<font color="blue"> Hey Mysticokra, my daughter and soninlaw bought a farm house with hardiplank and their home owners insurance covers it the same as steel siding.</font color>
I just went back and re-read what I had written previously, and I can't believe I forgot to mention the single most important reason we used it on our outdoor kitchen cabinets -- It won't burn! Before I started using it, I held a cutting torch up to it -- it scorched, but did not burn. The cabinets we built, with the aluminum frames and HardiPanel underlayment, will not burn, are resistant to rot and do not attract noxious insects -- all very important in tropical Florida.