Has anyone used this on their house? I saw a show on HGTV they were doing a Bungalow and it looked really nice afterwards, but I have never heard of this product before.Is this something new?
Thanks

We have used both Cem-Plank and Hardi-Plank (Hardi-Board) on our house and garage. We love it. It is a cement-fiber board that will not shrink and expand (which causes most of the paint problems). It comes in smooth or textured finishes, and comes primed or painted. We painted ours - it goes on nicely. It is more expensive than aluminum siding but cheaper than wood siding and cheaper than both in the long run.

We purchased the siding cutter for the house after using a circular saw on the garage. Easily worth the price. (We then loaned it to our kids who also put Hardi-Plank on their house).

We highly recommend it.

Carolyn

Fiber Cement siding is building material that is composed of cement, sand, and cellulose fiber that has been autoclaved (cured with pressurized steam) to increase its strength and dimensional stability. The fiber is added as reinforcement to prevent cracking. This is shaped into boards or shingles that have similar dimensions of their wood counterparts.

Benefits are that it is resistant to decay, rot, and insect damage and has demonstrated a long life span. There are several manufacturers such as James Hardi and Certainteed.

It doesn't exactly replace wood from an appearance perspective. The purist will quickly spot cement siding but it is far superior to vinyl or fiberglass siding. As you mention the final appearance can be quite nice. I think it has a general acceptance amongst old house enthusiasts as a replacement siding material.

Diane

Thank you so much for your responses. I will have to look into this product.We desperately need new siding and I don't want vinyl.
Thanks again,
Linda

I spec. it for nearly all of my projects that call for siding and it looks great. Two houses I am adding on to in a designated Historic area have passed muster with the Historic Resource Board with this product. Clients love the minimal maintenance as well. In fact because of the recent devastating fires here in San Diego it is really the only siding we can use in many areas because of its high fire resistance.