Saturday, October 19, 2013

Learn To Cut Hardie Board Fiber Cement Siding

In Seattle, Hardie Plank fiber cement is among the most favored kind of siding for exterior replacement. The biggest problem that you are required to face, if undertaking any DIY project connected with this siding is that at times it’s cutting is very challenging. Apart from getting crumbled during its handling, it generates a whole lot of dust. Unless you are working outdoors, that could be a major drawback. Some of the important things you need to consider while cutting this brand of popular siding are noted here:

What tools are there that can cut James Hardie Plank siding?

Shears – James Hardy plank siding is too well known for generating dust and the best way to eliminate or at least reduce that considerably are thru use of shears. When considering options for cutting this kind of siding, there is no better option than shears. That’s particularly true if you decide to work indoors, else the dust generated by using any other tool will simply choke you, forcing you to move out. The only limitation of employing shears is that the siding could crumble at times when you are not being careful. Otherwise, it’s the ideal way of cutting fiber cement.

Circular Saw – This is not a very ideal suggestion for cutting Hardy plank siding as it necessitates using a special blade, otherwise you will be engulfed with dust in no time. Though the especial blade is helpful to some extent, it’s certainly not the best choice when compared to other options.

No Blade Option – You may even use a utility knife or a sharp razor blade to cut basic siding lines. Just draw a straight line using the knife and snap the Hardie siding along the straight edge. But, you can use this technique only for making straight cuts and not for any angular or circular cuts.

Jigsaws, Angle Grinders and the like – You just can’t do away with these tools when cutting James Hardy Plank siding to fit it around the doors and windows or any place with a bit of curve. Unless you employ these tools, the siding would break or crumble. It needs some patience and frequent changing of blades.

So, don’t get disheartened. While it’s not all that easy to cut Hardy plank siding, it’s not as difficult as it’s often projected to be. As long as you use the right tools and take necessary precautions, it’s easy to cut with minimum wastage.

Here are a couple of videos that show different approaches on how to cut hardie siding planks.



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