Install fiber cement lap siding

Your lowest course of fiber cement siding should always be at least 6 in 15 cm above ground level to prevent moisture wicking. Part 2. Subtract 0. Measure the siding so it ends on a stud if it is too short to span the wall. In this case, measure the pieces of siding so that they meet in the middle of one of the framing studs that are marked on the house wrap.

Instead of butting together a full 12 ft 3. Wear eye and breathing protection whenever you cut fiber cement. Fiber cement is a durable product that is easy to work with, but it creates a great deal of dust when you cut it. Even worse, the dust contains particles that can cause lasting lung problems. Before cutting any fiber cement, put on a breathing mask or respirator that is in the U. Cut fiber cement outdoors if possible, and always in a well-ventilated area.

Use a saw, scoring knife, or shears to cut fiber cement. Other than the dust problem, fiber cement cuts easily in a variety of ways. Consider the pros and cons of the following options: [8] X Research source Circular saw.

This is the most common option, especially for straight cuts, but it also creates the most dust. Use a blade designed for cutting fiber cement and attach a dust collecting vacuum to your saw, if possible.

This shares the pros and cons of a circular saw, but is easier to use if you need to make any curved cuts. Fiber cement shears. These are essentially powered scissors that attach onto the end of a power drill. They create less dust than saws, and are good for straight and gently-curved cuts. Scoring knife. You can cut fiber cement in a process similar to that used for drywall—score the cut line with several passes of a scoring knife, then snap the board at the edge of a work table.

Use a carbide-tipped scoring knife for better results. Part 3. Hang the vertical trim pieces with galvanized or stainless nails. Likewise, you can use either galvanized or stainless steel nails. The nails should penetrate at least 1 in 2.

Drive in the nails at least 0. Squeeze paintable exterior caulk onto all butt joints and vertical edges. If there are any spots where the ends of 2 pieces of trim meet that is, a butt joint , squeeze a 0.

Then, when all the trim pieces are in place, run beads of caulk along all vertical edges of the trim. The caulk helps prevent water infiltration at the joints between pieces of fiber cement. Make sure to pick up paintable, exterior-grade caulk at the home supply store. Run a horizontal chalk line on the wall to mark the top of the lowest course.

If, for example, your pieces of siding are 8 in 20 cm high, run the horizontal chalk line 7. The missing 0. Attach the siding by blind-nailing it with a hammer or nail gun. Work with a friend to hold the siding in place along the chalk line. Drive galvanized or stainless steel nails through the siding at each marked framing stud along the wall, 1 in 2. As with the trim pieces, you can use a hammer or a nail gun, and 1. Expert advice on how to install wood or fiber-cement lap siding, including how to prepare exterior walls and lay out siding for installation.

Lap siding, also called horizontal siding or clapboard, may be made of wood, fiber-cement, plywood, hardboard, or similar materials. Despite the variety of materials, installation methods are basically the same, with a few variations in fasteners, joints, and so forth. On thick profiles of siding, nails may be hidden, meaning they are driven into the upper portion of a board so they are covered by the lower part of the board above it.

Otherwise, nails may be left exposed and covered by paint, in which case they are driven into the lower portion of a board so they pass just above the upper edge of the board below them.

Always prime the cut ends of boards before installing the boards. In some custom installations, lap siding is carefully mitered at outside corners. This makes for a classic look but calls for very good carpentry skills and boards that are certain not to shrink. The method discussed here is an easier and more common one—installing corner trim first and then butting the siding to it.

A shear attachment however eliminates almost all of the debris kickback altogether. One of the biggest things that siding installers have to overcome however is cutting holes for light fixtures and then safely securing those items to the siding.

So how does installing light fixtures work on a material that is supposedly difficult to work with in fiber cement siding? The mounting block is used for both aesthetic and functional reasons. The mounting blocks are applied directly to the sheathing which also helps to eliminate water exposure. In order for water to get behind the fixture it would have to get through starter strip, flashing, weather barrier, caulk, and the siding itself.

Mounting blocks are also installed before the siding whenever possible. Vinyl light fixtures are much easier to retrofit because the material is easier to cut and special considerations can be made for waterproofing. Align the mounting block hole over where the light wiring comes out of the house. Make sure the weather resistant barrier is behind the mounting block to avoid water exposure to the sheathing. The nice thing about light fixture mounting blocks is that they are self contained units electrical wiring code that come pre-flashed and with a drip edge for a complete pre-assembled waterproofing solution — on the exterior of the siding.

You still need to perform the proper prep work underneath the siding layers however. Note: Most contractors wait to install the light fixture mounting blocks until they have sided up to that point. A starter strip may need to go on top of that too to push the siding away from the home to simulate the overlap of one row on top of another.

Once the block is in place you can side around it just like you would at a door or near the posts at the end of a wall.

Unlike a vinyl siding mounting block that clips apart and when attached will cover up gaps near the fixture, the mounting block on fiber cement siding is what it is.