# Nailing Hardiplank (Hardieplank)



## WShawn (Feb 23, 2007)

Hi:

I'm slowly building a detached garage/studio for our home in Portland, Oregon. I've framed it, sheathed it and installed Tyvek housewrap. I hope to start installing the siding next week and am looking to use 6.25" HardiePlank Lap Siding (smooth), blind nailed. I'll need around 155 12' planks of the siding to cover the structure.

The installation instructions for HardiePlank Lap Siding (West) says to use 2" long siding nails or 11 ga. roofing nails, hot-dipped galvanized or stainless steel, and they recommend pneumatic fastening. It looks like siding and roofing nails require a coil nailer, which I don't have. I have a Porter-Cable FR350 framing nailer which has served me well in this project. Is there a type of nail that I can use in this framing nailer that would work for this siding application? Grip Rite makes "Exterior Galvanized" 6D 2"x .113 common nails with a ring shank. Would these work?

If I can't find anything that would work in my nailer, how hard would it be to hand nail 155 pieces of this stuff using loose nails?

Also, what would you suggest for a starter strip? Would you rip strips off of a piece of HardiePlank (wearing a respirator) or could I just rip strips off of a piece of framing lumber or P/T lumber?

Here's a website I threw together showing the progress of this project.

http://www.marshall-arts.net/Garage-Studio/Garage-Studio.html

I've never built anything this big before. It's been a fun challenge, but slow-going at times.

Thanks.

Shawn Marshall
Portland, Oregon


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## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

WShawn said:


> I have a Porter-Cable FR350 framing nailer which has served me well in this project. Is there a type of nail that I can use in this framing nailer that would work for this siding application? Grip Rite makes "Exterior Galvanized" 6D 2"x .113 common nails with a ring shank. Would these work?


No, do not use that gun. The reason being is that you need the nail head to sit tightly against (bot on top of) the surface of the siding board. This can be done with both, siding-coil-nailers and also roof-coil-nailers, as they are designed to NOT sink the nail head into material. In the case of any framing nailer (like the FR350 - we have 4 of them too), this gun will drive the nail head below the surface of the materials (lap siding). This will obviously not hold, or attach the board in the manner that a full head nail, snug on the surface will do, and how the boards need to be properly attached.



WShawn said:


> If I can't find anything that would work in my nailer, how hard would it be to hand nail 155 pieces of this stuff using loose nails?


You can screw the siding in too.



WShawn said:


> Also, what would you suggest for a starter strip? Would you rip strips off of a piece of HardiePlank (wearing a respirator) or could I just rip strips off of a piece of framing lumber or P/T lumber?


You could use rips of your hardieplank, or some rips of cedar siding.



WShawn said:


> I've never built anything this big before. It's been a fun challenge, but slow-going at times.


Good Luck on your project Shawn.

Also, HD sells a very inexpensive 7 1/4" Cement board cutting blade for skill saws.

FWIW: When we install Hardieplank, we:

Set up:
A table saw with cement cutting blade.
Compound saw with cement cutting blade.
Keep a skill saw with cement blade handy.
Have a jig saw with a Carbide-dust tipped blade (HD sells them).

We also hook up portable dust vac systems hooked up to the saws.
Use higher safety-level canister-filter type dust masks.

We prefer to use Stainless Steel Ring shanks and coil siding nailers.
We like to use these: (http://www.bearclip.com/) and we also insert flashing squares behind every seam.


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## WShawn (Feb 23, 2007)

*Depth or air pressure adjustment?*

Hi:

Thanks for your quick reply.

My Porter-Cable FR350 has a depth adjustment. Do you think it would be possible to set it so that it underdrives the nail, then pound in snug the last 1/8" with a smooth-faced hammer? The HardiePlank installation PDF gives that as an option, but it doesn't specify a coil or stick nailer.

If the depth adjustment doesn't have enough play I wonder if I could lower the air pressure to underdrive the nail? That's happened to me accidently a few times when the hose got kinked while framing .

Shawn Marshall
Portland, Oregon


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## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

WShawn said:


> My Porter-Cable FR350 has a depth adjustment. Do you think it would be possible to set it so that it underdrives the nail, then pound in snug the last 1/8" with a smooth-faced hammer? The HardiePlank installation PDF gives that as an option, but it doesn't specify a coil or stick nailer.
> 
> If the depth adjustment doesn't have enough play I wonder if I could lower the air pressure to underdrive the nail? That's happened to me accidently a few times when the hose got kinked while framing .


Hi Shawn, 

Give it a try on some test stock. Any kind of lumber will do for test stock.


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## WShawn (Feb 23, 2007)

*"Appropriate" Gap?*

Hi:

Thanks for your earlier reply. I hope to do some tests with our nailer this weekend to see what can work correctly. However I have some questions about what type of gap to leave between the butt joints of the siding. The August 2007 HardiePlank Lap Siding instructions for our west region show two different joint treatments.

Option 1 shows joint flashing behind the joints and says to install planks in moderate contact. It doesn't say what to use for joint flashing (it says to refer to the local building code.) The lumberyard guy said I can use squares of metal flashing, though I've read that aluminum can react with the cement board. Some have said you can use Tyvek squares (we already have that around the structure.)

Option 2, which doesn't show the flashing, says to leave appropriate gap between planks, then caulk. It says the same thing about where the planks butt the trim. So what is the appropriate gap? 1/8th of an inch?

Also, I'm doing a 24 foot wall, so there will be numerous joints. How much would you stagger the joints so they don't end up on top of each other? Our studs are 16" OC. Would you do say, a 12' length, then an 8' length above that, then a 4' above that, then go back to a 12' length?

Thanks.

Shawn Marshall
Portland, Oregon


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## roger1 (Jul 17, 2007)

*Hardie Planks*

Check out the magazine Fine Homebuilding this month they have a article with all the tools that are availible and suggestions. Hardies website has a pdf file you can download that give some good tips also. We used those clips to gauge (<> $20) and blind nailed hand nailed with S/S a 1200 sq ft story and half house.


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## WShawn (Feb 23, 2007)

Thanks for your reply.

I have the HardiePlank PDF, as I mentioned in my post. The PDF says to use an "appropriate" gap between butt joints. I wished they'd specified what the gap should be.

I went ahead and started the project using a 1/8th inch gap which I will caulk. It seems to be going well.

Shawn Marshall
Portland, Oregon


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## blackestate (Sep 4, 2011)

Would this gun work with siding nails for hardiplank siding? looking for low cost options, but do not want to buy it if it will not work. 
11 gauge is 6d?

http://www.harborfreight.com/11-gauge-coil-roofing-nailer-68024.html


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## Tom Struble (Dec 29, 2008)

do not gap the field joint they should be installed with ''moderate'' contact with a joint flashing installed

hand nailing with roofing nails will work fine


doh... old post


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

blackestate said:


> Would this gun work with siding nails for hardiplank siding? looking for low cost options, but do not want to buy it if it will not work.
> 11 gauge is 6d?
> 
> http://www.harborfreight.com/11-gauge-coil-roofing-nailer-68024.html


That gun will not shoot the siding nails only roofing nails.

You can use ring shank roofing nails to install hardi, I prefer it.


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## blackestate (Sep 4, 2011)

ring shank roofing nails would have a larger head, correct, and would hold better?

Thanks for the help.


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

:thumbsup: Yep…that’s why I said “I prefer”.


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## II Weeks (Jan 6, 2009)

a lot of good stuff all ready said. Also try to hit the studs with your nails and most important, set up fans at your cutting area. They'll help keep that freakin dust away.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

II Weeks said:


> a lot of good stuff all ready said. Also try to hit the studs with your nails and most important, set up fans at your cutting area. They'll help keep that freakin dust away.


The dust is the worst part of dealing with HardiePlank.


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## biplama12 (Jun 6, 2011)

i like naling Hardiplank. I hope to do some tests with our nailer this weekend to see what can work correctly. However I have some questions about what type of gap to leave between the butt joints of the siding. The August 2007 HardiePlank Lap Siding instructions for our west region show two different joint treatments.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Bipin12A---Please go to the 'introductions' and introduce yourself---Tell us a little about your interests and your country.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

Gee, am I the only one here who just hates messing around with any kind of Hardi product?


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

Willie T said:


> Gee, am I the only one here who just hates messing around with any kind of Hardi product?


I hate the stuff, unfortunately though I can't sell them all on Cedar.


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## doonboggle (Nov 6, 2011)

*Penetrating Hardiplank*

Not meaning to hi-jack this discussion, but it seemed a good one for me to start.

Just bought a house that has hardiplank. Has a backyard fence, with gate, that is leaning due to the 6-7 year drought of Texas ... and resultant 'shrinking' of the earth the original posts were installed in; in cement of course.

I want to re-install the supportive 'latch' post by bolting it to the house ... thru the hardiplank ... rather than free-standing in the former hole. Have no experience with this product ... but read that expensive tools are needed to penetrate Hardiplank.

But all I want to do is, at the most, drill 2-3 holes to hold the 4x4 to the house, and bolt it down.

Is it possible to drill thru the hardiplank with a normal drill bit ... without damaging the product beyond the drill hole???

TIA


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

No problem drilling through the Hardi. 

The problem is if your you’re only going through the siding and sheathing and not connecting to the framing you’ll have a week connection that won’t hold.


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## doonboggle (Nov 6, 2011)

Always ,,,,,





kwikfishron said:


> No problem drilling through the Hardi.
> 
> The problem is if your you’re only going through the siding and sheathing and not connecting to the framing you’ll have a week connection that won’t hold.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

for nailing fibre cement ive hand nailed it, gun nailed and screwed it on the wall

for hand nails we used 1 1/2" roofing nails, we didnt use 2" because we use a rain screen.. just nail to the vertical strapping. when we have to face nail such as for narrow rips either under windows or at the soffit i use pre painted stainless steel siding nails being sure to drill a pilot hole first. on the ends of the peice of siding be sure to drill a pilot hole first so the peice doesn't shatter

for gun nailing ive always used a siding coil nailer.. the same type of nailer used for putting down underlay. we use 2" stainless steel ring nails so there is no corrosion or "nail bleed" which can occur with galvinized nails.. some buddies have nailed it with a roofing nailer. you can use a framing nailer although you have to use nails designed specically for the siding and you have to dial down the compressor so the gun doesnt sink the nails (both hitachi and senco make these nails) we tried it though didnt have much success... so stick to the coil nailer

for screwing it. use exterior grade coated screws which self tap


in regards to cutting the siding there are several mehods. the cleanest method ive used is with the "snapper" its a electric scissor just like sheet metal workers use but with heavier gauge blades.. it produces almost no dust just what looks like a string of siding.. it can be used for crosscuts and rip cuts. circular saw is the fastest method but also the dirtiest, you can get blades specific for cutting this type of siding but its still dirty.. for an extra $200 there are circ saws which are designed for this stuff and a vacuum plugs into the saw directly. for cross cuts you can score and snap with a utility knife, this is really slow plus youll burn through a pile of blades


as for the starter strip. all we ever do is rip 5/16" strips of pressure treated on the table saw. pt 2x4's are much cheaper than wasting a $20 peice of siding for starter strip..

also.. heres a few of the places ive done. the first pic is of a 86 unit apartment building im working on as we speak


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