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!

Cheri, that may be a fair criticism of my use of the word "impervious", with some caveats. There is no product that can truly say that it cannot be damaged by woodpeckers. That said, we have replaced cedar siding on many homes over the years due to repetitive woodpecker damage, and after the Smartside product was installed, they stayed away. I have not seen a single instance where that was not the case in my own experience. The product is much harder than cedar and does not harbor the insects that they are looking for. I'd also clarify that in the context of my comment I was comparing the product to fiber cement, and the Smartside product does have superior impact resistance, which would logically correlate to its resistance to woodpecker "drumming" as well as hail. As far as your picture, is that your home? When was that installed and which product was it? The pic is a little foggy, but it looks like a smoother texture than that of the LP stand based lap siding... I can't say for certain, but that doesn't look like the product. This seems like a questionable first post to the forum as well, particularly since the thread subject is not even about siding. Given that the thread is about Beechworth windows, it should be also mentioned that as was speculated by some professionals as a possibility-- if not likelihood-- a few years ago, this product is no more. http://media.graytvinc.com/documents/Beechworth+Windows_11-08-18.pdf It looks like Rachel was considering the product just a month before the shut things down, I hope that she was not left high and dry.

ascorsonelli: Love your house! Did you find that imperfections in paint were more easily visible with the smooth Hardie? I am building a house that is traditional in style, but I like the smooth finish. Trying to decide which to use, and my husband thinks the one advantage to wood-grain is that paint drips will be more easily disguised. Do you still love your smooth finish? Thanks!

Would love to hear from anyone who used a white from the Hardie “dream collection”…I’m renovating a colonial and want a true white. The arctic white is very popular where I live and it definitely appears gray, especially next to white Azek trim and it’s not the e look I’m going for.