Cement Board Siding
We have had experience with several different types of cement board. We
used Nichiha cement board shakes on this project, which by the way I
like. As in any application you should always refer to the
instructions given by the manufacturer, but I can give you some
pointers or suggestions that we have been using successfully.
As with any siding installation, you want to have the proper
house and window wrap behind the siding. With our application we
used LP SmartSiding 5/4" x 6" for our corners and window wraps.
Everywhere the siding met the trim, we back-caulked it. In other
words we caulked the trim to the Tyvek. If the home is built in the
fall or winter and a finish coat will not be put on the siding until
spring, I think this gives the joints a good protection for the
winter. We also caulk on the face of the siding as well. Every piece
of siding we cut is also repainted. A lot of guys don’t like to do
this but we like to reseal the siding. I don’t want moisture issues
with the siding down the road. With this particular house we didn’t
have a lot of pieces that met in the field, but when they did, we
could always flash the joints with aluminum. You still should caulk
the joint prior to finish paint, but this way you have permanent
protection behind this joint. We have a Hitachi air gun that we nail
a 2 ½" ring shank nail through the siding, but honestly, I prefer a
roofing gun and a 1 3/4" nail. I’m sure this is not recommended, but
if you hit the stud with the nail, which we do, it is harder to pry
off a piece of the siding when nailed with the roofing gun verses
the
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Hitachi. It has a lot to do with the size of the head on
the nail. Obviously we are blind-nailing the product. We also face
nail with a trim gun where the siding meets the corners and windows
and at the joints. Finally if you look at the picture, we have a band
board that perimeters the house. We always flash the band board
and then Tyvek tape the flashing. I can’t stress enough the
importance of proper flashing and protection of the house.
Cement board is time consuming and requires some definite
carpentry skills. If you are going to install the product don’t
be afraid to ask some questions from someone who has installed
the product or talk to the supplier about installation pointers.
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