Putting Up Cement Board Siding

When using shears cut with the back of the siding facing up.

Putting up cement board siding.

Cut from the back of the siding. When fitted with a carbide coated blade a jigsaw can be used to cut holes and curves. Your nail length may vary from ours depending on the type of exterior sheathing used on your home. Shears are available as a dedicated tool or as an attachment for a drill driver.

When blind nailing place nail 1 down from the top of the board and when face nailing place nail 3 4 up from the bottom. This old house general contractor tom silva shares his secrets for working with fiber cement siding. Caulk all seams at installation perimeter edges. Then you would install your fiber cement corner and window trim.

Fiber cement siding installation labor basic basic labor to install fiber cement siding with favorable site conditions. Hold a hardieplank siding board with the top edge against the chalk line and 1 8 inch away from the corner trim. Pilot holes and driving two galvanized box nails at each stud photo 4. Measure down from the top of the installed board 1 1 4 inches every four feet and make a mark.

In general use nails that penetrate the studs at least 1 in. Blind nail to wall framing through drilled pilot holes. Do not overdrive the nails. Drive the nailheads snug against the fiber cement board.

Use galvanized siding nails and make sure that the nails penetrate a minimum of 1 1 4 inches into the framing. Attach a horizontal strip of wood lath that s 0 25 in 0 64 cm thick and 1 25 in 3 2 cm wide directly above the chalk line. Measure up 0 25 in 0 64 cm from where you want the bottom of the fiber cement siding to be then snap a level horizontal chalk line. When installing fiber cement siding always leave a gap at the ends of each length of siding.

Be sure the flashing overlaps the siding course below. Install flashing at all end joints where two pieces of siding butt together. Layout fabricate and attach plank fiber cement siding 6 width over vapor barrier. Nail the board to the house every 16 to 24 inches with a roofing nail along the nail line printed on the top of the siding board.

For a slow but virtually dustless way to cut siding use power shears. See below for a shopping list and tools subscribe to. Apply caulk to the joint before and after installing the siding. Score the face of the siding then pull up to break.

Fiber cement siding can be scored and snapped like drywall though the cuts are not very smooth.