Replies

1. 
   rez | Oct 14, 2007 12:10am | #1

   bump

    

1. 
   RedfordHenry | Oct 14, 2007 06:08am | #6

   Why bump a five plus year old post?  Not that I mind, I'm always ready to learn something new, just wondering.

1. 
   Shep | Oct 15, 2007 12:57am | #7

   I never noticed it was 5 years old.

   I saw rez had bumped it, and responded.

   But I'd probably do the same even if I did realize it was an old post.

   I wonder if the OP is going to respond, or if he's just wondering why it took 5 years to get an answer. I hope he wasn't in a hurry to repair that siding <G>

2. 
   Shep | Oct 14, 2007 02:21am | #2

   Its a job that takes both patience and a light touch.

   Start with the topmost piece you want to remove, and GENTLY drive a thin pry bar between it and the next higher piece. Take your time, and don't try to pry it out too far. It's probably a good idea to use a utility knife to score and break the paint line.

   Once you can feel where the nails holding the top clap are, use the bar to put a little crimp in the nails. Place the bar against a nail, and give it a couple of raps. Then use a block of wood to tap the clapboard back into place. The nail heads should now be exposed. Pull them. Use a block of wood under your prybar or hammer to protect the wood.

   I now use a MultiMaster to make the cuts in the claps, but before I'd use a crosscut saw with a narrow tip, or a keyhole saw. Make the cuts where you need them, and pull the damaged clap off. Make sure you get the piece tucked under the upper clap out. Lots of times, I'll make a scribe cut with a square and utility knife to give the saw a place to register.

   Then just repeat as needed to remove the rest of the damaged claps.

   Be aware that old claps can be very brittle. They sometimes will crack with just a little prying. Take your time, and you should be fine.

    

1. 
   rez | Oct 14, 2007 04:22am | #3

   yer a good man, Charlie Brown. 

3. 
   Houghton123 | Oct 14, 2007 04:34am | #4

   Are you talking about clapboard siding, in which each board is tapered in section?   Or rustic-type lap, in which the boards are shiplapped and patterned in some way (there are dozens of variations in rustic), and, at least in California, nailed twice, once at the top and once just above the shiplap at the bottom?  If clapboard, I defer to Shep's advice, clearly based on experience.

   If rustic, what I do is cross-cut out the damaged sections, similarly to Shep's advice (I use a circular saw set VERY shallow and held VERY firmly until I'm about to cut adjacent boards above or below, then finish with a keyhole or similar saw and sometimes a chisel or utility knife).  Then rip the siding in a couple of spots with the circular saw, avoiding the nails.  If you've got a channel-type rustic, where the nails are an inch or so below the top edge, make one cut just above the nails.  Now gently destroy the nails and remove the wood.  The top bit will come out from under the shiplap once you cut the paint loose.

   Warning in replacing rustic on old houses: the old siding can be 13/16" or 7/8" thick.  If you're very, very lucky, you'll be able to find 3/4", but 5/8" is more common.  Plan to be ripping shims, and pay close attention to the relationship of upper to lower shiplap.

1. 
   rez | Oct 14, 2007 04:38am | #5

   and yer even a better lassie.