What do you cut Hardie board with

A carbide-tipped scoring knife is recommended, but you can also use a utility knife or shears. Never use a high-speed grinder to cut cement board indoors, since this can create a dust hazard. Here’s how to perform a straight cut on your HardieBacker Cement Board: 1.

What is the best saw blade to cut Hardie?

what is the best saw blade for James hardie siding? For a larger project, use a fiber cement saw blade with polycrystalline diamond tips; if you’re installing Hardie siding on a shed or other small building you can use a fiber cement saw blade with carbide tips.

Can you cut Hardie board with a wood blade?

There are a few different power tools that you can use to cut cement backer board. … For straight cuts, use a circular saw fitted with a carbide-tipped wood-cutting blade, pushing the saw into the material with slow, even pressure. Here’s a little secret: Use a blade with the fewest number of teeth you can find.

Do you need a special blade to cut Hardie board?

Cement Board-Cutting Tools For some types of Hardie board, you’ll need a power tool with a cement board blade with a carbide tip to cut the board. Carbide-tipped blades are made specifically for this kind of work. … Once prepared, cut the Hardie board as you would any other material.

Can I use a grinder to cut Hardie board?

Here are two of the most common tools used to cut Hardie Boards: Angle grinder. An angle grinder is the preferred tool for fast cuts. Make sure to use a diamond cutting wheel too.

How long will a diamond blade last cutting concrete?

According to experts, a low-quality diamond blade can only last around 12 hours of non-stop cutting, while high-quality blades can cut materials up to 120 hours.

How do you cut Hardie board with a circular saw?

Fit your circular saw with a carbide-tipped wood-cutting blade (view example on Amazon), choosing one with as few teeth as possible in order to minimize the amount of dust given off as you saw. Operate your circular saw as you typically would, pushing it slowly and evenly through your cement backer board.

Can you cut Hardibacker with a hand saw?

While power saws make it a lot easier, it is possible to cut ​cement boards by hand.

Can I cut Hardie board with a jigsaw?

A jigsaw can cut straight cuts, rounded cuts, and is the best choice if you need to cut a circular piece or an irregular shape out of the cement board. Fit the jigsaw with a metal-cutting blade or a carbide-grit blade.

Do you nail or screw Hardie board?

What is the correct fastener pattern for installing HardieBacker® cement board? Fasten HardieBacker sheets with proper nails or screws (as listed in ”Materials Required” in the backer installation instructions) every 8” around the perimeter and all supporting studs.

Article first time published on

Do you need water to cut concrete?

You can use a dry-cutting blade with or without water, but a wet blade must always be used with water. Whenever you cut concrete, wear sight, hearing and respiratory protection, especially when dry-cutting.

How deep can a 14 inch concrete saw cut?

A 14-inch circular blade on a cut-off saw is designed for a maximum depth of slightly less than five inches.

Can I cut concrete with a reciprocating saw?

You can cut through concrete with a reciprocating saw, as long as it’s a piece that’s thin enough for the tool, which is usually never the case with concrete. It is not recommended to cut concrete with a reciprocating saw, instead use a circular saw or angle grinder with a diamond blade attached.

How do you cut cement board cladding?

  1. When cutting fiber-cement siding with circular saw, use a blade that has only four or six teeth.
  2. To keep dust to a minimum, use a circular saw that’s equipped with either a dust-collection bag or electric fan that blows dust into a bucket.
  3. For a slow, but virtually dustless way to cut siding, use power shears.

Can I use a framing nailer for Hardie siding?

With some overlap in nail size, you may wonder whether framing nailers can be used for siding? The answer is, yes. Framing nail guns can be used for siding installation, if the nail being used is long enough to attach the siding firmly to your exterior wood sheathing.

Do you need special screws for Hardie board?

James Hardie recommends 1-1/4” long galvanized or STAINLESS steel roofing nails or 1-1/4” long ribbed waferhead screws in compliance with the tile industry. It is 8-18 x 3/8” HD.

Can you use a nail gun on Hardie plank?

Overall, only two types of power nailers work best for attaching hardie siding: siding and roofing nailers. But if you must use a framing nailer, to install any James Hardie product, be sure to fit it with a quality flush mount attachment so as to control the depth the fastener is driven.

You Might Also Like