Installing Wood Siding

Tips for Installing Beveled Wood Siding

The biggest mistake I see carpenters make on a daily basis is the failure to seal wood siding before it is installed. This sealing process is necessary if you want to protect the wood and ensure that the finish (paint or stain) you are applying will last and last. Moisture can easily travel through wood and cause a paint or stain film to peel or blister. The trick is to not allow water to enter in the first place. You do this by painting and staining the complete piece of wood. This means the front, back, and edges. It's easy to do and fast if you set up some saw horses. In most instances, you simply use a sprayer or a paint roller. Glide a brush over the finish side of the wood after you apply the paint to give it a brushed texture. Backpriming is especially important if you are installing redwood, cedar, or any other wood that has a high extractive chemical content.

Felt or Building Paper

The failure to install felt or other water resistant building paper or house wrap beneath wood siding is a huge mistake. These papers are necessary to adequately protect the wood framing members from water damage. Water can easily find its way behind wood sidings. There are hundreds of butt seams in a typical installation. These seams can easily open with normal expansion and contraction allowing water to get behind the siding. When installing the building paper, make sure the first piece overlaps the top of the foundation one inch. All other subsequent pieces should overlap one another at least two inches.

End Cuts

OK, so you backprimed the siding. Now for the fun part of installing! But wait, you have to cut each piece. What now? Well, keep a paint can and brush right next to the miter saw or saw horses. After you are sure the piece is the right length and will fit, paint the end that was cut! Remember, almost invariably this cut exposes end grain. This is where water enters a piece of wood most easily. Sealing these cuts is especially important where siding is cut at an angle as it terminates along the edge of a roof. Water running down the roof or splashing off the shingles can easily saturate these cut ends.

Nailing

Always use the right nails. There are special siding nails which have smaller heads and threaded shanks. The nails must be long enough to go through the siding, sheathing and finally into the wood studs a minimum of 1 1/2 inches. To avoid splitting, always drill pilot holes at the ends of a piece of siding. Never nail through two pieces of siding! Nails should pass just over the top of the piece of siding you just installed.

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