Siding nailing help

[Zogman]

I'm ready to start nailing my Hardyplank siding to my garage and I'm a bit stumped. In reading up on the tips and instructions, it says to nail all of the **** joints to a stud. I've also ready that to make all of the **** joints with the factory cuts which is impossible if I need to cut the boards to meet at a stud. I want to use factory cuts for the **** joints to ensure a nice clean joint but that means that some of the joints wont be on a stud. It also means I will be wasting a bunch of material if I cut to meet at studs.

I have a 50' wall and a 70' wall so there will be many **** joints.

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Zoli

 

[Jackfre]

I'm just finishing the house with the Hardi Artisan Plank product with the Sail Cloth pre-finish. Mine is the 7 1/2". The thickness is just a skosh under 5/8" it is T&G ends as well and lays very flat. I ran out of that material and had only a peak area on the off side that you don't see remaining and bought the regular Hardi material. It is about 5/16" thickness. A nail gun with 8 ring shanks has handled all of it nicely.

On the lighter Hardi they tell you to flash the back of the joint mid span anyway, which I did on the few joints I had. I think I would throw some PL400 behind those joint and try to glue them down. If one rises up and need mechanical fasteners, I'd pre-drill and screw it down carefully by hand. If the screw gets the right bite, even in sheathing, I think it would hold. This way, assuming it works, you have fewer face nails.

 

[boobag]

how long are the boards? most common framing spacing is 16". are the board lengths not setup for that?
could you paint the cut edge?

 

[Zogman]

The boards are 12' long and 8.125" tall. Most of the wall is on 16" centers but the spacing breaks up because of the windows. Yes I plan on painting all of the cuts but was hoping to have perfect **** joints and I'm not sure that will be achieved with me cutting the boards.

 

[rancherbill]

The instructions are a hierarchy and should read-

Make joint on studs and when possible use factory ends at the joint. It is doable.

Lay it out on paper, start a row with a 4'6", for example, piece then full length boards and then use the other end of the cut piece.

I don't know your board lengths so you'll have to figure it out. You might have waste or perhaps you can take some product back and exchange for a better length.

 

[fury9]

After you've put your notched piece of siding up to the bottom of the window (assuming you'll have to notch a little for the window unless it falls perfectly at the right exposure) just start with a fresh piece and cut it as long as possible to the farthest stud, then start stepping it back so your seams are staggered. While you're trying to install the siding as level as possible, when you get about 5 courses away from the soffit start pulling parallel numbers, if the numbers are off, start cheating the siding a little bit each course so when you get to the soffit you'll have an even rip of siding. If you don't check it you might end up with a piece that could be an inch different from end to end and you'll notice it on the last course. Make sure to square around your corners especially at eye level so the siding courses are in line with each other if that makes sense, kinda hard to explain

 

[wnstwolf]

Check where you purchased for the shoe polish type touch up paint applicator. Mine was pre finished wicker color and I got a few bottles with sponge toped applicators to hit the cot edges with. I bought a cheap miter saw from HF and used a blade specific for hardboard on it to get best cut. A piece of felt paper behind joint. One thing I wish I did now looking back was to hit the felt paper with a quick roller of light color. Would have made joints invisible.

Don't forget to install proper block outs for outlets and lights

I used ribbed roofing coil nails on a 3,500 sq/ft house with no issue. Not all hit studs. Take a scrap piece and practice on gun pressure and how close to edge to hit with gun. First few hits may blow out board. My biggest issue was that it is a difficult one man job as the boards flex and break if your not careful. Job went faster with helper.

 

[CNGsaves]

Purchase a DeWalt shears meant for the Hardiboard cement siding. It cuts through them like butter (no dust). Nibbles about 1/4" of waste in the cut, but well worth it IMHO. Once you get the hang of cutting with it, you can even do the cutouts for windows, etc. in addition to **** cuts on ends. We never used a table saw at all.
http://www.dewalt.com/tools/metalworking-shears-d28605.aspx

We installed cement siding boards on my prior house with pneumatic nail gun and ring shank nails, only nailing on the top that was covered with next piece. If ends weren't laying down flush (ie warped), then can pre-drill and install screw. It is a good general practice to make sure your **** joints land on a stud as siding will pull down flush much better . . . or could glue them down.

I had pre-painted all the boards (front & back . . . yes overkill), but that only meant a little painting/caulking on cut joints when installing. The pre-painting really paid off with small pointy-end pieces up under soffit, as touch up paint only needed for nail holes (very few) and caulked joints.

Other thing we did was use glue on the pointed tips up in eaves on the ends so they wouldn't get broken trying to nail or screw. Braced a board to soffit overhang until the glue had dried. Those cuts were even easy with the DeWalt shears. Good luck.

 

[hippie2cams]

put osb where it belongs as underlayment for HardiePlank and you don't have to worry about being on a stud, the whole wall is wood

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

Are you reading; "The complete HZ10 installation guide- Best Practices"?

This will be your "bible" for installation. Don't deviate or you will have warranty issues. Factory **** joints can be somewhat cost prohibitive if you're using the beaded board. Otherwise, you just flip a cut piece around for a factory match. Cut **** joints @ windows and corner boards are acceptable.

Just remember to stagger the first 5-6 courses- that way you won't have the "zipper effect".

 

[Zogman]

Thanks for all of your input folks. It was very helpful. I nailed up the first 5 rows on one side today. I pre-painted mine and will spray it again once completed. I ended up cutting almost every piece to ensure that the **** ends would end up on a stud. I painted all of the cut **** joints. I bought a special blade for my skill saw for the hardyplank and it cut it very nicely. Had to clamp a straightedge to ensure nice straight cuts. I bought the Gecko gauges and they are a dream to work with.

Overall I am very please.

Thanks again.

Z

 

[MagKarl]

You are making way too much work for yourself. Hit every stud you can, but don't worry about the ends hitting studs. Just use ring shanks and be confident that they will hold the corners just fine.

 

[gpalmer77]

I did my whole house and currently doing the garage in hardieboard. I butted the boards together between studs and let the next piece hold it down. If you nail too close to the end, you end up bending or splitting it anyway. I used stainless ring shanks, and predrilled everything. When I couldn't hit a stud, and needed a fastener, I had a bag of stainless screws designed specially for hardie type siding. Had to countersink those first. As someone else mentioned, get a set of shears.