HardieFlex Eaves - which side out?

[WhiteWoolf]

Hi there, I have purchased James Hardie HardieFlex cladding for my eaves. I have painted primer/sealer/undercoat on both sides. I thought I had determined which side would be facing out, but now that I have installed a few sheets, I am having doubts.

To the touch before painting, one side felt quite rough like sandpaper with a 'patchy' sort of appearance. I assumed this rougher feeling side would be the 'internal' side. However, the painted sheets I have installed have a slight corrugated look to them. Now I am wondering if I have installed them in reverse Can anyone please help me determine the correct side before I waste any more paint? It looks quite different to the original eaves too.

The photo shows the cladding with two coats of Dulux primer/undercoat/sealer and has now been installed.

Thank you!

WhiteWoolf

 

[MitchellMc]

Hi @WhiteWoolf,

Normally, the smooth side of the HardieFlex sheet is the one that should be exposed and painted, while the rougher, sandpapery side with printed text is meant to face inwards. Since you've already applied primer/sealer/undercoat on both sides, it can be tricky to tell which is which just by feel at this stage.

From your description, the surface now looks slightly corrugated and feels rough, which suggests you might have installed the rough side facing out. This could explain why it looks different from your original eaves. Unfortunately, painting the rough side won’t give as clean or consistent a finish, though according to Hardies, the sheets can be installed with either side facing out.

The best way to confirm is to check a spare, uninstalled sheet. The side with printed text is the back and should face the wall or framing. If you're unsure, try painting both sides of a spare sheet and comparing the finish once dry. That should give you a clear indication of which side is intended to be visible.

If it turns out you’ve installed them the wrong way around, it may be worth removing the sheets you've done so far before continuing, especially if the visual finish is important to you. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[WhiteWoolf]

Hey Mitchell, thanks for the reply.

The sheets I purchased from Bunnings did not have any printed text on it. I got the 3000 x 1200 x 4.5 and the 2400 x 600 x 4.5mm sheets. I just went and looked at some unpainted sheets. Both sides are somewhat rough, but one definitely more than the other. I've installed one of each size so far and to me they have the same corrugated appearance (with the paint making the surface feel quite smooth). I wonder if with top coats the corrugated appearance will be less pronounced?

Cheers,

Kellie

[WhiteWoolf]

PS upon looking very closely at the 4.5mm edge, one sheet has some green print on it. From memory, the Villaboard had this print on it, not the HardieFlex eaves lining. What is the difference between these two products and could it be that they were mixed up? I purchased from Edwardstown on Thursday night and the 3000mm sheets were lifted down from a top shelf with a forklift.

[MitchellMc]

Villaboard has a rebate edge to tape the jointing tape @WhiteWoolf, and it's not as flat as a Hardieflex sheet. 

I'm a bit surprised that both sides have texture. There really should be a somewhat rough side and then a pretty smooth side. I wouldn't have thought the smooth sides would have the texture shown in your image once coated.

Coating will make any texture stand out more, but like I said, one side should be ready for painting and give you a nice, smooth finished look. It might be worth popping back into the store to see if the other packs of Hardieflex have the same finish. I'd certainly be happy to phone the store, but I think it might be hard for the team to determine if there is an issue.

Mitchell