How To Install Fiber Cement Lap Siding

How to Install Fiber Cement Siding

Updated: Jul. fourteen, 2022

How to cut, nail and install durable fiber siding, plus caulking and painting tips.

Family unit Handyman

Half the cost of a fiber cement board siding job is labor, so you can save thousands of dollars past installing it yourself. A siding pro shows the tools and tricks needed for a weathertight installation.

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Fourth dimension

Multiple Days

Complexity

Intermediate

Cost

$501-one thousand

Fiber cement is tougher than other materials

Installing fiberboard cement siding

Fiberboard cement siding looks identical to wood once information technology's painted.

When you want the classic expect of forest siding coupled with lifetime durability, fiberboard cement siding may well be your best choice. Fiberglass cement siding is a composite made of Portland cement, silica and wood fiber. One time painted, it looks almost identical to forest. It's available in many styles and widths, both shine and woods textured, and you withal get the crisp joints and details that'll make your home'south outside stand up out. In addition, it's highly rot and insect resistant, won't burn down and paints beautifully.

Jaime Venzor has been in the siding business for more than 15 years. He started out installing by and large vinyl, merely now 80 percent of his work is fiber cement. He earned his good reputation with his customers by doing things the right way, and he earned our thanks past sharing some of his knowledge with u.s.a.. So read on and larn what Jaime thinks are the most important tips.

Concord the starter 1/4 in. downward

Create a drip edge

Discover your most mussed-up pieces of siding and rip them down into 1-1/4-in. starter strips. These strips, installed at the bottom, volition brand your kickoff row of siding angle out to match the rest of the rows. Snap a line 1 in. above the bottom of the wall sheathing as a guide. Install these frail starter strips with a fifteen-estimate trim gun. Snap another line for the bottom row of siding, positioning it so it will hang downward an additional one/4 in. from the starter.

Nailing Basics

Fiberboard cement siding can be paw-nailed, just because it's and then much harder and more brittle than woods, you have to predrill holes virtually any edge. You can save yourself a bunch of fourth dimension by using a pneumatic curl siding nail gun. Unfortunately, a siding gun will fix y'all back twice as much as a 15-approximate trim gun, and information technology's only half as versatile, then if installing cobweb cement isn't your full-time gig, you may want to hire ane (about $110 a week). Every manufacturer has specific nailing guidelines, but here are some basic rules:

• Utilise 6d or 8d galvanized or stainless siding nails and install a single boom about one-in. downward from the pinnacle edge at each stud, no more than than 16 in. autonomously. northward Nail lengths should be called and then they penetrate a minimum of 1-1/four in. into the solid forest (wood sheathings like OSB and plywood count toward the 1-1/4 in., only "soft" sheathings like fiber board and foam don't).
• Don't drive nails into the siding at an bending.
• Fastener heads should be snugged upwards confronting the siding, non driven into the surface.
• The end of each plank making up a barrel joint needs to exist attached to a stud.
• Nail butt joints concluding. That style you can tweak the ends of each plank and then the bottom edges line up perfectly.

Preassemble the corners

Use a finish nailer for trim

It's a lot easier to preassemble corners on a flat surface. Jaime uses ii-one/4-in. galvanized nails in his 15-gauge trim gun. He uses the same size nails to install the corners on the wall. Don't use a framing gun or endeavour to handnail the corners together; that's a expert style to break the trim boards. Also, the trim nails look better where nails will exist exposed, peculiarly on a prefinished corner board. So, if you don't accept a 15-gauge trim gun, what a perfect "opportunity" to go purchase one.

Install fiber cement using a few special techniques

Photo 1: Staple building paper to the sheathing

Mark stud locations at the top and bottom of the wall. Staple building paper to the wall capsule, lapping top pieces over bottom pieces by at least 2 in. Fit and slide paper behind the window trim.

Photo ii: Nail furring strips at the top of the wall

Snap chalk lines to mark the frieze board location and smash treated furring strips along the lines. Continue the bottom strip 1/4 in. above the bottom line.

Photograph iii: Use a circular saw to cut the frieze board

Cut the frieze board to length with a circular saw, using a rafter bending square as a cut guide. True up cut ends with a rasp or a sanding cake.

Photo 4: Predrill holes for easy installation

Predrill and nail the frieze boards, driving two galvanized box nails into each stud. Hold the nails at least iii/4 in. from the edges. Drive the nailheads snug with the surface of the siding. Practise non overdrive them. Utilize caulk at the corner lap articulation earlier installing the second piece.

Photo 5: Nail up the corners boards

Install the corner boards, lapping 1 over the other with caulk in the joint. Blast every sixteen in. with a pair of 8d galvanized box nails.

Inside corner detail

Lap inside corners the same way equally outside corners.

The layout procedure is exactly the same as for wood siding. Mark the stud locations with a pencil on the soffit and foundation where they won't exist covered past the building paper. Install the building newspaper (Photograph 1), then follow your stud location marks and snap chalk lines (Photo two) to guide both your nailing and your placement of siding joints. We're also using fiber cement trim boards. Since they're but 7/16 in. thick, rip iii/8-in. thick strips from treated 2-by lumber and utilise them to fur out the frieze boards (Photo 2). Now they'll sit about 1/8 in. to a higher place the lap siding.

Cut the frieze lath to length (Photograph 3). Fiberboard cement siding is highly abrasive. Even a carbide molar blade volition last for only part of the day. At home centers, you can buy diamond blades made specifically for cutting fiber cement. These blades cut quickly and create less dust. But we had success with a less expensive dry out-cut, diamond masonry blade. Drill cutouts for electric boxes and pipes with regular twist $.25 or spade $.25, and brand interior or even curved cuts with a jigsaw fitted with a tungsten or carbide grit blade (these blades are available at home centers and tile stores). Cutting fiberglass cement siding raises a lot of silica dust, so work outside and wear a grit mask.

Nail upward the frieze board past drilling 1/8-in. pilot holes and driving two galvanized box nails at each stud (Photograph 4). Your nail length may vary from ours depending on the type of exterior sheathing used on your home. In general, utilize nails that penetrate the studs at least ane in. Drive the nailheads snug against the fiber cement board. If driven too deep, the heads volition vanquish the fiber cement lath and reduce the boom's belongings power. Don't nail fiber cement corners together (Photo 4). A nail driven into the edge of a fiber cement board will split it.

Adjacent make the exterior corner (Photo 5), following the same steps as for the frieze boards. Be sure the bottoms of the corner boards cover well-nigh 1/2 in. of the foundation.

Tip:

If you lot don't have access to a tabular array saw, buy a canvass of 1/2-in.treated plywood and rip furring strips with a circular saw.

Caution!

Cut outdoors, wearable a dust mask to avoid animate the dust, and keep others away.

Layout the siding courses

Photograph 6: Mark the siding course locations

Marker the top of each siding course using the story pole every bit a guide (see "Making a Story Pole."). And so snap chalk lines to keep each course straight.

Photo 7: Install the commencement course of siding

Nail a 3/8-in. treated starter strip along the bottom of the wall. Then cutting and nail the starting time course of siding along the layout line. Leave a 1/8-in. gap at the end, and blast at each stud with a single 8d galvanized box smash held one in. down from the superlative edge.

Butt joint particular

Barrel the siding courses tight together.

End joint detail

Leave a small gap between the siding and the corner trim.

With the trim boards completed, lay out the siding courses with a story pole. (Encounter "Making a Story Pole.") Hold the top of the story pole snug against the frieze board and mark out the siding courses (Photo 6) at all corners and around windows and doors. Following these layout marks, snap horizontal chalk lines. Remember that these layout lines represent the top of each siding course.

Rip and nail up a 3/viii-in. thick treated wood starter strip along the lesser of the wall (above the foundation). This strip will tip the first slice of siding to the proper angle. Measure and cut to length the first piece of siding and nail it in identify (Photo vii).

Leave a 1/viii-in. gap where the terminate meets the corner lath (Photo seven, inset) and make sure the other stop lands on a stud line. Install the next piece and so its end butts lightly against the get-go (Photo 7, inset). Continue with the siding courses, aligning the meridian edges to the layout chalk lines. Be certain to stagger the butt joints so they don't lie on top of each other as you lot work your way up.

Tip:

Pros employ pneumatic curl nailers (you tin rent one) designed specifically for fiberboard cement siding. They cut nailing time in half. If you go this route, practice beginning to make sure the nailheads will be prepare flush.

Making a Story Pole

Cut a straight 1×ii then its length runs from the frieze board to the bottom of the start siding grade. Measure up from the bottom of the story pole to marker the full width of the first course of siding. Remember, this mark represents the peak of the siding piece, not the bottom of the 2d grade.

From this point, make marks up the pole at the recommended exposure for your siding. The top course should be at least two-thirds the width of the lower courses. Bank check your layout marks against window and door openings and other features around the business firm, and adjust the exposure to avoid having to rip narrow pieces.

When the concluding layout is OK, draw heavy lines on the face and both edges of the story pole using a square. Now hold the story pole tight against the frieze lath at all corners and alongside windows and doors. Transfer the layout marks to the wall and snap chalk lines. This will ensure that all the siding courses go on straight and uniformly.

Remove the plastic last

Protect prefinished fiber cement board

Prefinished fiberglass cement siding boards come with a protective plastic coating. To protect the paint from getting scratched during installation, exit the plastic on and make your cuts correct through it. Peel away the plastic after the lath has been fastened to the wall.

Flash the barrel joints

Keep water out

Caulking butt joints is unnecessary, and some manufacturers prohibit it. However, you should wink behind the joints. You can utilize metal, firm wrap or any other approved WRB (weather-resistant barrier), only Jaime prefers to utilise 30-lb. felt paper. It'south easy to work with and inexpensive, and information technology isn't noticeable if a seam happens to open up a little. Tack it to the wall and then information technology doesn't get knocked out of place when you install the 2nd piece of siding.

Spacing for Cobweb Cement Board Joints

Fiber cement boards don't expand and contract much, merely leave a little room for expansion at the end joints then fill the gap with caulk. Butt joints, however, should be nailed tightly together and should not be caulked. Make sure all butt joints are on studs, and stagger the butt joints as y'all work your way up the wall.

Windows need drip cap and a gap on top

Window and door detail

Whether or not yous're installing trim boards around your windows, you'll need to install a baste cap over the window. Yous'll likewise demand to exit a 1/4-in. gap (no caulking) betwixt the top of the window and the plank or trim board direct in a higher place it. This is to allow whatsoever water that may have gotten behind the siding to cry out. Tape the drip cap to the wall, simply don't record all the mode to the bottom of the drip cap considering it will be visible through the ane/4-in. gap. The top trim board will also need its own drip cap and i/four-in. gap. Treat the tops of doors the aforementioned manner.

It's a two-man job without siding gauges

Siding gauges concur boards

Fiberboard cement siding is heavy and breaks if information technology's aptitude too much. Installing this stuff past yourself is tough, but information technology's possible with the aid of siding gauges. These tools not only create the proper reveal (the part of the siding that shows) between rows but also actually hold the planks in place while yous nail. Even if you do but one fiber cement job, siding gauges are worth the coin.

Gecko siding gauges

A pair of the SA902 Gecko Gauges shown hither costs about $90 (bachelor though our amalgamation with amazon.com), but cheaper versions are available. About gauges are adjustable to adjust reveals from 5 to 8 in.

Painted vs. Primed

We decided to use a prefinished production in this story, but the other manner to go is unproblematic primed siding. That cloth is primed and gear up for yous to paint. Here are some facts to consider when making your decision.

The advantages of primed: Primed products cost 50 percent less than prefinished products. On-site painting looks better upwardly close because the touch-upwardly paint and caulked areas aren't as noticeable. Primed products are easier and less expensive to install.

The advantages of prefinished: The color on a prefinished product won't fade well-nigh equally fast. Some finishes come with a 15-year warranty. But the best part of using a prefinished product is that after installation, you're done and not faced with painting an entire house.

Cut cobweb cement boards with a round saw

Dust mask is essential

When you're cutting this stuff, a dust mask is the bare minimum protection, and this is not a coincidental warning: The silica dust generated past cutting fiber cement tin can be bad news for your health!

Fiber cement board saw blade

Y'all can buy fiber cement blades sized to fit any saw style or size at most habitation centers.

Tons of cobweb cement cutting gadgets are available, just well-nigh jobs can be handled with just a steady eye and a standard round saw fitted with a fiber cement blade. If you plan to hang a lot of fiber cement, though, yous'll want a chop saw with a proper bract that volition allow you to cut several pieces at once.

Vinyl mounting blocks work all-time

Lights, receptacles and vents

Nigh fiber cement manufacturers make mounting blocks for lights, electrical receptacles, A/C lines, PVC venting, etc. Jaime prefers to use the vinyl mounting blocks typically used with vinyl siding. They're cheaper and piece of cake to install, and you tin cut the proper-size pigsty in a plastic mounting block with a utility pocketknife or a snips. With cobweb cement blocks, you accept to utilize a jigsaw or a hole saw.

MountMaster is 1 brand of blocks sold at Lowe's and many lumberyards. It's available in more than 25 colors, but you tin club paintable blocks if you want an exact lucifer with your siding or trim.

Paint, prime number or caulk all cutting edges

Barrel articulation

Paint cutting edges at butt joints.

End joint

Caulk edges that barrel against corners and trim.

Every time yous cut a plank, yous create an exposed surface that has no primer or paint to protect information technology from the elements. If a cutting edge is going to barrel up against a corner post or trim board, it gets caulked. If the cut edge is function of a butt joint in the center of the wall, it needs to be painted (endeavor to employ factory edges on all barrel joints). Planks that have been cutting to fit over windows and doors likewise need paint. Order paint kits and caulking to friction match both the trim and the siding colors. Your siding supplier should have access to both.

The Lowdown on Clearances

Fiberboard cement siding is not bulletproof—it will deteriorate if exposed to h2o for a long time. Information technology'due south imperative that you laurels the proper spacing between the siding and the roof surfaces and between the siding and the horizontal surfaces, such as the ground or cement slabs and decks. Check with your specific manufacturer before yous start. Here are some full general guidelines.

Go out:

• i/eight in. to 1/4 in. between siding and trim
• ane/iv in. between siding and horizontal flashing
• 1 in. between the gutter and an adjacent wall
• 2 in. betwixt siding and roofing, decks, patios, driveways, steps and walkways (using PVC trim boards is a practiced mode to accomplish these clearances)
• 6 in. between the siding and the basis.

Don't skip the kick-out flashing

Kicking-out flashing

Kick-out flashing is essential for preventing h2o from running down a roof and backside the siding on an adjacent wall. You lot'll fail your inspection if the inspector doesn't see it on your job. Information technology's a pain to piece of work around, but it helps if you don't nail the flashing tight until you lot have your siding cut to size. It'due south much easier to become a proper fit for a plank if you can shift the flashing beneath it.

Cutting fiber cement lath around openings

Mark the siding to fit around windows

Concord the siding snug nether the windowsill and mark the window edge location. Then measure from the chalk line to the top of the siding. Add together ane/viii in. to your measurement. This is the width of the cutout.

Install the notched siding under the window

Cut out the notch with your saw and slide the slice into place, leaving a 1/8-in. gap between the siding and windowsill. Caulk this gap later. Predrill and blast at each stud, including under the window.

Make cutouts with a jigsaw

Drill a iii/8-in. hole at the corner with a standard twist drill flake. Cut along the line with a jigsaw fitted with a carbide dust bract. Then boom up the piece of siding.

Notch to go around windows and doors. Be certain to allow a i/8-in. gap where the siding meets the window trim and sill. This joint will be caulked subsequently. Smash the elevation edge of the siding along the windowsill at each stud. These nailheads will be exposed, but the pigment will encompass them.

Notch to go around windows

Photo viii: Mark the siding to fit under windows

Hold the siding snug under the windowsill and mark the window border location. And so mensurate from the chalk line to the top of the siding. Add 1/viii in. to your measurement. This is the width of the cutout.

Photo 9: Install the notched siding under the window

Cut out the notch with your saw and slide the piece into place, leaving a ane/8-in. gap between the siding and windowsill. Caulk this gap later. Predrill and nail at each stud, including under the window.

Photo x: Mark cutouts in the siding

Agree siding in identify under wall penetrations such as this electrical box. Mark the width and peak of the cutout. Caution: Turn off the power to the receptacle before removing it from the box.

Photo 11: Make the cutout with a jigaw

Drill a 3/viii-in. hole at the corner with a standard twist drill bit. Cut along the line with a jigsaw fitted with a carbide grit blade. Then boom up the piece of siding.

Photo 12: Cut and install the top course of siding

Cut the superlative course of siding to width and boom at each stud. Leave a 1/viii-in. gap at the peak edge. Fill all 1/viii-in. gaps with acrylic latex caulk.

Notch to go around windows and doors (Photos eight and 9). Exist certain to let a i/8-in. gap where the siding meets the window trim and sill. This articulation will exist caulked later. Boom the top border of the siding along the windowsill at each stud. These nailheads will be exposed, but the paint will embrace them.

Water intrusion around wall penetrations tin can exist a problem for any type of siding. Lay out and make the cutout for the electrical box (Photos x and 11). The electrical box cover is gasketed to seal out water. For pipes, electric entries and similar fixtures, fit the siding as tightly every bit possible and and then seal with a polyurethane caulk or non-hardening electrician's putty. Rip the top form of siding to width and nail it upwardly (Photo 12). Concur these nails 1 in. beneath the top border. Again, these nailheads will be exposed.

Purchase the siding already primed. If you prime number it yourself, employ an brine resistant primer. Caulk all the joints with an acrylic latex caulk before applying the last coats of paint. Be certain the caulk fills the 1/8-in. joint completely to go on it watertight. Finish-coat with a 100 percent acrylic latex paint.

Tip:

If y'all live in a region of high rainfall or the wall is highly exposed to water, slip a 3-in. broad strip of edifice paper behind butt joints. Exist sure the lesser edge of the newspaper laps on top of the lower course of siding.

Required Tools for this Project

Accept the necessary tools for this DIY project lined upwards before you start—you'll salvage time and frustration.

Y'all'll also need siding gauges, a fiber cement round saw blade, a siding nailer and a 15 gauge trim nailer.

Required Materials for this Project

Avoid last-minute shopping trips by having all your materials ready alee of fourth dimension. Here's a list.

Originally Published: February 20, 2022

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