# does hardi board break down?



## tom h (Jan 2, 2008)

I have been reading posts for a while to find out what to use as a base for my building, and was going to use hardi board because of recommendations on some of previous posts. Then a friend of mine said it was a fiber board cement product and if you put it outside it will break down, is that true? I know some of you guys have used it before, what is your experience.


Thanks for the help,


tom h


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## NW Jim (Jan 2, 2008)

I've used it with a quick and dirty paint job and it holds up just fine up here year-round in Western Washington. As an added bonus, it's nice and heavy so your buildings don't tip over (or fly away!) in a storm. 

Good Luck!


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

I don't understand that logic... I have some buildings I used it in that have been out two years, and I can't tell it's degraded at all. I also left some scrap out, un-painted & un-treated in any way, and it hasn't degraded either. 

Isn't this stuff related to the cement-board type siding that people use on their houses anyway? 

Burl


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## Rod Fearnley (Jan 2, 2008)

I have some pieces outside as bases for a trial for two years. They have been there under sun,rain, snow and frost. There dosn't appear to be any degradation at all. I shall use more of it.


Rod F.


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## tom h (Jan 2, 2008)

Burl thats what i asked him when he said it because i have customers of mine in the construction business and they use it as siding. i did not know if there was something different that i did not know about.  Well its off to Home despot to get some.


thanks for the response.


tom h


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## sheepdog (Jan 2, 2008)

The backer board I used has failed. I can't remember the exact name of it and the tags are long gone. I picked it up at Lowes. It was rated for full water contact and was laminated not concrete.


I used one long piece for a base for my little town. After about a year and 1/2 in full contact with damp earth, it delaminated. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/sad.gif


I put another piece on top of my picnic table to work on my projects. After a summers worth of rain, it has gotten real fuzzy. When it rains, the fuzz splahes the buildings just like dirt. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/sad.gif


Wish I could remember the name... Don't want to give all backer board a thumbs down. Avoid the one that looks laminated.


Craig


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

I have used lots of Hardibacker for buildings and bases. I give it a couple of coats of paint and no problems going into its second winter. I'm not sure what Craig used (some type of greenboard?) but I'd stay away from it. 

-Brian


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## ohioriverrailway (Jan 2, 2008)

Had the same problem as Craig, and, no, I don't remember the brand name either!


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Burl on 01/05/2008 7:50 AM

Isn't this stuff related to the cement-board type siding that people use on their houses anyway? 

Burl


 


Yes, Hardiplank, also made by Jame Hardie is similar. Its a harder, denser product.


Burl,


What's with the ninja look? Are you the stealth caster?


-Brian


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## Dougald (Jan 2, 2008)

Hardiboard may work ... judging from teh comments above one may need to carefully examine before giving it a try. 

However, plexiglass is known to be pretty much impervious to water and rotting and would be my recommendation. It is easily cut and drilled as a bonus. 

Regards ... Doug


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## BnEgscale (Jan 4, 2008)

I have used both Hardi Backer Board and Durabound outdoors. 
The Durabound eventually crumbled in wet applications and the Hardi does not. The only problem I had with the Hardi Backer Board is a large base that supports two buildings (the Brewery, smoke stack and powerhouse). Moles tunnelled underneath it and when I stepped on the yard area it gave in a bit where I stepped on the area covering the mole tunnel. I don't blame that on the product. Now if someone has a sure fire method to get rid of the moles they could quickly become millionairs. BTW, the mole has also uprooted my track in the same area several times which alwasy causes problems. 

Bob


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By BnEgscale on 01/05/2008 5:13 PM
 Now if someone has a sure fire method to get rid of the moles they could quickly become millionairs. BTW, the mole has also uprooted my track in the same area several times which alwasy causes problems. 

Bob


Bob,


Before we got our terrier, I used this product - www.gardensalive.com/product.asp  with pretty good results. Its corn cob bits impregnated with castor oil.


-Brian


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

Re: Moles: Someone posted on here a few years ago about using an oxy/acetylene torch to get rid of them. He stuck it in the hole, turned the gas on, waited a few minutes & lit it. If that guy is reading this, I wish the guy would repost the story... cause it was like something out of Apocalypse Now.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I think I saw  people using  hardi Board/backer board  as skirting on a   manufacturedhome/ tempoary office building.    They painted it the  same color as the trim.


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## jbwilcox (Jan 2, 2008)

Home Depot sells two versions of hardibacker.


 


I have used it and it works well here in soggy washington.  I cannot remember which ot the two I used.  One I think was more laminated than the other.


 


John


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## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

ALL 

I am constructing a 1:1 scale storage building next to my railroad. I am using James Hardie vertical siding sheets that are visually similar to T1-11 wood siding. The installation instructions specifically require that the bottom edge of the siding be at least 6 inches from the ground surface to prevent water absorption and recommend that it be painted within 6 weeks of installation. The Hardie backer is a thinner product that is designed for an underlayment for tile floors, but is in much smaller sheets [3x7 I think]. Go to ==>http://www.jameshardie.com/homeowner/ select "products", then "siding" or "backerboard". I know one person near Roanoke VA who has usedit as a track surface on elevated portions of his layout for several years. He would not stand on it, but it was able to support his live steamers without problems. 

Cheers 
Jim


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## rkapuaala (Jan 3, 2008)

Everything breaks down eventually. Nothing can escape the decay of time, not stone, metal or concrete. The question is how long does it take and how can the process of decay be impeded.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I used it for the roof  of my tunnels.   I poured concrete on top of it.     Two inches thick.


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## Duncan (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Burl on 01/05/2008 8:01 PM
Re: Moles: Someone posted on here a few years ago about using an oxy/acetylene torch to get rid of them. He stuck it in the hole, turned the gas on, waited a few minutes & lit it. If that guy is reading this, I wish the guy would repost the story... cause it was like something out of Apocalypse Now.




Might that have been a propane story?


And how you could find out if the gophers had tunneled into your neighbors yard also (by detecting the, um, "flash" in their yard, too)??  /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/whistling.gif


http://archive.mylargescale.com/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=15363&whichpage=1&SearchTerms=propane


http://archive.mylargescale.com/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=2605&whichpage=1&SearchTerms=propane


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## rkapuaala (Jan 3, 2008)

Not that I advocate the distruction of small fury critters that burrow underground and destroy gardens and layouts, but, I curred a gopher problem once with left over cans of foam insulation. I found the newest gopher hole (the one with the freshest pile of dirt around it) emptied the remaining contents of the insullating foam can into that hole. found the older holes and did the same. Then I waited twenty four hours and looked for new holes,,, none appeared, so I pulled on the cured foam that was popping out of the ground like a mushroom and lo and behold, up from the newest hole emerged not just the foam but embedded in it was a gopher, up to his hind quarters in foam. One of the other holes had a small gopher in the foam, but I imagine the rest of the gophers either got the stuff in their eyes and mouth and died somewhere in the tunnel system, because I didn't see hide nor hair of them again. 
Cruel yes, safer than gas, definately


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## coolhand (Jan 7, 2008)

Tom: I use the 1/2" concrete board that HD and lowes sell. I have used it on a couple of buildings so far and as a barrier against he house for planter area. 
I coat it with Henry's emulsion on the side that contacts the dirt for good measure.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Our cat takes care of the moles. Jerry


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

So far I've had it down for a year using under all my town buildings and using for roads.  No damage as yet.  Later RJD


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## Jim Shutt (Jan 2, 2008)

We are contemplating using the Hardi Backerboard as an on ground base for our rail. We will be laying a 1/2" roadbed x 16" wide on an unfinished (rough) concrete base and then putting two 5" x 1/4" strips on top as the actual rail base with a flat conduit in the middle for electrical service. We will treat the whole thing withWaterseal before we lay track. We have been informed that cutting 
it into narrow strips like this and laying it on something other than a perfectly smooth finished base will result in it being brittle and cracking and breaking if some one steps on it. Do you all have a opinion on this? 
Jim Shutt


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## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

Jim S 

Just saw this item. Steve King uses Hardie backerboard on his elevated track. It will support the weight of the trains and tools, etc. I am sure it will break under a persons weight anywhere it isn't fully supported. Remember it is a tile underlayment for bathrooms and such. My guess is that even if laying on poured concrete, the edges would be damaged if someone steps on it. I know that I (accidentally) crushed the edges on a couple of my Hardie panel siding pieces while handling it. On the edges, this stuff behaves just like ordinary drywall. 

Build your railroad, and tell people not to walk on the track 

Cheers 

Another Jim S


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## Richard Weatherby (Jan 3, 2008)

Hardie makes numerous products. HardiPlank for siding, HardiBoard, HardiBacker board, etc. These products come in different thickness. Some are better than others. I built a platform with framing at 16 inches on center and I can walk on it just fine. I painted it to cut down on the absorptive qualities.


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## rjc (Oct 16, 2009)

I have used hb on my cottage near the water in Connecticut. I used it as a skirt at the base of the house and the board is exposed for about two and a half feet to the air, but goes down from the top of the skirt 6 feet to the basement floor.
I used UGL waterproofing paint on the board before cutting and framing on both sides and used hydraulic cement between board sheets to close any gaps.
The board is in direct contact with the earth and shows no deterioation after 6 months.
The dirt has been dug up on the outside near the board for a inspection after 3 months and it looked very good.
I dont suggest using the board in this way without a waterproofing because the board will allow moisture to the inside but the moisture will show only as dampness. Their is a change in the color from tan when dry to grey when the moisture is evident.
With the waterproofing I found this material to be an excellent one to work with and I would suggest it in many applications with proper preparation.
Im an electrician by trade but have been on all sides of construction for many years which is probably why I dug up my work to check it out.


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## Richard Weatherby (Jan 3, 2008)

Having posted the above statement back in Febuary, I have since had issues with several earlier HB products. One board which is over an enclosed tank containing water at the top of my waterfalls failed when I leaned on it. My hand went right through. Some products are definately a laminated cement and fiber product. I have seen delamination. The best place to look is in HD at the 8 or 10 inch wide plank siding. It is frequently broken because it is long and narrow. When it breaks you will see the laminated layers. If I think of it, I will take a photo of it. I have personally questioned representatives from the company and gotten little response. They specifically told me that their literature says they will not warrant any of their products installed in a horizontal postion (such as a window sill) or with ends exposed (such as top of trim). 

There are many different products for tile backer boards and cement fiber siding materials. Some are made by US Gypsum, CertainTeed, and various tile material companies.


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## nkelsey (Jan 4, 2008)

Hardibacker will delaminate after continual exposure to wet soil...I do not know about hardiboard. I now soak the backer in concrete sealer after cutting to size and this makes it quite repelling as the water now beads up on the surface.


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