Hardie plank ground clearance

7 years ago

I don't know if this is the correct forum for this question. I have a house built in 1985; I've only been in the home for 2 1/2 years. This house currently has fake wood siding that I'm going to replace with Hardie plank. My house is on a slab.

Here is my question. I've talked with lots of siding companies; some are James Hardie preferred, some are not. Two companies said I need a 6" ground clearance for Hardie siding. In order to achieve that they would need to install a 6" band of pvc and then start the Hardie installation. They also said if I didn't install the pvc band it would not break the warranty for the whole installation, but if the bottom planks suffered damage (peeling etc) those boards would not be under warranty.

Some companies say that it is not necessary even though it would cause my Hardie siding to have a ground clearance of only 2" - 3" in some areas. One company said I could just trench some of the soil away from my house.

Does anyone have any knowledge or experience with ground clearance and Hardie siding? Would you have the 6" pvc installed?

Thanks for any information you can share.

Featured Answer

Isaac Ovchinikov

6 years ago

I've been installing James Hardie siding products for over 12 years and am now the Production Manager for the company I've been installing for since I was in high school. We are a JH preferred remodeler and make it a point to not just meet the Hardie Specs. but to exceed them so that our installation method is always superior to everyone else's. We prefer using a band board at the grade as a proper buffer whenever the ground is less than 6" away from the top of the foundation. I used to use PVC trim as the buffer because it is a rot proof material that can be installed there while holding it's warranty, but the big downfall with all PVC products is the terrible expansion/contraction rate. A band board installed in the heat of summer can contract quite a bit as soon as winter comes around, which can cause some very ugly gaps in the seams. What I use now is Boral trim, which can also be installed either in the ground or even in water and still hold it's warranty, and has virtually no noticeable expansion/contraction rate. The Boral trim has a smooth side and wood grain side just like the PVC boards, except the Boral looks much more like a true cedar board. For this reason I usually install the wood grain side showing because it blends in with the JH Cedarmill siding much better than the fake plastic stuff. Another pro is the Boral trim is very easy to work with and holds paint alot better. When I install the Boral band boards and paint them to match the siding above, it has a natural look like it belongs there and just blends in with the siding. That is what my customers look for, so hopefully this helps with anyone else's decision if they stumble upon this reply (original post was last year, so I'm assuming the original poster's project is already finished)

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Comments (8)

jellytoast
7 years ago
The instructions (here) seem pretty clear regarding clearances. I installed Hardie siding on a room addition but it is adjacent to a concrete sidewalk with a good slope for drainage away from the house so 6 inches isn't necessary. I can definitely see the necessity of 6 inches if it is adjacent to dirt. You wouldn't want water and mud constantly splashing up there. Not sure how easy it would be to just replace bottom boards if they suffered damage because each adjacent board laps and is nailed over the one below it.

If it were me, I'd follow the instructions (or use the PVC) to give me the full 6-inches specified. But I've seen enough Hardie installations just in my own neighborhood to know that instructions for installation are often not followed.

According to THIS article, any warranty would be void if proper installation instructions are not followed. I would contact Hardie myself for clarification before relying on the word of someone who is suggesting you go ahead and install without the proper clearances.
yvonne_99
Original Author
7 years ago
jellytoast - Thank you for your response.
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geoffrey_b
7 years ago
"One company said I could just trench some of the soil away from my house."

That makes no sense. You are supposed to have the land graded away from your home - about 1/4" per foot. You could wind up having water in your basement. Besides - it's really ugly.

To get a warranty - follow the manufacturer's specifications. Anyone who doesn't follow them is a hack.
ziyouzizai
5 years ago
hi Isaac. I stumbled upon your post and wanted to ask a few questions. Our installer said Azek PVC trim board is what they use. Choosing Boral trim will double the cost for us. Does that sound right? You mentioned expansion/contraction with band board. So is it better to do the installation sometime in the fall? We live in Chicago and the next month of so can still be pretty warm.
Isaac Ovchinikov
5 years ago
They can use AZEK boards as long as they use the correct screws to make sure the seams don't split apart when the weather gets colder. As for the installation cost being double by using Boral, I find that hard to believe. When Boral was first presented to me by the reps and suppliers, the cost was slightly more than PVC but definitely not double. I was able to get my suppliers to match the price of PVC boards as long as I replaced my PVC orders with Boral. As for labor cost, the Boral would be faster to install because instead of using screws you can simply use a pneumatic trim nail gun (I use 15 gauge 3.5" angled trim nails). Your installer is either getting PVC boards for a very cheap price, which isn't common if he's using a name brand like AZEK, or he just doesn't want to use Boral and is trying to just price it out of being an option. I could always be wrong, because I don't know the full situation or the market in your area, but based on the info I have that seems to be the case.
ziyouzizai
5 years ago
Thank you for your insight! We are about to go forth but have been seeing a lot of negatives consumer reviews regarding colorplus hardie board, with recent photos (March and June of 2018) showing how the joints show water stain or PH burns. Not sure if that's one-off of a bad batch or a more persistent problem with hardie products. Our installer never mentioned about buying primed planks and then painting on site, guess that must take too much time or added costs. What is your opinion about colour Plus? https://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/jameshardie-siding.html
Isaac Ovchinikov
5 years ago
ColorPlus Hardie is an excellent product of its installed correctly. The pictures on that link you posted clearly show me that the installer used large amounts of touch-up paint all around. The ColorPlus finish is a baked on paint finish that is done in the factory, and no matter how close of a color match you get with paint, you will always have a slightly different sheen when looking at it from different angles, as well as a different fade rate when its exposed to the elements. Those "water marks", are definitely not water marks. They are large amounts of touch up paint that is faded compared to the ColorPlus finish, which proves how much more superior the baked on finish is. Touch up paint is meant to be used minimally, and only enough to cover a nail head or small scratch or imperfection. Large areas of field paint will most definitely age differently than the baked on finish. If you choose to go with primed and then paint it with a custom color, I would advise using Sherwin Williams Duration exterior paint. It has a great warranty and I've never had an issue with it. I typically use a satin finish because it makes a house look new and fresh for many years. The downfall with primed is that you will have to pay additional labor to paint the entire house. You save on siding material cost, but after factoring in a professional paint job you're actually paying a bit more overall. I've done most of my Hardie projects with ColorPlus, and I have ones that I did 15 years ago that still look new. It's all about the install.

Hardie plank ground clearance

Isaac Ovchinikov

Comments (8)

jellytoast

yvonne_99
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Isaac Ovchinikov

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