Clever Siding Deconstruction
A hole saw and some homemade plugs make saving and reusing old wood siding a simple job.
My boss wanted to try to reuse the redwood siding we were taking off his house to make some upgrades. Prying at the boards caused splitting, so we decided to use a hole saw to separate the nails from the wood. The local home center had a 3/8-in. diamond hole saw for tilework that turned out to be the perfect thing. The bit’s diamond grit works fast and creates a smooth cut.
To start the cut, position the bit over the nail at a slight angle and start the bit rotating slowly. Once the kerf is established, straighten the bit and drill to a depth of 3/4 in., leaving the nail and cutting the siding around it. Once you’ve drilled around all the nails, make a few passes with a utility knife along the painted joint between boards so they pop free.
When it was time to reinstall the siding, I plugged the holes with 3/8-in. redwood plugs that I cut on the drill press. I glued them in the holes and then sanded them flush. The reclaimed siding cost next to nothing and matched perfectly.
— Martin Alonso; Rohnert Park, Calif. Edited by Charles Miller.
From Fine Homebuilding #288
RELATED STORIES
Got a Tip?
Do you have any great tips like this one on removing wood siding without damaging it? Share your methods, tricks, and jigs with other readers. Tag them @FineHomebuilding on social, email them to us at [email protected], or upload them to FineHomebuilding.com/reader-tips. We’ll pay for any we publish.
