Flawless Siding Secrets - Matt Geeks out on the James Hardie Details at His House

This week we follow up with a full James Hardie siding installation video!
Checkout the James Hardie, COLORPLUS® TECHNOLOGY link above!

Sponsored by James Hardie.
Here's some links to other productions mentioned in the video.
OSI Quad Max - Color Match:

MAX PowerLite® High Pressure

MAX PowerLite® High Pressure
Air Compressor:

Be sure to checkout our NEW Podcast!!

We also have an exciting Build Original Series:

Huge thanks to our Show sponsors Polywall, Huber, Dorken Delta, Prosoco, Rockwool & Viewrail for helping to make these videos possible! These are all trusted companies that Matt has worked with for years and trusts their products in the homes he builds. We would highly encourage you to check out their websites for more info.

[matthewson]

Matt, I am a local carpenter here in ATX. I absolutely love your videos man! Keep 'em coming.

[rdoubled]

It's amazing what you get when you spend so much effort on the details.

[pmur]

James Hardy has a fire rating as well. House looks fantastic as expected.

[GregariousAntithesis]

Great stuff with the exception of caulking corner joint. Over 20 years US Navy sealing joints on aircraft you tape your joint squirt thick bead of caulk, then you run a plastic spreader over caulk, peel tape and lastly you spray soapy water over caulk/sealant and run it smooth with hand. Soapy water lubricates sealant and wont stick to your hand. Not only does it make the sealant smooth it feathers down the edge and looks beautiful. Holds up to jet aircraft flying at over 300 mph.

[davedavis]

The results speaks volumes, truly a first rate job. No detail over looked, amazing finishes. As expected from well done sir. What I appreciate the most is what a Godly, humble man you are and not afraid to display it to the world.

[PMcGuffin]

You should do a video on the passive house rating process and discuss the energy modeling and the other testing procedures you have go through as well as modifications you needed to make to the house and window schedule to make it meet passive house standards.

[skliros]

That zip tie is so simple, yet so smart. I love it.

[srsccs]

Matt, House looks great. You are so right about composite siding. I started my exposure back in the 70
's. Every few years there was another composite-they all failed. I have done Hardi and the Artisan and shingle style-they are all Hardi winners. Don't ever change. Hardi has its challenges but mostly with aesthetics but it even holds a poor paint job for a long time. Don't listen to the composite crowd. I spent 43 years overseeing home construction in Texas, Atlanta, and the Northeast. When you find something that works just stick with it and experiment with other things. Enjoy your videos-very informative.

[natej]

Matt, I remember all the blow-back you got when you took this down to the slab Looking back, it was the right move. Awesome, simply awesome.

[spitzbuebe]

Matt, like u, I’ve been using Hardie siding for decades. I’m a big fan of their product & I love their colorplus tech for the maintenance free aspect. U did not mention it in ur video, but I believe the color will fade over time but it will not flake off. U don’t mention necessary tools other than gecko (which is great btw), but there r different tools for cutting it & it is very important for the person doing the cutting to where a dust mask as the dust is toxic. Re: nailing, don’t get too close to the corners or it will blow out on u, unless u predrill. And any cut u make, Hardie recommends u use the touch up kit to paint the cut edge - even if it is butting up against trim or another piece of siding. Keep it off the ground a few inches, it is not made for ground contact even tho it’s fiber cement. And lastly, it does expand & contract over its lifetime, hence the critical 1/8” caulk joints where u meet trim. I’ve put it on in cold winter days & humid summer days, and it’s amazing to c it swell or shrink. U wouldn’t think that in a cement product, but it does. I recommend a smaller caulk joint if u r installing in the summer (because it will shrink when it gets cold) and a larger caulk joint if u r installing in the winter (because it will swell when it gets warm).

[katybusybee]

I do Hardie siding repairs about 3 days out of every week. In Houston I have NEVER seen the flashing applied at the siding joints. NEVER in 17 years. Plus the installers almost always set the nail guns to sink the nails thus causing blowouts in the back of the siding.

[StevenCampbell]

Matt, that James-Hardie siding will outlast both of us. It is a very good building product. A+++

[fernandog.aguirre]

I just finished my cottage with James Hardie lap siding, yes, its a great product and been using it for over 20 years! Nice job!

[budellsworth]

My mother was living in Montana and used painted James hardy siding 
from the factory on her home back in 1978 when it was built.
today that paint is lightly faded and just needs to be washed after 43 years.
The cedar trim on the south side of the home needs replaced badly.
But that is not her problem anymore, well....she’s now in heaven.

[PSM]

3yrs later and still seeing your videos a lot of information and please Matt continue to be detailed on how to. You helped me a lot over on the other side of the map while majority of the carpenters are ripping people off and cutting their job cheap

[fishon]

I just did my entire 1913 farm house in Nebraska with the pewter grey 6 1/4" and after watching this video, I can tell you, that you did it the same way I did. So good job. Except one thing - an opinion. I was taught not to run the rows stair stepped, but rather randomize the joints going up. Mine is four years old now and it still looks like it did the day I put it up.

[cindyajohnson]

Hi Matt, I've been following your channel for about 6 months and had decided to take the plunge and do an addition on our house. We live just south of Seguin Texas right before the Wilson County line. Our first mistake is we hired our neighbor, who is the local HS teacher that teaches building. He has a license. With Covid, he was unsure if he'd be teaching this fall, so we hired him to frame our addition. We had most of the materials, so we hired him just for labor, we supplied all the materials except for the fasteners. We used the Zip System which he said he was fine with (I later found out, he'd never used it before). We added a rain screen, which was a fabric type screen (I had to fight to get that added!!). He made several mistakes we had to correct when installing the windows, even though I was sending him your videos and others from the Huber to show how it needed to be done. When it came time for him to apply the Hardie plank siding (unpainted) he completely destroyed the Zip Sheathing. Instead of nailing the Hardie to the studs like the instructions say, he nailed it to the Zip instead, like it were regular OSB. He rarely hit a stud. I did not see what he was doing because the room was sealed, he did not open a door to the room until just last week. Also, I recently had neck surgery, so was not able to climb up and look closely. The job being done. My husband paid him, that night. The next morning when it was light I saw what was done and was horrified!! I wrote to Hardie to get installation guidance, but I never received a reply. I need an expert to come and look at it and tell me all the problems so I can have him reimburse me to get the job done right. I'm afraid that water will leak through all the nail holes and even more importantly, the siding will not stay attached during our hurricane force winds. He also didn't use stainless steel nails and he counter sunk all the nails. He also did not use any kind of flashing behind the butt joints and did not seal the cut ends. My husband is a disabled vet and obviously I can't do the work any time soon. Who can you recommend in the local area can I call to have them inspect the work and tell me how to fix it?

[garygbur]

I’ve been waiting for this video for months! Thanks for explaining all the best practice installation methods!

[timothyvezina]

I’m noticing that they didn’t use a Boral product as a skirt board or on any roof to wall application. With a piece of Z-flashing. They also didn’t talk about the James Hardie house wrap. You need both of these to not void warrantee. Love this channel.

[duggydo]

I absolutely love this series. Watching your videos will help me make my house soooo much better as I build it. Thank you.