under my front porch, there is vertical hardiplank from the porch down into the ground, and it has gotten wet, and started crumbling

the house is raised on concrete, and the hardiplank matches it very well (both painted gray) so I would like to put up something like this visually, but longer lasting.

i noticed my weed eater was chewing off the corner, but i hired a yard company, and they beat the living crap out of it.

is it really hardiplank, or is it some cheap knock off?

this sounds similar:
http://ezinearticles.com/?LP,-Maison...it?&id=3616545

 

I am not a contractor but last year I had to work on a project that did involve some of this issue. It was cancelled so i never did finish looking for a suitable product. Cant say whether that is hardiplank or not but I can say that hardiplank install procedures specifically talk about 6 inch gap between board and ground. If you are wanting something impervious to moisture maybe Azek cellular pvc (though that is liable to be expensive) or some type of vinyl sheeting. Maybe hardiplank with a good waterproof coating at least the last few inches above the ground and obviously below the ground level.

 

thanks Barry,

anyone else got an idea what I should use?

Wife wants it fixed before family comes for Easter...which means I have to do it this saturday

 

Hmmmm I have hardiboard underpinning one of my rental properties and it goes down into the ground a bit but I also have it vented. I need to look closer but I don't believe that it's crumbling.

 

Just about any manufactured siding needs to be installed a min of 6" above ground to maintain its warranty.

Even though hardi-plank products are made of cement they will absorb water and swell and eventually deteriorate. the primer on their stuff is not meant to be left unpainted either.

I'd suggest cutting the lower 6 inches off and installing a belly band of 2x6 treated decking with a z metal flashing tucked under the hardi and extending out and over the 2x6 band.

 

Once when I was dealing with a large family, poverty, and septic troubles all at the same time, I threw together a particle board siding outhouse for relief.

Of course, in a year or so it began to crumble at the bottom. My oldest son saw it and said, "Oh look at that. It's a composting toilet."

 

What about doing a brick facer but you would have to build some sort on concrete wall to start a base.

 

If you decide to do this, the z flashing must be made of either plastic, or stainless. The PT will destroy the metal in little or not time, because ACQ is copper treated, and wipes out any metal it touches, unless it's thickness allows for a self sacrificing layer, or it's coated with an epoxy that won't allow contact with the ACQ.

Personally I wouldn't do anything PT anywhere in ground contact... or even above ground contact either, as the stuff is just a bandaid fix. the pictures you posted were shot at night, and don't show enough to give any advice, at least from my end, other than you have algae growing on the house, which indicates the side you're dealing with faces in a northern direction, and the ground is saturated enough allowing algae to bloom, and take hold on the exterior of the building.

Installing a drainage barrier at the perimeter of the house would help, especially up against the home's foundation perimeter. If you re-direct the water elsewhere, you will have less issues down the line. The black soil is a poor conductor of water, as it allows moisture to sit and not drain downwards into the sub soils. Remove the water bearing materials, and install materials, such a stone that drains to a pipe system to daylight, and you will create a much drier environment, preventing the algae from taking hold.

Contacting a well qualified and reputable local contractor, who's experienced in this type of detail is your best bet. Ventilation is KEY, and real concrete, although absorbs water like a sponge, won't rot away, and I'm sure a product out there can work.... just not hardiplank, as it's not intended to be in ground contact.