Quote:
Originally Posted by matt711
If you plan to use the foam board as insulation between the studs I would buy many cans of spray foam. You will never cut the foam boards to fit exactly so you want to fill every gap with spray foam to creat a real thermal break.
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Typically, you would fit the foam tight at the joints, and then use tape on the seams. Dow makes Weathermate tape for this. Canned foam would be used on the bottom edge or the top joint.
We typically put a ledger of fir at the bottom of the sheathing to protect the foam and hold it straight in alignment during installation. We also use furring strips over the foam to attach the siding to the house, but this might not be needed if the foam is only one inch thick. It is a must for the two to four inches that we typically install.
There is an installation manual for Hardie siding, which I highly recommend. The dust contains silica and and glass fibers, so using a respirator and a Rigid Hardie siding saw is the way to go, as well as having a large fan blowing the dust away from the operator. There is a guillotine type of chopper that is ideal for the end cuts on the siding, and this will make the majority of cuts a dust free operation.
Gekko gauges clamp to the wall, and hold the board in position, as well as setting the spacing.
I have trimmed a few houses with Hardie plank, and it is a real pain to work, if you are doing it. I prefer a pre primed exterior siding board for all trim.