Secrets to Installing Wood Siding
Wood sidings can greatly increase the value of your home. The secrets provided in this instillation directive will make it last longer and be easier to keep beautiful. In the past 40 years, I have seen many different shapes and types. Some of the wood species used are: Western Red Cedar, White Fir, Douglas Fir, Ponderosa Pine, Mahogany, Red Wood, and Port Orford Cedar. The profiles (shapes) range from Ship Lap, Beveled, Eased Edges, Bat and Board, Log Siding, Full Half Log Siding, and these come in different lap and tong and grove patterns. They also come in many different sizes from three inches to twelve inches.
When these are applied properly they all work well. But when any of them are installed wrong, there will be problems. .
So here are the correct steps to installation.
1. Ordering. Measure the square footage of the home or building walls then subtract the windows and door openings. Multiply that figure by the number of feet of product needed to cover a square foot. Allow at least 15 percent or more for loss during drying and cutting for instillation.
2. Drying. When it arrives, stack it in a dry place with stickers between each row and with at least one half inch between each piece. Let them dry with a fan blowing over them for at least four to five weeks. Using some type of heat like a space heater will take less time. Dry them this way till the moisture content is less than 14 percent to it’s middle..
The product comes from the lumberyard, mills, or warehouses only partially dried to around 17 percent moisture content. Wood is not stable till it is dried to 14 percent moisture content or less. This way they can sell 10 percent more because when it is dried all the way they will loose more wood to cracking and twisting.
Check with a moisture meter to make sure it is dry enough before continuing. You can usually rent moisture meters at equipment rentals or at wood flooring shops.
3. Staining. Before applying the stain (never paint), check for mill glaze. This is caused when it is put through a planer and the knives heat the wood and also the pitch or sap. This heating will then glaze over the surface. The stain and preservatives will not penetrate this but will simply stay on the surface. A light sanding with an orbital sander will take this mill glaze off and also any dirt or footprints.
Next apply the oil stain or finish to all sides of each piece. Be sure that the ends are painted as well and when cutting to size have a brush and stain handy to again paint the raw ends. This is very important and is usually where most installers fall short. Any unpainted part of the siding will draw in moisture and will cause it to warp and crack at a later time.
4. Preparing. Prepare the house for instillation using 15-pound or 30-pound felt and be sure to slide it under the bottom window flange and sides. Always think of water and how it runs, make it run out. Then lap it over the top of the window flange. If the windows do not have nailing flanges use Z metal on the top and lap the felt over it. Do not believe that the siding will keep the water out by it self, it will not.
After applying the felt, usually by tacking it on with a hammer taker, put a level line at the bottom of the wall one half inch above the top of the first row. If installing vertical pieces place it to the left or right one half inch, then put two more lines at one third and two thirds of the way up the wall for checking level as the siding is installed. When using vertical instillation measure to the corners.
5. Instillation. When cutting leave one eight-inch gap for every ten foot of length. Even when it is dried and stained on all sides it will still expand and shrink seasonally a little. Then when placing it on the wall be sure to put a piece of thirty pound felt behind each splice about four inches wide and as tall as the piece making sure that it laps over the piece below. This will allow the water to run out not behind. If you have tong and grove cut the back lip of the grove off two inches each way so that the felt will be able to lap over the tong below.
6. Nailing. Use stainless steel ring shank nails. They must not penetrate into the studs more than one inch, but should be close to that. This is so the nail will not hit the electrical wiring. Only use one nail for each stud in each piece of siding. Be sure not to nail into the piece below when installing lap siding. (If installing tong and grove place the nails at an angle into the tong just where it connects to the body of the piece. When nailing in that corner just right it will be covered with the next piece above. Also, when nailing at an angle about 30 degrease into the bottom of the tong it will force that piece snugly down upon the piece below it. Do not place another nail in to the face because two nails will cause it to split.)
Leave one-eighth inch opening for every 10 feet of length of siding and at both ends for longer pieces. The casing and trim at the corners, windows and doors has already been dried, stained, and installed with calking underneath and behind all joints and splices. When placing the siding calk under each piece next to the trim then nail it. Calking will last a long time under the wood but will need to be re-calked every so often when it is to the weather. The best way to finish the job is to calk the one-eighth inch gap between the ends and trim. Then place another piece of trim so that it covers the ends at least three-fourths inch or more. This will effectively cover the calking and ends and will stop most of the water from getting behind. The only exception to this is when using half round log siding with Swedish Cope and Stockade Corners.
One point about corner trim when splicing cut the splice with an angle of 30 degrees or more with the splice going down and away from the building.
There are different styles of trim and ways to put it on but the best is to cover the ends of your siding. Butting up to the trim, not covering the ends, is less expensive, but the wood will not last as long.
These secrets to installing wood siding will give great satisfaction and long lasting wood siding and most importantly will save time and money.
