I wanted 5 squares of the shingle and 20 squares of the plank. For the ColorPlus Hardi, the 5 squares of shingle cost the same as the 20 squares of plank. I didn't love the shake that much! I did not price the regular Hardi, only the ColorPlus. I see a lot of houses with shingles, so I doubt that the cost different is as dramatic.

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!

We used cedar impressions vinyl siding and love it for low maintenance and we like the color. Azek trim means no more painting. Only thing it's very expensive so we did it on 3 sides and went with a matching siding on the back side, but it's still good looking, IMO. You can see the difference from the back corner. But we went with different windows as well, so the back side looks more contemporary than the front. But it still goes.

qbryant - I built my house 13 years ago with HardiePlank and when I had the house painted this past summer, the painters found and repaired any defects. Nothing was wrong with any of the HardiePlank. The object is to put it up properly so that no moisture will get in or behind it. HardiePlank is like brick - you will never have to replace it under normal circumstances. Vinyl will eventually breakdown and will have to be replaced.