see if you can find some 1/4" thick plastic strips and use them - check
out the hardi site for installation pdf file.

nospamgoingjag wrote:
I will be siding a new addition in the Hardiplank cement siding. I
haven't found a good starter board before I start my first course.

When I did the cedar part which is on the old section of the house, I
used a 1x 8" wide pine board. But the foundation there is nearly 3
feet off the ground, so I'm not worried about the soft pine.

Due to the way we wanted to add a ramp from garage to addition to old
house, the foundation on the addition is only about 8 inches from the
ground. So as an added deterent to ants and termites, I don't want to
start with a soft pine board. Would it be reasonable to just start
with a nearly full Hardiplank in other words a nearly full reveal on
the first board so I just have the 1st course overlapping it by about
a 1/4 inch or maybe double up and use two of the Hardiplank siding
boards as the first starter and caulk the heck out of the seam between
them? I want to stay with a wide first board to match the rest of the
old house which is a 20"s federal at this point (it was a 1860's
Italiate originally, but all vestiages of that are gone).

I haven't been able to find any real wide cement boards, nor any cedar
ones locally at least.

All thoughts appreciate, if replying by email, please remove nospam.

Thanks.