# Using Hardie Panel siding as finish flooring



## JazMan (Feb 17, 2007)

That would be a very, very bad thing to do. If Hardie siding is anything like their backer board it is made with silica which is a carcinogen. Do you think your class "C" tenants would be able to find a lawyer in a NY minute? Maybe faster? I wonder why anyone would suggest doing any thing like putting siding on a floor? What is this Dwell anyway? I'll have to check it out I guess?

You say laminate is not cheap. Excuse me, but there are many laminates that are dirt cheap, well that's what they're worth too, but....... I agree that carpeting is the worst kind of flooring there is. But it's warm. You have to change it with every new tenant is all.

Actually the best AND cheapest type of flooring is ceramic tiles. Yes ceramic tiles are the cheapest to own over their lifetime. 

Jaz


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## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

Most of the landlords here have dumped laminate and gone back to carpet. They are both temporary floors in rentals.


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## jbraun (Dec 27, 2009)

I have rentals to collage students who are the hardest tenants I have ever seen. 

First off, would not use siding on the floor, for all the reason stated already.

second, products that work well are:
Armstrong Linolem. Stuff is tough as nails, but it must be install properly. It looks really nice if you do a checker board pattern
Porcelain tiles - very durable and keep the color even if scratched and Home Depot has some nice ones that are cheep. 
"Pergo" type floor has worked well in the bedrooms

I would stay away from carpet and the self adhesive linoleum. The carpet gets dirty really easily and unless you make a huge effort to keep it clean it will be runined quickly and it is not that cheap. The self sticking linoleum comes up easlly and looses its "shine" quickly. 

Personally have tried several products. I think you have to determine how long you plan to keep the properties. If you are in it for 5+ years then spend the money on commercial grade. it is worth it in the end.

Hope that help. Any other Landlord question feel free to ask


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## pottercycles (Jan 23, 2010)

The panels might contain silica, but so does drywall. Silica is only a carcinogen in dust form and as long as it is contained within the panels, and they aren't sawing through the floors, it shouldn't be a problem.


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## JazMan (Feb 17, 2007)

Sawing through the floor? Is that the only way to make dust? I don't think so. Just walking on it makes dust. Don't even consider it.:no:

Jaz


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## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

It's not cement.....it's actually fairly soft
It will not hold up to traffic
It was never made to be walked on


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## Tom Struble (Dec 29, 2008)

agreed this is a very dumb idea


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## palazzino (Apr 5, 2010)

*Some important new information*

I plan to use this for decking material. 

Here are a couple of things to consider that shed some more light and are contrary to some opinions expressed here:

#1 On the jameshardie website, you will find the following under their FAQs

Does the silica in James Hardie products pose a danger after the product is installed?
No. The silica in James Hardie products does not pose any danger during handling or to the homeowner once the product is installed. Respirable silica only poses a potential hazard from James Hardie products during certain activities that create dust (e.g., cutting, grinding, drilling, sanding, or otherwise abrading) and only if excessive amounts of respirable silica are present in the user´s immediate breathing area. James Hardie products in their intact state do not emit dust.
http://www.jameshardie.com/homeowner/helpSupport_FAQs.shtml
#2 In Australia and New Zealand, James Harie sells HardiePanel is for sub and finished flooring.
http://www.jameshardie.co.nz/index....ctid/10/title/HardiePanel%99+Compressed+Sheet


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## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

palazzino said:


> I plan to use this for decking material.


 
The OP is located in the US & you are too
As far as using as a floor it doesn't really matter, it was never intended for use as a floor & will not hold up
And walking on it will wear it down, creating dust
and since the dust will be in the house It will find its way into your lungs
Especially bad if you have forced hot air

"in their intact state".....on your house as siding...undisturbed

As long as you can obtain the correct material from James Hardi then not a problem
I still wouldn't use it myself
I couldn't find one pic of it being used as final flooring/decking, only as an underlayment


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## JazMan (Feb 17, 2007)

Palazzino,

Which product are you planning to use and where? What light are you shedding which is contrary to some of the opinions here? 

Nothing has changed. You do not use these products as the wearing surface on a floor. 

The products mentioned in your first reference are made for siding and for a substrate under tile. you do not walk on any of them.

Same for the second reference, the Hardie Panel Compressed sheets. It clearly tells you what it's for. 

Jaz


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## gmarriott (Jun 17, 2013)

Seems the consensus here is that nobody knows if this will work for flooring. 
I note that some responses are from professional flooring folks who seem to gasp at the thought of using anything out of the ordinary. 
I plan to do just what was suggested, use Hardie Board for flooring on part of my deck where the BBQ sits. I plan to paint it with deck paint. I will let you know how it works out not how I guess it will or will not work. 
By the way, I am a commercially rated construction analyst for the Federal Government.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Well that would explain your ansewer.
Just trying to get Hardee to a job site from the store without breaking it is a challange.
What do you plan on doing about all the exposed nails and seams?
It's very brittle, even a scrub pad will scratch the finish off of it, what do you think walking on it's going to do?
Anything dropped on it will shatter or stain it.
Think the other types of flooring are expencive wait until you have to replace all of it and deal with the tenents having to have a place to live while your doing it.


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## DannyT (Mar 23, 2011)

all the certificates and degrees and ratings are not given out for common sense.
using something out of the ordinary is not the same as taking a product manufactured for siding and using it as flooring. might as well use drywall for flooring, its cheaper than hardie board.


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## gmarriott (Jun 17, 2013)

DannyT said:


> all the certificates and degrees and ratings are not given out for common sense.
> using something out of the ordinary is not the same as taking a product manufactured for siding and using it as flooring. might as well use drywall for flooring, its cheaper than hardie board.


Hardie board and drywall -- hardly the same, and having observed what happens to drywall when it gets wet in a flood, I wouldn't recommend it at all, even though it's been the standard for unteen years.
Even plywood was not originally developed as siding...if you never try new applications, you'll never know. 
The construction industry is full of examples of using items successfully not as intended.
All I stated is that I am willing to try something new. I did not come close to suggesting that it will work or that others should try it. 
Are you telling me not to try it?
I put a piece of this on the ground in my backyard a couple of years ago and have walked on it many, many times, and it seems just fine. 
At least I am willing to experiment rather than suppose.
Oh, and just what would you suggest for the area under a BBQ on a wood deck that resists burning?


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

http://www.bing.com/shopping/search?q=pad+for+gas+grill&qpvt=pad+for+gas+grill&FORM=HURE#x0y943

Any box store has them.


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## wkearney99 (Apr 8, 2009)

Having dealt with a number of government analysts in my time I wouldn't put much stock in that. We're all experts at something, but unless you deal with analyzing these materials and interacting with these vendors directly I wouldn't go assuming that means anything.

The world is full of examples of half-assed implementations. Bragging rights for stupidity isn't the same as innovating outside the box. 

Why bother with this idea? Because you've already got a ton of this stuff on-hand and are trying to be frugal? That's a laudable goal, but you'd probably better off donating it to SecondChance or ReStore and taking a tax deduction on it. 

But if you're actually going to go out and buy some then why not just buy the right kind of product instead? 

As for surfaces on a deck to resist burning, what is it you're putting up there that would even come CLOSE to radiating enough heat downward to present a problem? If anything just get one of those mats designed for placement under grills. 

One side note, any time you want to put materials on a deck you'd do well to take their weight into consideration. Your deck may not be built to handle the greater weight non-standard materials might present.


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## MommaTRichie (Sep 25, 2021)

gmarriott said:


> Hardie board and drywall -- hardly the same, and having observed what happens to drywall when it gets wet in a flood, I wouldn't recommend it at all, even though it's been the standard for unteen years.
> Even plywood was not originally developed as siding...if you never try new applications, you'll never know.
> The construction industry is full of examples of using items successfully not as intended.
> All I stated is that I am willing to try something new. I did not come close to suggesting that it will work or that others should try it.
> ...


We've used left over unfinished siding in our remodeling of our bedroom and it's held up just fine. We painted it and polyurethaned it and it's been working just fine for the past 5 year's!


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

It's a 12 year old thread. Check the dates.


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## Adambeasley (Dec 17, 2021)

I just came upon this post. You absolutely can use hardie planks for flooring indoors or out. I built a hardie plank deck on the 3rd floor of a house on the gulf. I ripped down pt 2x4x10s and cut them longways from one corner to the other creating a grade for rain to run off. They were placed 8 inches apart and I glued the tops of them and laid the hardie planks down. It's been almost 4 years and there hasn't been a single issue. I'm going to do the same at my Mom's house in the Villages FL. Her deck already has a slight grade so I'll simply glue the planks down and caulk the seems. It's a win as far as I'm concerned. I would always be sure to give the hardie planks plenty of support. You don't want to stress it.


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