Starting LP Siding

As with many things if you skimp on your preparation the finish product will proclaim it. Before I begin nailing the siding I have marked the locations of every stud and plumbing pipe location so as I know where I can and cannot nail. I also have taken the laser out and marked a line showing the location of my first strip of siding, which is a 1&1/2” strip of 3/8 “siding or exterior grade plywood if there is no rainscreen but it there is a rainscreen then I use 3/8 Sturdi Strip and then the plywood or strip of ripped siding on it. This is done so that the first strip has the same degree of angle as do the rest. I also make sure that I have a minimum of 6” between the bottom of that starting sheet of siding and the ground. This is to prevent the ground moisture wicking up into the siding and causing it to rot away.  The number one enemy of your home is water.

This is one of the reasons I like the idea of the rain screen. I like the air flow which it creates because air naturally travel from hotter to cooler areas, or from higher pressure areas to lower pressure areas. When this happen, the wall must not be as hot as it would be if the sun where able to just beat down upon it. The content flow of air must cool down the wall some and the air flow also dry’s the back of the siding of what ever water is able to get in.  This small space 3/8” helps prevent the water from accumulating and therefore it walls to the Strudi Strip and then onto the ground.

Because of this I also primer and paint the back of My LP siding. I also primer and paint every cut edge and I flash my seams where my but joint is made. Just today I discovered an new tool I ordered for installing L P siding it is called a Simple Sider and it gives many quick references and also provide an accurate gap gauge. This along with my gecko siding gauges will help the task move smoothly. Nevertheless, I still snap the lines to ensure my siding is spaced correctly.

I nail in the top 1” of the siding and I adjust the gun of it is flush or a little proud of it. The flashing is also painted to match the siding to allow for the expansion and shrinkage that the weather condition will bring about. I like to use spruce 2 X trim that is rough-sawn or combed. I also install this before the siding. I use 2X 2 in interior corners and a marry a 2X4 with a 2×6 to create the outside corners, which I plumb so that my siding doesn’t grow or shrink as I side up the wall.

My starting line is shot for all walls before I start the process of going up the walls and my 3/8 rip strips are also primmer and painted so they last longer.  If you have an employee, it is nice if they can be trained to be good cut men so you can be feed and the work progresses quickly. A good cut man will use the last piece of siding in most cases to determine how to cut the next and he will have resealed them as required for installation.

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.