Replacing Wood Siding With Fiber Cement

Homeowners and homebuilders praise the material for its durability and low upkeep cost.

Replacing wood siding with fiber cement.

Homeowners have used wood siding for centuries but fiber cement siding is a newer alternative that has its own set of characteristics. The product continues to be a popular choice for home exteriors as an alternative to wood and vinyl siding. Fiber cement siding has become one of the most popular and alternative options to conventional wood siding in recent years. Fiber cement lap siding is heavier than wood and requires a special diamond tipped blade or a tungsten carbide saw blade to cut.

Add new wall sheathing if the current one is damaged. Homes with old wood siding need to be painted frequently and can be vulnerable to rot issues. Blind nail the fiber cement siding in place starting with the bottom piece. Now many homeowners are choosing to replace their worn out wood siding with a more durable low maintenance building material that has much of the same aesthetic james hardie makes it easy to compare wood siding to the benefits of our fiber cement siding especially when it comes to these six attributes.

Use a pry bar to remove the damaged siding. Fiber cement siding is a type of composite material made up of wood fiber cement sand and other proprietary components that are molded into various shapes and textures such as wood stucco and brick. Fiber cement siding that looks like wood 1. Attach freize board and sheathing before the fiber cement shake panels image 1 go up you ll need to put up the fascia board.

To remove and replace damaged siding. If your repair includes the very bottom tier of siding add a spacer strip the thickness of your siding along the entire bottom edge to mimic the angle of your overlap. Rustic natural wood homes are a big draw in some areas but they can be difficult to maintain. When it s time to replace your home s exterior siding two of the most popular options you ll encounter are wood and fiber cement.

While homeowners used wood siding for many decades a few decades ago fiber cement was launched. Learn about the advantages and disadvantages of both materials and make an educated decision about the right type of siding for your home. Face nail the top. Fiber cement generally costs slightly more than vinyl siding at 3 to 4 per square foot for materials.

Cedar siding can run 5 to 7 per square foot. Fiber cement may be a manmade material but the way that it s formed gives it the appearance of a natural wood grain. Remove any nails from the top piece of good siding. Neither wood siding or fiber cement are the cheapest options in home siding.

Common fiber cement siding repairs. You should also keep in mind that the maintenance required with cedar siding adds thousands to the overall cost. Environmentally friendly and attractive well maintained fiber cement siding lasts 50 years or more.