observe that on the south, west and eastern sides of our homes paint peeling is generally less of a problem as the sun exposure warms the siding and drives out most of the moisture absorbed in a heavy rain. The northern exposures are a different situation and that's where paint peeling is the biggest problem. In coastal locations Hardiplank is at its worst. Wind driven rain will force its way behind the siding and will often find its way behind the laps and will literally get between the siding and the paint forming large balloons under the paint filled with water! These balloons can be as large as a foot or two wide and unbelievably can hold 4-6 ounces of water for months until the peeling sets in. You pop the balloon and water runs down the side of the home! Additional areas where paint peeling and Hardiplank delamination often occur are any location where there is a high 'slash' effect off of gable roofs or splash from decks or porches back onto this siding. iF YOU READ THE MANUFACTURER'S INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS, THEY WANT YOU TO KEEP THE PRODUCT 'X' INCHES AWAY FROM DECKS AND ROOF SURFACES, HOWEVER THIS ISJUST NOT PRACTICAL IN MANY CASES. In a real sense this is Hardy's own admission that the product is not suited for geographic areas of the US which receive a fair amount of rain due to water absorption. I've read lots of painters saying the problem is the paint. Over the years, we've tried all the major brands including Behr and Sherwin Williams and numerous others, and in our experience the paint makes little to no difference. In our view the product is not suitable as an exterior siding unless the structure is located in an arid environment like the southwest. Many homeowners have been told it's an installation problem. Except in the rarest cases, I do not believe it. I have seen rampant delamination of the product 2" from a patio surface and 20' above as well. I have experienced the butt joints open up as much as 3/4 of an inch on hot southern exposures. All this means that the product is swelling and shrinking constantly and inherently causes paint to peel as a result. In short, the product does not appear to be suited for the purpose for which it is intended: SIDING. I would not put it on a dog house!

rookie - I'm touched that you remember our storm experience and all! It was really the drawn-out fight to get a fair settlement out of the insurance company that postponed things much longer than I'd hoped. But, here we are, looking at getting back in a home that's OURS just a hair after two years since the tornado. This is the first time I've joined in on a monthly progress post, and I can't tell you how much I enjoy seeing everyone's beautiful houses, watching the different styles take shape. This is something I'm going to look forward to for the next "how ever many" months! Oh, and Jolson, I second everyone's else admiration for the bench: we miscalculated and are now doing our master bath without a tub (not exactly heartbroken, as we aren't really tub pple). Something like that bench is perfect for the 5'x9' "wall" that makes up the center of the walk-in shower. * There's an entrance on each end of the rectangular shower, w/a 5' wide expanse between them. It was supposed to be the "header" for the tub to extend from into the center of the bath, but we cut it too close and I can't handle a 5' tub, so voila ... no tub and now a fun area to experiment with! (Tomorrow is picture day, so I'll be well-prepared for September's progress post!) Oh, and rookie? YOUR HOUSE IS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! It would look reaaallllyy beautiful on, oh let's say, a pecan farm? ;D

I devoured this thread for months and finally went to Lowe's to look at these planks. When I first looked at them in the store I thought they looked so fake and cheesy that I almost gave up, but I brought a few home and set them on the floor. They looked good! It seems that most people have good results as long as they follow the directions really carefully and don't use professionals to install the floor. It also seems that the trouble comes when the climate is really hot or humid. But, just to make sure that we weren't the unlucky ones, I installed it in my entryway first to see how it would hold up on our concrete slab. I pulled up sheet vinyl and scraped off the remaining mastic, used the Henry's and it went down and stayed. I am a dog walker/pet sitter and we board dogs, all different kind of dogs, at our house and we needed something durable and easy to clean and this has fit the bill. I installed it in our entire downstairs myself. Everyone loves it and thinks it's either wood or laminate and several neighbors want to put it in themselves. I've noticed vinyl flooring everywhere now, including high end stores. Thanks to everyone for recommending this flooring and for the terrific tips. Here are a few of my own: 1) Definitely prep, prep, prep the floor. I scraped up mastic and glue from the carpet pad. I didn't use adhesive remover because one site I saw said it may soak into the concrete and interfere with adherence. The key is clean, dry and smooth. 2) The instructions on the box and the Novalis website recommend the self-stick tile primer. It is a must - it goes on really thin and dries clear in about half an hour. 3) Take your time when laying the tiles and get them as tight and straight as you can. 4) I found some walnut wood filler that I used in some of the tricky spots and it worked great. 5) Definitely let the planks sit in your house for 48 hours before installation. 6) I ordered OOPS! Painters wipes which Novalis recommends to remove excess adhesive. They also recommend them to remove the white "scratches" which Novalis calls scuff marks. I found that the wipes didn't work on the scuff marks, but time does. They eventually wear away. 7) I didn't use a rolling pin, but did baby steps on the tiles once they were down. There are a few that I missed and they sound funny. I have not had any scratches from dog's nails, but we did have some from broken dishes. It's not as noisy as laminate, but it is hard - almost like walking on concrete. I love this flooring and am so glad to have put it in. I am a middle aged woman and did it by myself. I took my time and did one section at a time and it came out great! Here is a link that might be useful: