Homeowner wants to continue to finish this Hardie shake roof?!

I have never done a Hardie shake roof. Any pointers on how to make this go smooth? I know these were recalled and are problematic but the customer says they will be fine because we are in pretty dry weather most of the time. He says they only fail in places with a lot of rain?!!! I disagree yet there is no changing his mind to go with a shingle. I have done some homework on them and they don't sound like they are going to last but...........the customer is hell bent on finishing them.He has been at it for two years..gota settlement from a shady partner, blew his knee out and cant finish. He is about 70 yrs old. So, any warnings or advice on making this as painless as possible and per square?? 60-70?

They are not slate and they don't handle like slate. They are cementitious but they are light. There are no pre-punched holes and the nails have to go through two layers. They are layed like shakes with shake liner, as you can see in the picture. Eight inch exposure. They are actually rather soft. You can bend them over your leg and they will break in a ragged line. You wouldn't have a prayer driving a copper nail through them. You'd drive yourself crazy trying to drive an eleven guage shank through them by hand. If the gun shatters them, you'll have to drill them and hand-nail afterwards. You could try punching holes, but it's not like slate. It would be like trying to punch through hard cardboard. Nails won't hold in cheesy OSB. Some of that OSB there looks like it's already swelled up and soft. You can walk on them if you stay off the part directly above the headlap. You have to figure out where that is because after they are layed, you can't see it. You have to be careful with the gaps or you will lose your set-back bit by bit and you don't want to be cutting slivers off them. On the rakes, you want to put the cut edges to the inside. You should be able to lay up six to eight squares a day without too much trouble. Count them up before you get started to make sure you have enough because you're not going to be able to easily locate any more. It's almost impossible to pull them off without destroying them. They tear out around the nail head or crack before a bar can even get to the nail head. If the pieces are curling already, they will only get worse later. You can't turn them over.

wywoody Said: If I were you, I wouldnt even try to find out how walkable this stuff is. Finish it as you go and where its finished, think of that as the edge of the roof. Dont paint yourself into a corner.

Amen

If I were you, I wouldn't even try to find out how walkable this stuff is. Finish it as you go and where it's finished, think of that as the edge of the roof. Don't paint yourself into a corner.

Oh by the way that is hardie siding that he used for starter! I guess it will work?! I made it clear that there is no guarantee from me. He really thinks he got a great deal on the material and likes it or is hoping it will last. Too embarrassed to admit he made a mistake?

Ive been finishing the bottom roof with a laminate shingle. I went up on the hardie today to get some felt to finish felting the bottom roof and what do you know...a high nail. I stepped on the thing and it punched a whole in the shake above it. Great, I cant wait to start that one. I have a feeling he will either have to replace it or definitely pay a 100 or so more a square if I keep running into homeowner havoc! I can see dry-rot all over the place. He don't mind having it done right, its work and the more I look around the more there is to do. It's one of those jobs that I can work on and take off to do other jobs periodically. Sure am glad to have work in this drought! It's a challenge talking with him and not cutting his work to pieces! I really have to be Sensitive.(and try not to laugh)

I am sure they don't have copper nails, nor do they know that they even exist. However, as long as they don't think they can use a gun, that would be a good place to start. I don't believe he is worried too much about the thing leaking as I can see the wood decking all over the place. No rain equals no leaks. Just trying to get a layer of something over the roof. If the guy can make $100.00 a square, that will rock his world.

It looks like a total mess. You pick up where he left off and next thing you find out is he screwed up the part that he did and the roof leaks and all of sudden it's your problem. No good deed goes unpunished as they say. I would walk from this disaster unless I could start from scratch and put a real roof on it.

I'm not sure if OS and Tinner are trying to direct their scorn at me or not, neither was clear. But Hardie shakes, like the current siding WAS designed to be fastened with a gun, but there is a time frame that you can use a gun before they become too hard.

There were no nail holes in any of the fake slate products they offered here. There were circles showing where they wanted the nails, but no holes. I don't see any in the pictures, either.

Since there are fewer than 20 real slate roofs within 50 miles of me, I think I'll pass on the Old School slate school.

Old School Said: It is time consuming like real slate, but it looks like they have it started pretty well. At least $100.00 a square for labor. good luck.

I think you're wrong OS. No offense meant though. That good start looks like many of the keyways line up with nail holes in lower slate. I think I'd add bibs to every one of them at $5.00-$8.00 each. I could install them cheaply at $250.00 a square, not $100. though. I doubt he even has copper nails. :unsure:

PS: Keyways are close under a starter or two also. And I notice there is no starter under the first row, actually only two slate, at the eave transition.

Old School Said: OMG guys. You have to be kidding! HAND nail them and throw away the gun. There are holes and you can nail them, but you have to tap the nails flush. Have none of you ever been shown how to install slate? I am going to have to revive the Old School slate School

Nailgun! :laugh: :laugh:

OMG guys. You have to be kidding! HAND nail them and throw away the gun. There are holes and you can nail them, but you have to tap the nails flush. Have none of you ever been shown how to install slate? I am going to have to revive the "Old School slate School"

They might have "cured" past the point that pneumatic nails will go in without cracking or shattering them. Figure it like you had to drill and hand nail it. There was one of those in my town that took over a decade to get done, too.

One of the hardest things to do sometimes is to walk away from a job. If I had enough other work I would pass on it. If not I would do it at a profit. Can't help with any installation tips. Never put them on.

Don't over nail or under-nail them, and take your time. Put down some synthetic underlayment, strike lines horizontally to keep everything straight and put them on. It is not a big deal. It is time consuming like real slate, but it looks like they have it started pretty well. If you over drive the nails, they will crack, and if you leave the nails up that will cause them to crack. They are brittle! At least $100.00 a square for labor. good luck.