Siding Tips

            When I do the siding on my projects, I use a vapor barrier that allows me to use it as the rain shield. Personally, for the few dollars more in expenses I spring for the 3/8-inch exterior plywood and cut the 1 ½ strips for nailers over the studs. I cap my verticals with screening but remain open to trying new marketed materials.  I read and study then choose the materials I will use on the project. My statistics class embedded in my mind that everything can be shown through the aid of a bell-curve. Products have infancy’s, teen years, adult hoods, and declining years. I read to understand which product to purchase and how to properly install the chosen product.

During the framing phase I am a stickler for plumb and level. When installing the siding it pays off. If window heights are all over the place it screams at you eye and makes the project look cheaper. This is also true to areas where tile will be installed. (The Smaller the tile the more critical it is to establish the lines of plumb and level throughout your project.)

Think about the pros and cons of the system you will be installing. DO they truly make sense in the long run. I do not usually purchase anything without comparing it to other products. Therefore, a pushing salesperson is a caution flag to walk away from.

If there will be raw lumber involved I primer and paint it with the first coat of paint before installation. I also paint all six sides of the bulk material then I only need to primer and paint the cut pieces before installing them. When trimming in your siding plumb all corners so that the cuts are consistent. Most products today require a 3/8-inch space between for expansion and then calk. I use a stiff piece of plastic to scrape and help hide my calked joints.

This is a project which is faster with two people:

• One cuts the pieces
• The other calls out and installs

I use the siding leveling devices which hold the other end in the proper position so my reveals remain constant. I also look ahead so that I can adjust my reveal to get a more aesthetically pleasing look around trimmed in objects.

My starting strip is painstakingly installed level as is the first course of the siding itself. This makes the rest of the siding on that face go smother.

I look around the corner to keep my line constant of the project. A little math and the blends disappear but no math and the blends seem unnatural or unplanned and un professional.

I also understand that there will be no exact match between dissimilar materials in color choices. I make sure the owners know this also. Re fogging an existing home to allow the ADU (Additional Dwelling Unit or Mother-in-law suite) to compliment it is not unreasonable but it is not free also.

I take my time to customize the details for it are those little things done which show the quality of your craftsmanship. I screw in the siding over plumbing walls to insure I do not tap into the plumbing with my fasteners. It may take a bit longer to follow these rules but it helps to make finding the next project easier.

Note: Images on this blog site are from a free source or taken by the author. No image or group of photos is intended to represent the people the author serves. The author does not care about Race (that is a politically correct term that he does not like because we are all of the same Race, the Human Race. He prefers the term ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender, marital status, disability, genetic information, national origin, source of income, Veteran or military status, ancestry, citizenship, primary language or immigration status.) He is a service provider for all people. We will all rise together when we band together and help one another. Joseph Erwin is a Real Estate Broker, DRE # O2131799, and a CA general contractor # B 696662.  He resides in Southern California.