The Clapboard Siding Installation Guide is a comprehensive guide for homeowners and DIY enthusiasts on how to install clapboard siding, a type of wood siding with a beveled edge. The guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to measure, weatherproof, flash, layout, pre-drill, and nail the siding boards. The guide also covers the benefits of installing clapboard siding, including the need for a “starter strip” to get the initial angle, and how to prepare the workspace.
To prepare the exterior wall for clapboard siding installation, remove any existing siding, trim, or other obstructions. Ensure that the wall is flat, smooth, and free. The steps for hanging clapboard siding include gathering the required siding, installing the house wrap, adding flashing and felt paper, and making a story pole for lap siding. Carpenter Andy Engel explains how to calculate board exposure, use a story pole for layout, and securely fasten clapboard siding.
The installation process begins by installing the starter strip at the bottom of the wall and then starting the installation of the clapboard siding. The guide also includes industry tips on how to install clapboard siding on a residential home, such as cutting the housewrap along the top edge of the skirtboard, weatherproofing the walls, flashing the skirt boards, and laying out the clapboard.
📹 How to Install Clapboard Siding | This Old House
Contractor, Erik Kaminski shows Kevin O’Connor how he installs clapboard siding at the North Shore house. SUBSCRIBE to This …
What goes under clapboard siding?
The wall structure of a residential building comprises studs and framing, which are constructed from sheathing, underlayment, insulation, flashing, an internal surface, trim, and paint. The sheathing provides the stud wall with rigidity.
How is clapboard installed?
This article provides a comprehensive guide on installing clapboard siding, focusing on best practices and techniques. The author, Manny Silva’s son, explains the process, including prefinishing the siding, installing a rain screen, pre-cutting, predrilling, sealing raw ends, using stainless steel nails, flashing and caulking butt joints, and sanding and sealing them for a perfect fit. The article is a comprehensive instructional piece that covers best practices for installing clapboard siding, including integrating the house wrap with the flashing above the skirtboard, properly shingling all flashing components, tapes the top edge of the flashing, and tapes the house wrap back down over the flashing.
The author also places a proper spacer on top of the flashing, pulls out a tape measure, and creates a story pole. The article is a valuable resource for anyone looking to install clapboard siding and learn from the experience of others.
What’s the difference between siding and clapboard?
In comparison to clapboard, Dutch lap siding demonstrates superior resistance to the effects of weathering. This is attributed to the slope of the siding, which prevents the accumulation of rainwater and snow, thereby reducing the likelihood of mold growth, rot, fading, and decay over time. Hi Tech Windows and Siding provides installation services for exterior building materials and offers guidance on the selection of appropriate siding for residential properties.
Do you put plywood under siding?
Missed studs can cause fiber cement siding to sag and break over time, so it’s recommended to install heavier structural sheathing like half-inch OSB or 7/16-inch plywood. This issue is lessened when there’s more to hammer the siding into than studs placed 16 inches apart. HRTI recommends James Hardie fiber cement siding and LP SmartSide engineered wood siding for exterior renovations. James Hardie is fire-resistant, suitable for high wind areas, and virtually indestructible.
LP SmartSide is popular among Denver Front Range communities due to its ease of installation, maintenance, and cost-effectiveness. Both options offer stunning results and come in a range of colors and styles.
What is the standard overlap for siding?
To ensure proper siding installation, follow these guidelines:
- Nail siding too loosely, as it can sag when temperatures increase.
- Overlap the siding with 1″ to 1 ¼” of joint overlap, as exceeding this can limit movement and cause cracking.
- Avoid placing siding directly on the roof or trim, as this can capture moisture and cause the siding to break down.
- Avoid using foam-backed vinyl siding, which can insulate your house, provide added resistance from damage, and offer insulation from sounds.
- Avoid using foam-backed vinyl siding, as it can cause seam problems, be less maintenance-friendly, and require easy panel replacement.
How is siding supposed to be installed?
The process of installing vinyl siding entails the removal of existing material, the attachment of sheathing and flashing, the installation of the starter strip, the construction of inside and outside corners, the installation of vinyl siding panels, and the application of J-Trim to doors and windows. This comprehensive step-by-step guide provides detailed instructions for the installation of vinyl siding.
How to install exterior wall siding?
To install exterior wood siding, follow these steps:
Gather materials and create a plan. Use a crowbar and hammer to remove a section of existing cladding to check for damage. Look for an intact vapor barrier, plywood sheathing, and insulation. If none are present, purchase this material from a local lumber yard or big box store.
Measure the width and height of the walls you will be siding. Multiply these numbers together to get the square footage of your project. Subtract the square footage of windows and doors from the overall square footage to determine the amount of siding needed.
Remove existing cladding using a crowbar and hammer. Continue to remove the remaining material from the home.
Install moisture barrier, starter plank, vertical planks, and around windows and doors.
What nails do you use for clapboard siding?
To ensure the best results, use “splitless” siding nails with thin shanks and blunt points to reduce splitting. For 7/8″ and 15/16″ thick siding, a 10″ splitters siding nail is recommended, while 11/16″ and 3/4″ thick siding should use 8″ nails. The recommended nail penetration into the solid wood base is 1-1/2″. Bevel siding should be nailed to studs at 24″ o. c. with solid sheathing and 16″ o. c. maximum when applied without sheathing. All butt joints should be mitred and nailed on the stud.
Do not double nail siding at the joint, use one nail only. Never nail through two pieces of siding, as wood is a natural cellular material that will expand and contract as it takes on or loses moisture. Nailing should be snug but not tight, driving through the butt edge of the overlapping siding a minimum of 1/8″ above the thin edge of the underlying piece. Never nail through two pieces or courses of siding, as this will not allow the siding to expand and contract freely, resulting in splitting and cracking.
How much overlap on clapboard siding?
To install bevel siding, start with the bottom course using a furring strip to support the lower edge. Each successive course should overlap the upper edge of the previous one by a minimum of 1 inch. Rabbeted patterns should be self-spacing but leave 1/8 inch expansion clearance. The bottom of the board should coincide with the window cap. Bevel siding should be face nailed to studs with 1-1/4 inch penetration into solid wood, spaced at a maximum of 24 inches on center.
Avoid reducing siding overlap recommendations to avoid wind-driven water damage. Use larger overlaps for unseasoned sidings to allow shrinkage and expansion. Staggered butt joints between boards should meet on studs. Fit siding snugly to other pieces and trim.
Do you use nails or screws for siding panels?
While ring-shank nails are appropriate for the installation of wood siding, screws have been demonstrated to provide superior long-term holding power. It is recommended that stainless steel be used for all woods, as well as for modified woods such as Accoya and Kebony. In addition, 316 stainless steel is suitable for use in coastal and marine environments.
Can you use a nail gun on clapboard siding?
Framing nailers and guns can be used for siding installation if the nails are long enough to attach the siding firmly to the exterior wood sheathing. However, it is recommended to use a siding nail gun for siding installation, as most applications require longer nails for joining lumber together. Siding nailers are lighter than framing guns, with the average siding nailer weighing around 5 LBS., while coil framing nailers typically run 8-9 LBS. minimum.
The cost range for both tools is roughly the same, with an average range of $250 to $350 for coil nailers on Nail Gun Depot. Factors such as build quality, brand preference, and product features influence the price of each tool.
📹 Siding a House By Yourself
In this video I am using LP SmartSide lap siding to side my house. I am using special siding clamps that lets me do everything solo …
Adjusting the 4″ spacing of the siding is all well and good on this job site. It’s a different story when siding a high profile building that’s visible from three sides, say, along a main road. Those projects usually require book matching the clapboards on either side of the corner board trim as to not look out of place.
Been doing this for over 40 years. You divide the measurement by 4 and then divide your leftover. You make your rows even, say at 3 7/8 (or whatever they work out to be). After you put on your first row you take the story pole you have made and place it on top of your first row, place your marks on your paper and then snap rows. You need to hit even on bottom and top of windows. Manufacturers want you to have all joints hit on the studs. I have never followed this when running 4″ rows. I also keep my joints snugs where some want to keep them a 1/16 short and caulk. I try to use as little caulking as possible.
Thank you, this is only the second siding article I have found online that shows the use of those clamps. I bought a smaller, perfect rectangle house with all flat sides. Built in 1984, on a lake so lots of moisture. The original siding is there, in poor condition and someone slapped hideous vinyl siding over styrofoam a couple years ago. It feels and looks like an old fashioned waterproof plastic diaper and it is bug heaven underneath. Tar paper wrap. I cannot wait to carefully remove everything to inspect the walls and studs for water damage before wrapping it all up, and replacing the awful original windows that were never even flashed I think. I have a concrete foundation, thank goodness. Doing it all myself, with the help of great article instruction like this.
I would seriously think about Z flashing and flashing tape over the outlet cover trip. I know its a protected circuit but its a real pain if the GFCI trips everytime it rains. I know becuse ive got one that does this. Granted its not as fancy a box And your vapor cover blocks water intrusion but its cheap insurance. Well worth the effort. You also should have done the window. The main reason for wood rot is poor flashing its worth the effort to add the extra protections. It dosnt take much water to start the rotting process becuse wood behind a outside surface wont dry out as fast then if it wasn’t covered up so its best to keep the water away as best as possible.
If you are able to get trim behind the electrical conduit, why not run the siding under it? The area around the foundation and starter strip is a nightmare. The OSB sheathing will be rotten in no time. The foundation insulation is out further than the siding with absolutely no hard flashing. The OSB sheathing will suck up water like a straw and the foundation will be wet. It’s easy to cut siding and nail it to a house, but it’s the waterproofing details that will ultimately protect the house, and this is done all wrong.
I’ve used the clamps on SmartSide siding. They do work ok, but there is a bit of variability on the thickness of the siding due to the texture. The clamps sometimes slip, which can be really inconvenient when you are working off a ladder! One thing you might consider on future projects: The window trim should be 5/4″ so that the edges of the siding are not exposed. There is a 5/4 SmartSide trim product that works great. I sided a house years ago with 3/4 trim and the exposed siding ends, even when faithfully painted, do not hold up as well. Great article! Thanks.
How has it held up since you installed it, especially the bottom rows? Any cracked paint lines effect at the bottom side of the panels due to moisture absorption? 6 years ago I bought an old house with hip style roof with 2.5 ft overhangs. House had beaded cedar mill look Masonite siding that was face nailed and to many of my contractor’s surprise it was still in pretty good shape, despite years of neglect. I couldn’t find a matching siding so after remodeling I decided to replace it. When I took off the old siding, I was shocked to see that the only damage was on the bottom front of the first two rows and top rows were as as stiff and clean as brand new. And I really loved the cedar mill look. So now I want to install something similar and LP smart siding is the closest as far as the look goes. But I feel hesitant to use it after reading up all the negative feedback about it. Part of me says if Masonite siding could last on this house, LP siding should be just fine too. However my old siding had a smooth curved shape at the bottom, unlike the LP smart siding’s rough shape, which makes me think that it may be more likely to absorb water and hence prone to a quicker failure, if I don’t get a good paint coverage fast enough. I suppose those oversized overhangs on the house can only protect it so much. Oddly enough fiber cement siding is about the same price right now but my walls are anything but true or flat, so if needed, the face nailing may be out of question for fiber cement.
good clear article. I’ve done close to a dozen structures now with Hardie (or other) siding. (I have a ranch with lots of cabins) One comment I’d make is that using siding nails on the trim is not ideal. Using them on the trim is unsightly and has to be caulked or something to make it look ok. Try instead to find stainless brad nails, like 2″ long that you can use in your brad nail gun. I have a 16 Gauge nail gun, and no problem finding them, but they do make 18 gauge too if that is all you have. I’ve done this for maybe 5 years or more now and the trim is ON there. You can use extra nails as there is no visible problem. I’ve pried them off from time to time and for sure they hold well enough to never worry about the trim just “slowly loosening and coming off”. By using the brad nails, no need for filling. The hole is small enough that the paint afterwards fills the hold and it becomes “invisible”. I try to always use stainless siding nails anyway, (the siding IS constructed with cement and that is quite hard on regular nails, so that rust will show. Stainless keeps that Rust from happening.)
It amazes me why you do not put airgaps between siding and the osb… it needs a ventilation so outside moisture can dry. Ive seen so many articles of US made houses where they remove the siding and there is full rotten osb veneers behind. This is just nuts and pure stupidity. Im sorry, i love US but this really is something that bothers me. Greetings from Finland, EU
You should always have a full piece at the top. Just like a bathroom tile job it’s pretty amateurish not to. Also that looks like an engineered wood. A cement. Hardy board is a much better choice. It’s really obsoleted the engineered wood the only badge to the engineered wood is it’s easy to work with.
130° temperature swing?🤔humm ok. Here’s the problem. People like myself come to YouTube to learn about things they don’t have a solid working knowledge of so when they come across something like this they think, sounds easy enough and they go for it and end up getting screwed. Feel free to prove me wrong and do another article. This time call the siding manufacturer and tell them you want to make a claim. Tell them the siding is buckling badly and you don’t know why because you nailed the shit out of it with the nail gun and let’s all watch what happens next. It’s going to sound something like ‘the instructions are available in every language Sir . Next time take a few minutes to read a little bit and you won’t go off half cocked and void your warranty.. sorry Sir, hope you have a nice day 🤦🤦🤦.. like I said.. feel free to prove me wrong 🤣
Nice job. A couple questions. Why didn’t you paint you cut ends the same color as the siding? I know even with hardieplank you shouldn’t caulk the butt joints as it will still expand and contract. All you should need is the flashing strip. Is there something different about this siding? I assume there will be some expansion and contraction and those caulked butt joints will look bad.
You did nice work on that and did your best to weather seal it. You will be replacing it though. That material absorbs moisture like mdf. I have seen that stuff turn to flakes in five years just from humidity, found it while doing an estimate for painting the exterior. Fiber cement tends to last longer, but more time consuming and more difficult to cut. My preference is cedar but much more expensive. Again great job.
Many of those gaps look more like 1/4″ to 5/16″. No way I would leave gaps that wide I would do a 1/8″ gap max because that siding doe snot expand and contract any more than 1/16″ to 3/32″ and in reality it probably only fluctuates about 1/32″ in most climates. Plus if you want to trim out the windows like a professional you miter the corners at a 45 degree angle it looks way better. Then on the outside corner 1×4 trim you rip them on the table saw at a 45 degree angle on one side of both pieces then set them up on a work table with a 4×4, 4×6 or some 2×4’s screwed or nailed together. This enables you to set them up like they are on the corner and using clamps hold them in place and either nail them together with the 45 seams flush or what I do is use a countersink bit and drill holes countersunk for 2″ screws and screw them together with exterior screws. Then you take your corner pieces already assembled and either nail or screw them to the corner. I usually use my nail gun to put a few nails in once I have it lined up like I want it just to hold it in place and then put some exterior screws 3″ through the 1×4’s into the studs. That’s just me though I want the to do the best possible work with the best outcome for a great looking finished product. You can not do that when you take the easy way out and do layman cuts on your trim and just use nails that will eventually start coming out do to the wood expanding and contracting over time unless you are using hardy plank. Then you end up with some loose boards.
What are the spacer hanging clamps you used, and what do they set the overlap at? Kind of important to know to figure coverage. If you overlap 1/2″ or over lap 3/4″ you could land 1 sheet short But also if you do a story stick you could space the laps to land full lap on the last top lap or close enough a trim board covers the gap at the top. Do the hanging clamps adjust?
I didn’t have a nail gun to install my cement siding, so I resorted to hand nailing. This didn’t work very well. I decided about half way thru the job to predrill nail hole. The bits wore out endlessly because of the abrasiveness of the siding. So whilst drilling, I accidently snapped off yet another drill bit tip. Lo and behold, It worked better broken. So then I went and bot a 24 pack of 1/8 in bits and nipped the tips off all of them. It worked so well that I had no problems predrilling nail holes. Who’d have thot a broken drill bit works better than a sharp one for predrilling holes in concrete siding. Likewise I’ve found it easier to score and snap the siding instead of fighting with a skill saw.