Even if you are hiring a contractor to do your
fiber cement siding installation, it pays to be familiar with the
process. Fiber cement siding has some unique aspects to its
installation. While it may appear installation is out of order, fiber
cement siding is installed differently from shingles and wood siding -
in some aspects they are the same. If you are doing your own
installation, this is a good overview of the process you need to learn. Why fiber cement?
Fiber
cement siding has been around for a while, but only in the past decade
has there been significant innovations in its production that make it
appropriate for any home. The new fiber cement siding options are just
as attractive as wood siding, and cared for more easily. Best of all,
fiber cement siding installation is one of the least expensive materials
to work with. The majority of the cost will come in labor. This can
make it a definite choice over vinyl or aluminum siding.
Prepping the side
The
first task is to prep the side. It should have the correct sheathing
for an exterior wall in your area. If you are unsure of what that
sheathing should be, ask your local home improvement store. Once the
sheathing is in place, you want to snap level lines across the sheathing
as a guide for even placement. The top of the sheathing should be
marked for beginning edge of the fiber cement siding installation. You
don’t have to measure down and mark for each row, but having guidelines
in place every few feet will help you spot if the siding begins to
slant.
Installing the trim
Next, install
the trim. This is different from many types of siding because the open
edges of the board slide behind the trim and then are lowered into
place. This actually makes it easier to keep your siding pieces level,
and makes the whole job quicker. You can also skip this step and do it
after you place the boards, but be aware you run the risk of not seeing
when a board is cut too short to be covered by the trim. Laying and spacing the board
Now
you are ready to lay and space the board. You can choose to do a blind
nail fiber cement siding installation where the nail heads are covered
by the overlaying board, or a revealed nail installation. Each board
should overlap the one beneath by at least ¾ of an inch. The easiest way
to make sure this happens is to cut a jig that you can use to get the
spacing right.
The finish
The last part of the fiber cement siding installation
is the painting and sealing of the siding. Just like with a wood
siding board, paint is applied after to create the finish. This is
another reason many people choose fiber cement over nylon as it is also
easier and cheaper to upgrade a house with paint than a new color
siding.
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