I’m installing Hardie fiber cement siding. I’m installing 7-1/4″ siding, using blind nailing, and those metal gauges that let one person hang the siding.
I’ve put up 6 rows of siding and have noticed a problem. The siding doesn’t lay against the previous row. There’s a small but noticeable (if I look up from underneath) gap. If I press down on the siding, it will flatten up against the piece under it, but it springs back as soon as I let go.
The only thing I can even think of that might be causing this is the gauges I’m using to hang the siding. They hold the bottom of the siding out a bit, and I’m thinking that this is causing my gap at the bottom.
Has anyone ever run into this problem? How can I stop this from happening? If it is the gauges, I don’t know how else I could install this stuff by myself.
Replies
i've done 4 house in fc.didn't use the gauges you are using and had the same problem. at first i was going in and face nailing about every 32".but quit that and just let it gap,seems to get a little better after it hangs or i get use to it. this is my only bitch about face nailing hardiie. if you find a secret let me know. larry
hand me the chainsaw, i need to trim the casing just a hair.
ok, so do you caulk the gap?
I have heard no from painters.... "the paint will blow off"
straighten this out for me if anybody can...
thanks
aaron
No! Do not caulk the gap! If any water ever gets behind there, it needs to be able to get out ASAP!
I talked to someone from Hardie this afternoon, and he pointed out two things that could have been causing my problem.
First, he told me to make absolutely sure that I wasn't countersinking my nails. I was, slightly, so I readjusted my gun so they were absolutely flush.
Second, he said to make sure that I'm nailing 1" from the top. Since I'm lousy at judging distances, I was nailing more like 1/2 to 3/4" from the top. So, I made myself a little gauge and was more careful to put my nails in the right spot.
After I made these two changes, the next course was much better.
Glad that fixed it. I'm planning to use FC on my house next year, so these tips are useful!
You need to hit studs, when you don't you get the little gap.
That one I got right. I drew vertical lines on the housewrap and checked after I nailed up the first couple of courses (the walls are still open on the inside).
That's interesting. I'm not sure if there's something different in the brands, but I have a neighbor who's using Certainteed. I went over and looked at his house this morning, and everything is laying perfectly flat. I know he used these overlap gauges, because he was the one who told me about them.
I'll talk to him and see if he had this problem.
No wall is perfectly flat. You will have to put in face nails or screws at the bottom on some of the pieces. No big deal, just countersink them slightly and fill the divots with spackling.
I use Gecko brand gages for Hardi plank siding and have no problems at all. With that siding I had a 5 1/2" reveal and nails we just high enough to be covered. Perhaps you are nailing too high and it's putthing upward pull on the siding?
I just hit those areas with galvanized finish nails, small hole bada bing bada boom, smear chalk with thumb move on.