It was time to get my townhouse painted and as the bids were coming in, numerous contractors noted that my cedar shake siding on just one wall was cupped badly and failing. Given the magnitude, they all said it’d be better to reside the entire wall rather than just try to replace a few. They also told me that it might be wise to put up a stronger material like Hardie board. Given the cost and south-facing exposure, I thought this was a good idea. But I worried that doing Hardie on one side and leaving cedar on the other sides might look funny. They said it would be notably different, but when painted might not be that bad. I couldn’t find any examples online, so here are some now that I’ve done it.
From the street the only notable difference is that the Hardie Shingles are shinier, at least in the sun.
Comparing with my neighbor who has similarly failed shingles but with a fresh coat of the same paint, we see a bit of difference in sheen.
Overall not bad. The worst part is that the cost differential for Hardie Shingles vs. Hardie Planks. The shingles are literally 2x the price for materials, which is quite a shock. Hopefully they’ll stand up better than the cedar on that exposed wall, though.
In any case, residing was the right choice given the condition of those shingles. Sure enough, a small spot of rot was discovered and replaced.
