Best Way To Nail Cedar Siding

If all the siding is tight it was installed wrong and should be redone.

Best way to nail cedar siding.

Wider siding should be face nailed using two nails per piece. In general each piece of siding must be nailed independently. Repairing minor defects in cedar siding step 1 use a putty knife to apply exterior wood putty to smaller cracks or holes in siding. Play at both ends so if it s nailed properly loosely you should be able to slide it 1 4 to 1 2 in.

Stainless steel nails are the best choice especially if the siding is to be finished with transparent stain. Reach under the board with a pair of needle nose pliers and grip a shank. Nail placement depends on the siding pattern and width the key is to fasten the siding securely without preventing it from moving in response to the moisture content in the air. Place nail just above the overlap.

In horizontal application start at the bottom and work up with the groove edges facing downwards. Best type of nails even though they are more visible than finish nails you need common nails which have heads to prevent the siding from backing off the wall when it gets wet and begins to. Use no 304 stainless for general siding applications and no 316 for seacoast exposures. Nails must penetrate 1 1 4 inches into solid wood.

Siding up to 6 inches wide can be blind nailed with one siding nail per bearing toe nailed through the base of each tongue. They can rust and disintegrate and react adversely with the natural preservative oils present in cedar resulting in stains and streaks. Work the putty down into the holes and smear the putty over the top and edges of the defect. Manufacturers require about 1 4 in.

Copper nails also react with cedar and should not be used. Siding should be fastened to each stud or furring strip with nails spaced at a maximum of 24 in. Bevel siding should be face nailed to studs with 1 1 4 inch penetration into solid wood using one nail per piece spaced at a maximum of 24 inches on center. If the overlap of the two pieces of siding is 1 1 4 inches then the nail for a piece of siding should be 1 3 8 inches above the bottom edge.

Type size and spacing for best results use splitless siding nails. Simply go outside grab the lower edges of a siding course and try to slide it back and forth photo 1. Where possible the bottom of the board that is placed across the top of the windows should coincide with the window cap.