To sheathe a house with siding on your own, you do not need to have any special qualities at all. The main thing is to strictly follow the instructions, which can always be obtained from suppliers. However, as in any work, when sheathing a house with siding, you need to pay attention to some nuances, which will be discussed below.
- Facade preparation
Before you start installing siding, you need to prepare the facade. All rubbish, protruding objects, platbands, shutters, gratings, doors, drainage systems must be dismantled. If you have gaps in window and door openings, then they must be repaired, since in the future you will not have such an opportunity.
- Lathing
The crate can be of 2 types – metal or wooden with a cross-section of the rail 60×40 mm. If you prefer wood, then keep in mind that before installing the crate, the tree must be well dried and treated with an antiseptic composition.
If you are using metal siding, then the sheathing must be made of steel.
Vinyl siding can be attached to any crate. However, if you are sheathing a brick or concrete house, then it is better to use metal sheathing, as the wood used on the brick wall will quickly become saturated with moisture, thereby causing decay.
When installing basement siding, a metal crate is also used, as a wooden crate will quickly absorb moisture from the ground.
- Ventilated facade
The space between the siding and the walls of the house must be ventilated. That is why it is not recommended to connect the crate horizontally, since in this case you will not allow the airflow to circulate freely.
If you sheathe the house with best james hardie siding, then you have the opportunity to additionally insulate the building. Thermal insulation slabs should be laid between the vertical laths of the crate. The waterproofing layer is placed on top. You must protect the insulation from moisture.
Even with additional thermal insulation, you need to leave a gap between the waterproofing layer and the inner surface of the panels to allow ventilation.
On top of the waterproofing on the main crate, it is necessary to nail an additional one, 25 mm thick.
To attach the crate, use anti-corrosion nails, staples and bolts. They must enter the laths of the crate by at least 20 mm.
- Secure the siding
The golden rule says: “The siding must breathe.” It follows from this statement that no panel should be fixed very rigidly.
As the seasons change, temperatures can promote contraction in the winter and elongation in the summer. The difference in length can be up to 10 mm.
That is why all the holes for fasteners in the panels are oblong. Nails must be driven exactly in the middle of the hole. Also, a gap of 1 mm must be left between the nail head and the siding plate. You can determine the distance by placing a coin under the hat. Thus, the siding will be slightly mobile, and, therefore, will not burst during temperature changes.
To leave room for the siding to move, it is necessary to leave a certain distance in front of the end edge. If the siding is sheathed in summer, the gap should be 6-9 mm, in winter – more than 10 mm.
Do not forget about the gaps, because otherwise the siding will quickly deform and go in “waves”.
