Yep! And, Pest Plug is the best stuff. As I was doing the siding job, I filled any gap or hole with it and really noticed a reduction of bugs in the garage. It's stainless steel and doesn't rust, either. Well worth every penny. ;)

@@frugaldiy1 thank you

I'm glad the video helped you.

Thank you, jaren. That's nice of you to say. I'll tell sister what you said, and she'll smile. ;) Happy DIYing!

I considered coil stock for joint flashing but went with James Hardie's other recommendation. TIP: Joint flashing can be quickly and easily made by cutting a 6-in. wide section off a roll of housewrap. Tape the roll tightly at the cut mark and cut the section off using a miter saw with a carbide blade. Individual sheets then can be cut to length with a utility knife. (Full quotation) Source: James Hardie HZ-10 Installation Instructions (page 87)

@frugaldiy1 interesting because I think most of those have a UV exposure rating and thw gap leaves it exposed. I guess if you paint it your OK or if you check the exposure rating.

That's a great point you make there, Sparks. Given that Hardie recommends "moderate contact" in the field joints, I felt comfortable with the Tyvek as flashing. Thanks for your knowledge and response. I appreciate both. ;)

@@frugaldiy1 it's good that people understand they can do a lot themselves. So these videos are good. I also try to remember my first day in construction when I knew nothing. Because that's where most people are. It hard to not skip past 25+ years of aggressive research and learning in the trades.

I agree with everything you said, Sparks. Much wisdom there. I'm a senior and have been DIYing for many years, and people ALWAYS ask me, "Why don't you hire someone to do that for you?" I tell them I enjoy working with my hands, staying busy and productive and the satisfaction I feel when I can fix something without any glue of how to do it. It's fun! I too, with all my DIY heart, so wish more folks would save their hard-earned money and fix their own stuff. The more they DIY, the closer they get to retirement. ;)

Dave, I'm sorry to hear your car is still not running well.

No, I wouldn't use trim as a starter strip. It will "kick out" the subsequent Hardie planks too far. I'd use a Hardie plank cut to an inch and a quarter as starter strip. That's what the Hardie Plank instructions recommend. Sister and I used a tile saw to cut the plank into 1 1/4" strips and also used the tile saw to cut the finished trim pieces at the top. They all turned out fabulous. I wish you the best in on your project. I LOVE the finished Hardie on my house. If you want to pre-paint the planks before putting them up, like I did, please look at my video re how to build a drying rack. That worked VERY well.

Hi Lee. We went up 13 full rows of Hardie Plank, with 7" reveal. The fourteenth row needed about a 6" width of plank, so we cut/ripped the Hardie (horizontally) with a tile saw. Worked out beautifully! Wouldn't cut it with anything else. Then, we used the remainder of the planks (about 2 1/4") and cut/ripped those down--again with the tile saw-- to about 1 3/4" to use as the finished top strip. You just have to decide the width of the finish strip you want. Faced nailed it--after pre-drilling the holes--with 6d hot-dipped galvanized nails. I then primed and painted the nail heads. I'm real pleased with the finished product. A lot of work, but well worth the effort. Hope the info helps you, and I wish you the best of luck with the project. Merry Christmas!

Hardie recommends that the starter strip be cut from one edge of Hardie lap siding. The piece in the video is much thicker than lap siding.