2.5-inch expose fiber cement siding
Other than the disadvantage of cost, is there any reason that I can’t hang 5.25″ fiber cement siding with a 2.5″ exposure? I’ll just have to start out with a slightly thicker starter board, right? I have no interest in ripping over thousand lineal feet of cement board; I just want to use the material as is.
By my calculations, this will change the pitch of the boards from 4.5-degrees to 7-degrees, and it will increase the total thickness of the siding layers from .78″ to 1.0″. Seems like it should work in theory, at least….
BACKGROUND:
I have a 2.5 story 120 year old house. The bottom story is siding. The top stories are asbestos-shakes over the original, fire-damaged, cedar shakes. I have no interest in removing the asbestos-shakes. The bottom story is less than 100′ in perimeter with about 25% windows and doors. I plan to do it myself one side at a time.
I’m just completing the job of replacing the 5 windows on one side of the house. I removed all of the trim around the windows and was able to tuck the new layer of tar-paper under the adjacent siding. If money and time were no consideration then I would be doing both windows and siding at the same time, but both are quite limited. 3 of the 5 windows were severely racked due to under-lying structural issues that have since been remedied (the house was moved in 1910). The other 2 windows were 9-light replacement inserts installed in the early ’50s that didn’t match any other windows in the house, so I replaced them to get a consistent look. The new windows are Andersen Woodwright.
Replies
The only issue that I can percieve arising is the asbestos shakes shattering at every nail you install and falling apart into pieces. My limited expericience with asbestos siding usually had predrilled holes for nail placement. When the shingles shatter, they will probably start falling out and messing up the nailing plane although it already sounds like it is kind of mess with asbestos over burned cedar. Sounds like you should really cleanup the wall surface before installing any additional layers of siding
Bruce
Oh my, I didn't explain this well at all. I shouldn't have even mentioned the asbestos shakes. I'm ONLY re-siding the lower level, which DOES NOT have asbestos shakes. The upper stories are asbestos shakes. I'm going to leave them where they are. They should last another 50 years.So, my question is: Will I have any trouble hanging 5.25" fiber cement siding with a 2.5" exposure?Thanks!
no.... we've done a few jobs using a much greater overlap than the 1 1/4
we did an old colonial with 6 1/2 at 4" exposure
we blind nailed just above the lapMike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Oh my, I didn't explain this well at all. I shouldn't have even mentioned the asbestos shakes.
Since you have only been here for 28 or so posts, we'll excuse you for not know thread etiquite and honorariums. The "blase" and "just average" threads usually stick to the original subject. The better threads will morph into a (usually) related discussion. The best threads will have 3 or 4 totally divergent discussions going at the same time."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
"The best threads will have 3 or 4 totally divergent discussions going at the same time."So you're saying that Sphere and I can pat ourselves on the back for going way off subject? Great! I was starting to feel guilty.AitchKay
Like Hiker said, good luck with the asbestos shingles. For the most part, you can't remove them, can't drill them, can't cut them, and they WILL shatter when you try to nail through them.
And when they shatter (or when you drill or cut) they are likely to let off the friable dust that is so dangerous.
Why can't you remove them? I looked into demo-ing an old shack near San Antonio, and the state regulations were that the HO or PropO could personally demo asbestos siding and put it in the trash as long as it was double bagged in the 3 mil bags."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Many local laws allow this. But contact a reputable abatement contractor to get an idea of standard practice: site protection, protective clothing and respirators, etc.A garden sprayer filled with a water/dish soap mix is good for keeping dust down.I had a stroke of luck on one job: They had used an underlayment that looked like tar-impregnated corrugated cardboard. It had just enough give that I could press the siding in enough to grab the nailheads with a pair of nippers. So I took a plain, straight-handled pair of Enderes nippers, with 12-14" handles, and filed one handle round enough to thread for a stop nut. Then I added a weight, and made a tool much like a dent-puller.Press on the siding, grab the nailhead, slap out the weight, and presto! The nail was pulled.But on another job, I found no underlayment, after assuming it in my bid. And I had to save the siding!No money, and lots of drilled out nailheads later, I finished that job. Jeez!AitchKay
Thats a GREAT tip.
Reminds me of a bud who installs Sat Dishes, he welded a socket on each handle of his channel locks, a 7/16 and a 9/16 ( or similar) the two most common size bolts on a dish install.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj_oEx4-Mc4
I like that one. Sort of a modern-day fence tool -- remember those? They probably still exist, but I haven't seen a pair in a couple of decades -- city boy, you know.AitchKay
Remember them? I use em often, country boy here. It is not unusual to have cattle in the road on my way to town...I just get em back in, grab a few staples and the pliers and find the breach.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj_oEx4-Mc4
>Thats a GREAT tip.<
do the same with Vise Grips. Remove the adjuster screw and replace with a smooth rod threaded to match (or close enough) the adjuster screw. Install a weight and stop nuts and you got a Vice Grip slide hammer. I'll send you a pic if you need it.
If you remove the adjuster screw, how do you clamp down on the object?"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
You replace the screw with the rod that's threaded (I'm tempted to say threaded rod but all-thread won't work). I got some pics for you.
First started using these when I worked aviation. The set in the pics is ~20 years aold and still taking a beating (unitentional pun) . Great for stuck bolts, pins, nails in tight locations, and pulling just about anything you can get a grip on. The one I made is on the large side, but I saw them made on as small as the 4" vice grips.
I skipped over part of your original explanation. I read that you replace the original with a smooth rod. Obviously that wont work."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
1 more thing, the thread pitch of the adj screw is almost standard but not (at least that's the way it was on the one in the pics). I matched it as close as I could with a NC die and haven't had any problems. Good grade of steel in the rod might've helped too.
If your local laws and codes allow you to get rid of asbestos that easily, then my opinion is that it should be done SOON.Because the regulation is likely to change.
Politics is the antithesis of problem solving.
"Other than the disadvantage of cost, is there any reason that I can't hang 5.25" fiber cement siding with a 2.5" exposure? I'll just have to start out with a slightly thicker starter board, right? I have no interest in ripping over thousand lineal feet of cement board; I just want to use the material as is."
Might work. I wouldn't commit to it until I tried a few test pieces. My concern would be that it would be kicked out too far where you nail it-if you blind nail it that is. I would think that a conventional siding nailer would tend to blast the nail right through the piece. Maybe you could overcome this by using a roofing nail or even a screw. Or you could possibly face nail it, though nailing through two boards at once may test your mettle as well.
The other thing about FC is that it doesn't look that great if your underlying walls are not true. And given that you have a 100 year old house with two layers of siding, I'm guessing your walls aren't perfect.
Personally, in a situation like that I would use pre-primed wood siding. But that's just my personal taste.
as long as you get the correct thickness and width of the starter strip, they will all lay at the same angle
a bad substrate will show up wether it's wood or FC
the blind HD galv roofer goes right above the top of the underlying clap and there is no blow thruMike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore