Finishing a house with siding– certainly a profitable and practical solution. Sheathing is made from a wide variety of materials, so it is not difficult to find the ideal option for a brick, wood, or concrete structure. Installation is extremely simple and accessible to any novice builder. And, finally, the material is durable and resistant to wind, frost and sun, and will protect the walls of the house from damage for a long time.
The last note in favor of siding is decorativeness. The finishing is done in all imaginable colors and textures, and can imitate natural materials - stone, brick, wood of various species. If you have the skills to work with construction tools, then covering the exterior walls of your house with siding will not be a difficult task for you. The material in this lesson will help you, and the video below will help you understand all the intricacies of finishing the facade.
Types of siding
Siding refers to a cladding board or panel. To decorate the outside of the house, products in the form of lamellas are used. Panels are used to cover the base, and sometimes the façade.
Sheathing is made from various materials.
- Plastic siding - based on vinyl and acrylic polymers. The price of plastic finishing is minimal, while the user qualities are very high: the material does not rot, does not crack, is insensitive to moisture and does not support combustion. It is readily used for finishing both outside and inside the house. Its disadvantages include low impact strength.
- Metal - panels are made of galvanized iron sheet, less often of aluminum. The fire safety of the material is absolute, the strength is much higher. However, the panels are much more massive and more difficult to install. Metal siding resists corrosion very well as long as its polymer coating remains intact, so the exterior steel coating needs to be maintained.
- Wooden - finishing a house with exterior wood siding is rarely done. The material is expensive, requires maintenance and is not as durable as metal. However, its unique heat and sound insulation qualities, ability to remove moisture and amazingly beautiful appearance are worth all the effort. For a wooden building, this is an ideal option for exterior cladding. The photo below shows the finishing of the facade of the house with siding.
- Fiber cement - combines all the positive qualities of finishing: completely non-flammable, insensitive to moisture, strong, durable and not susceptible to mold or fungi. Its disadvantages are weight and complex installation. Vinyl and metal panels are connected to each other using the tongue-and-groove method. Fiber cement ones are laid overlapping using special fastenings.
Decorating a house with siding yourself is a painstaking, but fairly simple job.. Considering that the installation price per 1 sq. m is quite high, independent installation significantly reduces the cost of finishing the facade of the house with siding.
Preparation and preliminary calculations
The sequence of actions is almost the same for any type of material. The installation of the basement has some differences due to the size of the panels. To install siding on the outer surface of the walls, you will need the following tools: a universal hacksaw with fine teeth and metal scissors, a screwdriver, a hammer, pliers, a tape measure at least 8 meters long, a level, construction rope and a pencil. It’s good if you have a partner to help you with your work.
Before starting work, it is necessary to calculate the material consumption. The approximate amount of material is obtained by calculating the area of the walls, plinth and other elements - cornices, for example, and dividing the result by the length of the panel. A more accurate method requires creating a sketch. If the wall is long, the panels have to be joined together. For this, a connecting H-profile is used. Joining siding in different places on the façade looks extremely unsightly. The sketch allows you to calculate the optimal location of the panels so that there are fewer connections and the cost of finishing the house with siding does not increase.
After purchasing the necessary material for cladding the facade, the outer surface of the walls is prepared. In the simplest case, their preparation comes down to cleaning them from dust, dirt, plants, dried lime and the like. If the exterior of the house has been plastered and the finishing has become unusable, it must be removed. It is also necessary to dismantle drainpipes, façade lights, window sills and other external elements that may interfere with work.
If the house is finished with siding with insulation, the outside walls must be covered with a vapor barrier film (vapor barrier) that protects the insulation from condensation.
Frame installation
After the walls are prepared, the installation of the frame begins. Metal sheathing is definitely recommended for brick and concrete buildings as it is durable, strong and fire resistant. Finishing siding on a wooden house involves constructing a wooden frame. In this case, the sheathing is made from boards or slats with a cross-section of 50×80 millimeters, nailing them to the wall with nails 100 millimeters long.
For wall siding, vertical sheathing is installed. When facing with plinth panels, both horizontal and vertical frames are used.
The elements closest to the corner are secured first. Verticality must be checked with a building level. Fastening is done with anti-corrosion nails (galvanized or aluminum). The distance between the guides is at least 40 cm for metal panels and 30 cm for vinyl panels.
When cladding a façade with insulation, the height of the sheathing must exceed the thickness of the heat insulation layer. The heat insulator material can be different:
- mineral wool or fiberglass;
- basalt mats;
- Styrofoam;
- penoplex and so on.
The thickness of the insulation is selected based on the properties of the material and the requirements for thermal insulation of the building outside, which can be found in the reference book. The heat insulator is placed between the profiles. There should be a gap of 1–3 cm between the insulation and the siding. If the profile height is insufficient, then a counter-lattice is built on top of the frame. The insulation is covered on top with a waterproofing film, such as isospan.
Facade finishing technology with siding
Finishing the facade of a house with siding begins with securing the starting strip using galvanized nails or self-tapping screws. Next, the corner elements and the connecting H-profile, if provided, are installed. Window and door openings are edged with J-profile.
Next, the siding panels are installed. The wall panel is installed in the starting and corner strips and fixed with nails or self-tapping screws. The siding panels are assembled from the bottom up. Each subsequent one is joined using the tongue-and-groove method with the previous one and only then is attached. A correctly installed panel can be moved by hand left and right. Rigid fixation should not be allowed. Rigid fastening is permitted only when installing metal panels. When fixing vinyl and wood, a gap of 1.5–2 mm remains between the head and the panel. The material changes in volume under the influence of temperature and moisture and is damaged if fastened tightly.
The siding produced for exterior decoration of the house has special holes on the fastening strip. The nail (screw) must be placed in the middle of the hole.
Lastly, the finishing strip is secured. The last finishing panel is inserted into it from below. After this, all facade structures are mounted back in their place.
How houses look after they are finished with siding can be seen from the photographs presented.
Siding allows you not only to protect the outside of the house from wind, high and low temperatures, but also to decorate it. Sometimes the decision on finishing is made not in order to protect the façade material, but out of a desire to restore the attractiveness of the old building. Moreover, if the original color is not satisfactory, or, as in the case of fiber cement panels, is missing, repainting the siding is not difficult.
Particularly beautiful are the plinth panels that imitate various natural stones. For greater effect, designers combine panels of different colors to decorate the base and façade itself. In the video, the exterior decoration of the house with siding is presented in more detail.
The outside walls of the house are constantly subject to destruction by wind, sun and rain. It becomes less cozy inside after a few years. The question arises of protecting the facade and basement, how to cover the house with siding. Thanks to the finishing, the outer walls are better preserved, remain dry and do not become moldy. Metal siding can give the building any look you choose. An old brick house turns into a fairy-tale hut made of timber. The wooden building creates the image of an ancient stone fortress. The installation technology is accessible to any craftsman who is accustomed to working with his own hands. Properly done cladding will maintain comfort in the house.
Do-it-yourself house siding
The easiest way to create the exterior of a home is with siding.
Vadik and I have many elderly relatives who need our help. Once again we met with him to cladding old houses. Siding is best suited for this. The panels can be mounted with or without insulation. The ventilation gap helps moisture escape from the walls. Correct installation of exterior cladding protects the facade from wind and rain and extends the life of the walls without repair. Simple technology is available to everyone, and covering a house with siding with your own hands depends only on the desire to do it beautifully and correctly.
When choosing siding for the house, we took into account the wishes of our aunts. Manufacturers produce panels that imitate various surfaces and materials. You can sheathe the house under:
- brickwork;
- rounded log;
- wild stone;
- polished marble;
- processed sandstone and dolomite;
- plaster;
- timber walls;
- lining and other types of boards.
The installation technology and fastening of the panels are the same. The installation of sheathing differs only in the material of the walls outside the house and the presence of insulation. For the foundation, it is better to choose thicker stone panels. Then the structure will acquire a visually strong foundation. Plinth slabs are stronger and shorter in length. They can cover entire walls. But this is an extra burden on the foundation of the house and the wallet.
Siding is mainly made from:
- galvanized metal sheet;
- aluminum;
- vinyl;
- acrylic
I want to cover my house with aluminum panels. They are non-corrosive, strong, lightweight and durable. This type of cladding is not suitable for aunties because of the high price. It is better to choose metal siding finishing for them. It is resistant to UV radiation, and microcracks do not form on the surface, like vinyl. Acrylic protects well from the wind, is the cheapest, but does not tolerate severe frosts.
Metal siding can completely transform your home. The choice of drawings is large. Each manufacturer produces dozens of types. It’s easy to choose, you just need to know what the house should look like externally. Then it is better to calculate the number of panels and additional elements.
Siding on a frame house can be attached without sheathing
Exterior finishing of the house with siding
Covering a wooden house with siding is possible only after it has settled, more precisely 3 years after construction. Vadik and I decided to be the first to sheathe a frame house. It had been standing for many years, the outside was made of wood. Insulation was installed in the wall during construction.
The choice was made with the expectation of starting with something simpler. After which, having acquired the skills, you can sheathe brick buildings. Finishing the siding of a wooden house was the last in line, as the most difficult.
It is correct to begin any finishing work by checking the deviations of the planes vertically and horizontally. The frame house had deviations within 5 mm. Only one wall was slightly concave. We strengthened the timber racks on it. The fastener was coated to prevent rust from forming. To create cold bridges, the screws were screwed into dowels. The wood was impregnated with protective compounds before covering.
On smooth walls, siding was screwed directly to the wooden surface with self-tapping screws. The slots in the panel were oblong and larger in size than the fastening rod. The heads were screwed in with a gap. The tree breathes even after shrinking.
We make siding on brick and plastered walls
Finishing a house with siding
We made brick and plastered walls using the same technology. I will give examples of how we turned these houses with metal siding into wooden cottages. Using a block house, we created an imitation of a log house. Installing the sheathing is not difficult, you can do it yourself. It's better to have a friend as a helper. He helps to correctly calculate the amount of material, feeds the panels and helps with fastening. Together we were able to sheathe the outside 3 times faster.
- We walked around the perimeter of the house, cleaning out all the peelings and sealing the cracks. At the same time, the vertical position of the surfaces was checked.
- Cleaned of dust and coated with primer.
- We marked the vertical posts at a distance of 50 cm. After that, it remained to calculate the amount of timber or metal profile.
- We attached the starting strip horizontally to the foundation and at the bottom of the wall. The openings were lined with profiles.
- It is better to do vertical siding on the gable, so the strips were attached horizontally to sheathe the siding perpendicular to them.
- We laid expanded polystyrene between the skins, placing it on glue.
- Cover the surface with a fabric that allows air to pass through and retain moisture.
- It is better to cover the base with stone-like metal siding first. Then install the sills and fasten them to the horizontal beam of the wall.
- Installing the panels took a little time. Vadik supplied strips of metal siding, I fastened them with self-tapping screws.
For the walls we decided to choose a dark oak colored house block. The pediment is covered with pine boards.
Attention! You can combine siding of only one size, choose different patterns or colors. In this case, it is better to use the appropriate type of panels for the base and walls.
After that, they sheathed the bottom of the roof and installed the ebb. We installed corner extensions and closed the passages and starting bars. For complete illusion, we placed decorative elements in the form of intersecting logs in the corners.
The cladding of a log house requires special attention
We cover the house with siding
When the turn came to the log building, Vadik looked at the relief surface of the walls and asked how to cover a wooden house with siding. The frame and brick façade had a relatively flat surface. The technology for sheathing logs differs in the preparation and fastening of the sheathing. Finished walls continue to deform throughout their service life. The choice of type of fasteners and timber for sheathing should be made taking into account this feature of the material.
Finishing the siding of a wooden house begins with cleaning all defects and checking deviations from flatness. Unevenness should be within 12 mm. Then, before covering it with siding, you need to impregnate the wood with protective compounds. There are various types of mixtures available for sale against moisture, mold, and rodents. The best choice is one based on natural plant resins and waxes. You can calculate the consumption by the area of the facade plus 10% for beginners with Vadik’s experience, and 5% for me, a professional.
After that, a vapor barrier was installed. The sheathing was installed level. For this purpose, I brought a laser device that simultaneously indicates a horizontal and vertical line. Otherwise, the metal siding will not meet at the corners or will be skewed and quickly collapse.
Advice! For self-installation, use a plumb line and check the flatness of the cord sheathing along three lines horizontally and diagonally.
The best choice for a wooden house is timber lathing
Decorating a house with siding yourself
Wooden walls change their size not only due to temperature changes. Air humidity is of great importance. Therefore, the best choice is a lathing made of wooden beams. Holes for long black screws are made 1 mm larger than the outer diameter of the thread. It is advisable to drive dowels into the wall so as not to create cold bridges with the heat-conducting metal.
Self-tapping screws are attached to the center of the longitudinal holes on the perforated strips of panels. Compensation washers are placed under the cap or a gap of 1 mm is left.
To give a building a stylish, aesthetic appearance, finishing material such as siding is becoming popular. For its installation, you can, of course, use the services of professional builders. However, the price of construction company services is quite high. Therefore, if you have the right tools, you can install siding yourself. For the owner of a private house or cottage, this is especially true.
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You've certainly seen the perfect lawn in a movie, on an alley, or perhaps on your neighbor's lawn. Those who have ever tried to grow a green area on their site will no doubt say that it is a huge amount of work. The lawn requires careful planting, care, fertilization, and watering. However, only inexperienced gardeners think this way; professionals have long known about the innovative product - liquid lawn AquaGrazz.
Essential power tools
The process of finishing the facade of any task with siding will be facilitated by the presence of the following tools:
- Hammer.
- Hacksaw and metal scissors
- Cordless drill (screwdriver).
- Construction level (length – 2 m).
- Marker or pencil for marking.
- Roulette, at least 5 meters long.
- Rope.
- Construction corner.
- Electric carry.
- Punch.
Of course, it is not enough to have the necessary tool; you also need to be able to use it correctly. The step-by-step instructions below for covering the facade of a house with siding with your own hands will help you avoid most mistakes. However, before you begin facing work, you should understand what siding is and what materials it is made from.
Siding and its varieties
It is no secret that the quality of any finishing work, including installation of siding, will depend on the material used. Siding is a covering material made in the form of lamellas (plates) or slats. The plates are used to finish the walls and facade of the house, and basement siding is used on the lower floors. This type of facing material is made from raw materials such as:
- Plastic. It is based on polymers made of acrylic and vinyl. The popularity of such material is difficult to overestimate. Despite the low price, it has a number of advantages. Such siding will not rot, because... it is resistant to moisture, it does not crack, it is resistant to fire. Plastic siding can be used both for finishing the house outside and inside. The disadvantage of this material is its low resistance to mechanical damage.
- Metal siding. As a rule, galvanized iron or aluminum is used for manufacturing. This cladding material has maximum resistance to fire and deformation. The disadvantages of metal siding are its weight, and as a result, more labor-intensive installation. In addition, if its polymer coating is damaged, the siding will be susceptible to corrosion. Therefore, covering a log wooden house with metal siding requires special care. The condition of the metal coating should be checked regularly.
- Wood siding. Homes with wood siding on the outside are quite rare. This type of cladding material is not as durable as metal and requires constant maintenance. Wood siding also has a very high price. However, all its shortcomings are offset by excellent thermal insulation, aesthetic appearance, soundproofness, and moisture resistance. Remember that open fire is extremely dangerous for wood siding.
- Fiber cement siding. This material has all of the above advantages. It is absolutely resistant to fire, mold, and moisture. However, it also has a significant weight, so its installation will be difficult. For example, if plastic or metal siding is installed using a tongue-and-groove method, then fiber cement siding is installed only with an overlap and only with the use of special fasteners. Basement siding made from such material is in demand.
Finishing the facade and walls of a house with siding with your own hands is a simple, but very painstaking job. When starting work, calculate the amount of material required. Do not forget that siding is used for the base in the form of slats, and for the walls and facade in the form of panels.
Preliminary calculations. Preparatory work
The approximate amount of siding required for finishing work on a house is determined based on the area of the walls, facade and other elements outside the house. In other words, the area of the walls and facade of the building is divided by the length of the siding panel. An accurate result can be obtained using a sketch of the building. Finishing long wall surfaces with siding will require joining joints; this will require an H-profile. Keep in mind that joints made in different places spoil the appearance of the house. A high-quality sketch of the decoration of the facade of the house allows you to calculate the installation of siding yourself with the least number of connections, while maintaining an acceptable cost.
Before installing siding yourself, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work to prepare the walls outside the house. To do this, you will need to remove dust and dirt, lime and remnants of other finishing materials, etc. from the surfaces to be sheathed. If plaster has been applied to the façade and walls of the house and has become of poor quality, it will need to be dismantled.
In addition, all external elements that interfere with the installation of siding will need to be removed from the walls, these include gutters, cornices, and window sills. For a wooden building, it would be a good idea to check the walls for the presence of fungus and mold.
If you plan to lay thermal insulation materials under the siding, you will need a vapor barrier film. It is used to protect insulation from condensation.
First stage. Frame
Installation of siding is carried out on a pre-prepared frame with your own hands. Metal or wooden materials are used for its manufacture. It is worth noting that metal sheathing has the advantage of durability and strength. In addition, the metal frame is better fixed on uneven surfaces. It is much more difficult to play around with machine defects using a wooden frame.
The profile is attached to the wall using hangers, and the distance between them should not exceed half a meter. This installation method allows you to set the profiles using a building level, despite the unevenness and imperfections of the walls.
If finances are limited or installation of metal sheathing is impractical, use a wooden frame.
For such sheathing, it is prohibited to use material that is flaking, deformed, or has traces of mold or rot. This is especially true for a wooden log house.
The frame is mounted on smooth, prepared walls. Siding panels are mounted horizontally on the facade of the house or its walls. Accordingly, sheathing bars or metal profiles are installed vertically. The guides are attached to the wall of a wooden house using nails or self-tapping screws. If the base is made of concrete, monolith or brick, you should use a hammer drill and dowels. Each rail or profile is set according to its level.
If, along with the cladding work, external thermal insulation of the walls is also planned, the lathing for siding is installed after all work with the insulating material. In this case, two frames will be installed: for siding and for thermal insulation. It is important that the sheathing slats are parallel to each other.
Method of working with siding
Regardless of the material from which the building is constructed, after preliminary work, do-it-yourself siding installation is carried out in the same sequence.
Work on finishing a brick, monolithic, timber, or any house begins with installing the starting panel and fixing it with nails or self-tapping screws. The next step is to install the H-rail, if provided, and install the corner fasteners. Window blocks and doorways are designed using profile J.
Starter profiles and guides must be installed flawlessly, and the step-by-step instructions serve as a guide for novice finishers. The first steps look like this:
- Initially, you need to use a level to find the bottom point on the frame, and, stepping back 5 centimeters from it, make a mark. This is done using a self-tapping screw or nail.
- Consistently, moving around the house, we screw in the screws as marks. Starting profiles will be installed in these places. Do not forget about the marks in the corners of the building.
- We stretch the construction cord between the corner screws.
- We apply the boundaries of the profiles installed at the corners to the frame slats. To do this, we apply the profile to the sheathing, and, using a pencil or marker, apply marks to its edges.
- Adhering to the cord, we make a horizontal gap of six millimeters from the corner profiles and mount the starting guide to the profile or sheathing slats.
Don't forget to leave a gap of 10 millimeters between the profiles.
This is necessary to compensate for temperature differences. A gap of six millimeters should not be made if you remove part of the nail strips in advance, and they will not rest against the J profile when there is a temperature difference. The initial profiles should only be mounted horizontally. Don't waste your time on this. Otherwise, it will be extremely difficult to correct the subsequent distortion of the siding.
External corner profiles
Do-it-yourself installation of these elements is carried out in the following order:
- We mark the soffits; it is important for us to know where their edges will be.
- We take the guide and apply it to the sheathing; leave a gap of three millimeters between it and the soffit (roof). Then we fix the guide using self-tapping screws, but its lower edge should be six millimeters below the starting profile.
- Checking the vertical installation. If there are no defects, we fasten the bottom and other places. Do not overuse fasteners in corners.
If the height of the building exceeds three meters, the profile will fit one on one. To do this, the top profile will need to be trimmed. This is necessary so that there is a gap of nine millimeters between the connecting elements.
The profiles must be connected at one level and on one side of the building. If basement siding protrudes, the profile needs to be trimmed so that there is a gap of six millimeters between them.
Internal corner profile
The methods for installing internal corner profiles are practically no different from the methods for finishing external corners. The space between the corner and the soffit should be three millimeters, and the lower edge of the profile should be six millimeters below J of the profile. If basement siding or other element protrudes from below, the profile will need to be trimmed.
Finishing window and door openings
Many novice finishers experience difficulties at this stage. The openings can be flush with the wall surface, they can be recessed, or they can protrude. The most common openings are those that are at the same level with the wall. The instructions for finishing such an opening look like this:
- We protect openings from precipitation.
- We install platbands on the openings (for each opening, two vertical and two horizontal ones are used).
- We join the profiles.
Installation of main siding panels
Do-it-yourself work on decorating the facade of a house with siding always begins with the most inconspicuous part of the building. This allows the installation technology to be developed with minimal losses.
- The panel is mounted in the corner profile and fits into the lock of the starting guide.
- The panel is fixed to the frame.
Subsequently, the panels are mounted using H-profiles or overlap one another. Installation of the remaining panels is no different from fixing the first one. When approaching the opening, the excess will need to be removed. Don't forget to check the horizon of the panels every three levels using a level.
To furnish the lower part of the house, basement siding in the form of slats is used; you should not use ordinary panels for these purposes.
In addition to its decorative functions, siding protects the house from precipitation, winds, and when laying a thermal insulation layer, from temperature changes.
Siding is one of the types of building materials for wall cladding. With its help, you can completely change the appearance of a private house at low cost, if the house is still good, but already quite old. In addition, finishing and siding are used for the outside.
Layed on top of the insulation, it not only hides it, but also improves the entire exterior of the house. It is for this reason that many home owners decide to make such changes to the appearance of their home. Step-by-step instructions on how to cover your house with siding yourself will help you do all the work correctly.
A little history
This type of cladding was invented by our Pomors. For hunting, durable, light vessels were needed. It was in shipbuilding that this type of ship plating was used. Actually, the word siding itself is translated as plank. Northern peoples adopted this technology to insulate their homes, lining their houses with planks. In addition to insulation, this technology made it possible to speed up the construction of houses on the northern coast, and was very popular among Russian pioneers.
Nowadays, siding is made from modern building materials:
- Vinyl;
- Metal;
- Cement (fiber cement siding);
- Tree.
Various types of siding allow you to completely change the appearance of a private home without significant financial costs.
Preparation for sheathing
Preparatory work for covering a house with siding is not very difficult. The entire building will need to be carefully inspected and several measurements taken. If sagging of masonry mortar is visible, you just need to knock them down. Either drive the protruding nails back or remove them altogether. If possible, small protrusions more than 6 mm in height should also be eliminated.
Inspection
When inspecting the house, it is also necessary to identify unevenness of the walls, base, corners, window openings and other architectural elements - in general, wherever siding work is planned. It is better to carry out such measurements using a long standard metal rod, cord and tape measure. Deviation from the plane is permissible no more than 12 mm. In local places – no more than 6 mm.
Simply put, if the entire wall is not rectangular, but diamond-shaped, then the difference in diagonals should be no more than 12 mm. The same option, but for a window or door – 6 mm.
The general unevenness of the entire wall (pediment, cornice, plinth) should not exceed 12 mm.
Over time, the building may sag on one side and tilt. The inclination of a wall or the entire building is checked using a plumb line. Deviation from the vertical is allowed no more than 25 mm. If the slope of the entire building is greater than permissible, then it is already in a pre-emergency condition. If it is not eliminated, then further work on siding is simply pointless.
Preparatory work
After checking the geometry of the building, a set of preparatory work is required. Platbands, drains, grates, etc. are removed. If you find cracks in the walls, near window and door openings, seal them either with polyurethane foam or simply with cement mortar. If you find: broken plaster, peeling paint, areas covered with mold - thoroughly clean such areas. Treat wooden walls with any antiseptic.
Tools and materials
Before starting work on siding your house, make sure you have a full set of available tools:
- Electric screwdriver and screwdriver;
- Hammer;
- Roulettes (laser tapes are easier and more convenient to work with);
- Construction level;
- Stairs.
How to cut boards
When cladding a building, part of the finishing panels is used entirely. But in some places you will have to make extensions from the same material. Depending on what material will be used for cladding and siding, the tool for cutting the panels is also selected.
For vinyl
- Electric jigsaw with fine-toothed blade;
- Bulgarian;
- Sharp Cutter;
- Universal;
- Hacksaw for metal;
- Shoe knife.
Metal siding
- hacksaw for metal;
- metal scissors;
- electric circular saw with pobedit teeth.
Advice! The use of an angle grinder (grinder) is accompanied by heating of the metal siding at the cut site, damaging the protective top layer.
Material
If you want to do all the cladding work yourself, in order to purchase all the necessary material, you can simply contact a large hardware store. The seller simply needs to describe in detail the area of the walls, the number of windows and doors, etc., and he will calculate and select the necessary set of materials for the job.
And in order to control the quality of the product, you need to know what characteristics the material for covering a house with siding must meet:
- Same thickness throughout the entire panel.
- The presence of special markings on the inside of the panel is mandatory. This marking carries all the necessary information on the material: color, batch number, production date. If there was not enough material for covering during the work process, you can always purchase more, focusing on this marking.
- The quality panels have a hurricane lock. It is made in the form of a bend on top of the panel and is located above the holes for fasteners.
- A sure sign that a company cares about its image is the presence of additional elements and accessories included with the materials.
- All products must be provided with certificates and warranties. The minimum warranty period for coverage must be 50 years.
- Responsible sellers will definitely include instructions for installing siding with the purchased product.
Installation of sheathing
First, markings are made. Straight lines are drawn on the walls of the house so as to create a closed contour. To make the line horizontal, a horizontal level helps. At the corners of the house from the horizontal line, it is necessary to take measurements with a tape measure to determine the minimum distance to the base. When the minimum distance is set at this level, the string for the contour is pulled. The starting bar will be mounted on it.
The next stage is the installation of elements of vertical metal guides from the installation horizon, starting from the corners. The distance between the vertical slats is 35-45 cm. Additional guides are made near windows and doors. The main condition is that they should not intersect anywhere.
This is necessary to ensure that air constantly circulates under the siding, preventing the formation of mold.
For walls made of brick and concrete, the guides are made from a special profile. For log walls, slats with a cross section of 60x40 mm, treated with an antiseptic solution, are used.
Waterproofing and insulation
If the sheathing is installed on wooden and aerated concrete walls, waterproofing must be installed.
Insulation of walls with mini-slabs is carried out at the request of the house owner, but a moisture-and-windproof membrane must be installed in any case. If there is no insulation, the film is attached to the wall of the house. If there is a layer of insulation, a layer of waterproofing is attached on top of it. Since a gap for ventilation between the insulation panels and the siding is required, a sheathing is constructed on top of the insulation layer.
Guides
Now that the insulation is in place and the sheathing is ready, it’s time to install siding accessories, such as:
- external and internal elements at the corners of the structure;
- strips for window and door openings;
- ebbs on the base of the building and windows.
The basement drainage is fixed at the intended level under the lower siding strip so that the upper edge runs along the line. The corner elements are attached rigidly to self-tapping screws at the very top of the outer hole. The subsequent screws are screwed into the middle of the slot in increments of 50 cm.
Advice! If the profile is not enough, it can be built up with another one, overlapping with the previous one with an overlap of five centimeters.
Window framing begins with the installation of the ebb. It protrudes beyond the window opening by 8-10 cm on both sides. The side window strips are installed on this protrusion. From below, the ebb is held in place by a j-profile. After installing the siding, the window design is completed by installing the trim.
The process of edging a doorway is almost identical to that of a window.
Installation of panels
The process of installing siding panels is somewhat similar to a LEGO set. Each element is connected to the other in turn. The first row from the bottom is attached to the first (starting) bar with light pressure until a click appears from below. At the top, through the slots, they are fastened with self-tapping screws in the center, so that the siding moves into them without visible effort. Fastening is carried out from the center to the edges of the building, in increments of 40 cm.
All subsequent panels are attached in the same way, rising from the foundation to the roof. The topmost row ends with a finishing strip.
Basic installation rules
- Be sure to avoid rigid fastening of siding panels. It should be remembered that the material itself has the property of shrinking in the cold and expanding in the summer. Therefore, the screw is screwed into the center of the hole so that there is a gap of 1 mm between the screw head and the plate.
- Maintain a 10 mm gap between the slats and the guides. This will prevent the siding from being damaged when it expands in hot weather.
- Facing a house with siding can be done in any weather, but it should be taken into account that in frost the material becomes brittle and therefore requires more careful handling during installation.
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I have the following problem. The house is old, and it is simply necessary to insulate the corner room; in winter it is cold, damp and there is mold on the walls. There is not enough money to cover the entire house, so we decided to start from this place. This is an extension, and not made very well. Deviation from the plane is about 20 mm. So far we have decided that horizontal cladding will show all the shortcomings, and vertical cladding will hide it, but we doubt whether this is so.
The question arose before winter of covering the house with siding. Since I am not a builder myself, I encountered this for the first time. I read a bunch of different tips, websites that tell you what to do and how to do it. But I haven’t been able to find anyone who can put it all in concrete terms. I came across this article. I read and understood everything very carefully. What, how to do and what will be needed. As a result, I bought beige metal siding and got to work. Since I was on vacation, my friend and I did everything quickly. It’s good that the house is recently built, so all the corners and walls are even. There were practically no difficulties. The result is a satisfied wife and a beautiful home. Thanks for the article, it turned out to be very useful.
Walls and corners, especially those of a log building, need maintenance. They must be insulated from the outside. Let's consider how to cover a house with siding with your own hands in combination with insulation measures. Let's say a few words about the features of finishing a garage or other outbuildings.
Why was siding created?
This building material is in great demand. It is unpretentious in maintenance, it is not afraid of the vagaries of the weather, and the slabs themselves are light in weight and easy to install. This is a convenient way to decorate a shed or garage. But why do they cover houses, schools and kindergartens with them? This is because the rise in electricity prices has affected everyone, and kilometer bills are becoming increasingly difficult to pay.
What to do? Naturally, it is necessary to insulate houses and it is better to do this outside, especially if there is not too much living space. Almost all insulation materials are susceptible to exposure to sunlight, excess moisture and other natural phenomena, and some cladding materials, such as natural wood, become wet from rain.
Siding panels do not have these disadvantages. They will perfectly protect the walls and the insulation attached to them from the negative influence of the weather. Vinyl, metal and other types of siding are used to cover not only houses with and without insulation, but also garages, warehouses, sheds and other utility rooms, because their walls also need protection from the vagaries of the weather. Sometimes only the facade of a building is decorated, because this material also copes remarkably well with this function.
We are sheathing a shed or garage - why metal?
We will look at detailed instructions on how to work with the most common type, vinyl siding, a little below. Moreover, many panels are needed for the walls and facade of the house; it will be somewhat cheaper than other materials. But a garage or shed can be sheathed with metal. If possible, then it is better to purchase polymer-coated material. It will be more wear-resistant, and its service life reaches 50 years. Another undeniable advantage is fire resistance, which is so important, especially if it is necessary to decorate the walls of a garage or warehouse in which flammable substances are stored. In addition, due to their excellent strength, such panels are in demand for cladding shops, gas stations and even factories.
Having made the necessary calculations and purchased the material and components you like, you can begin installation work. We remove all elements from the walls of the garage so that they are as free as possible. Then we clean them of dirt and, if necessary, prime them. Next, we assemble the frame from the profiles, maintaining a distance between cells of at least 60 cm and no more than 1 m. Do not forget to leave a technological gap for ventilation, 5–10 cm is enough.
Since this type of siding has a long service life, the frame should be made only from galvanized profiles. Do not use wooden slats for it; they will rot much earlier than the cladding material becomes unusable. And if, for example, you have a wooden shed (often these utility rooms are made of timber), then such lathing will also allow you to level the surface.
You need to wear gloves when working, otherwise you can get hurt on the sharp edges of the planks, and you should wear safety glasses when cutting the panels. Metal strips are assembled in the same way as plastic ones, from bottom to top. At the bottom there is a starting bar, and at the end there is a finishing bar, and during their installation a gap of 5 mm should be maintained. To protect the insides of the facade from precipitation, you can stick a special sealant on the frame around the openings, and then press it with metal sheets. In all other respects, the process of covering a garage, warehouse or shed occurs according to the instructions described in the next paragraph.
How to work with panels correctly?
To protect the walls, and especially the facades of stone and wooden houses with insulation, by covering them with siding, you will have to spend a lot of time, since there will be a lot of calculations and fittings, because we decided to decorate the house with our own hands.
How to cover a house with siding yourself - step-by-step diagram
Step 1: Calculations
Absolutely any construction work begins with preparation, because this is the key to speed and quality of the result. First produced. It is best to schematically draw the building and indicate all dimensions (walls, facade, window and door openings, etc.). Next, remembering our 5th grade math lessons, we perform basic calculations. Openings are subtracted from the total area, but if there are few of them and they are small in size, then this action can be ignored. Then you will buy a little extra cladding material, and you will have the opportunity to replace damaged panels in the future.
Step 2: Selecting Material
Siding differs in color, material, size, there are many configurations and, of course, the main parameter is the quality of the product. The vinyl version is in great demand for cladding facades or private buildings along the entire perimeter. The slats of this hard plastic are very strong and durable. Other advantages include durability and ease of maintenance. Simply wash the coating and it will be as good as new. A huge range of colors and a variety of designs will allow you to choose a material to suit every taste. When choosing a product in a store, inspect all the elements. Defects are unacceptable; panels over the entire area must be the same thickness. The presence of a special lock against hurricanes and double-sided painting indicate good quality. Ask sales consultants to present a certificate for the product.
Step 3: Tools and Supplies
Having purchased a set of vinyl, wood or other siding with which you are going to cover the building yourself, you can begin to prepare the tool and better select it depending on the type of house - whether you built it from timber or brick, made it with or without insulation. We will need profiles, corners and components. If the latter did not come with the panels, then they should be purchased separately. Also prepare a building level, a corner, a hammer, a long tape measure and a pencil. It is convenient to cut the panels with an electric saw, but you can also use metal scissors. Don’t forget the hammer drill; without it, the installation of the sheathing cannot be completed, especially when the house is not made of timber, but something harder. When selecting fasteners, make sure that they are not afraid of corrosion, because we are talking about outdoor work.
Step 4: Surface Preparation
We dismantle all removable parts, these include drainpipes, canopies, trim, shutters and other elements that may interfere with work. There are especially many of them on the facade, so you can start from this part of the house. Having freed up the area as much as possible, we proceed to the walls. If they already have any protective coating, this should also be removed. Next, check the plane being processed with a level. The difference should not be more than 15 mm, otherwise the unevenness will be noticeable even after cladding.
If you are going to sheath a wooden house (for example, made of timber) or a log barn, then be sure to treat its walls with a primer, which will prevent them from rotting. Reinforced concrete and stone surfaces are coated with special antiseptic agents, often used in garages. If the weather outside is rainy or high humidity, it is better to postpone the work until later, since the surface to be treated must be completely dry.
In the fall, store the panels in the house or other warm room, since being in the cold, they become excessively fragile, which will complicate installation.
Step 5: Installing the Sheathing
You can attach protective material without a frame, but this will significantly deteriorate the quality of the work, so it’s better not to be lazy and make a sheathing. Construction profiles are perfect for it, but the use of wooden beams is allowed (profile approximately 50x50). There are just a few reservations about this kind of sheathing. It is desirable that the length of the beam be greater than the height of the building. And if you still decide to give preference to natural wood, make sure that it is dry, otherwise the frame will move over time, this will be most noticeable on the facade, where there are many joints and transitions.
We start installation from the left corner. We install each new batten perpendicular to the supporting strip in increments of about 35 cm. Be sure to tie all openings with the supporting profile and leave space for communications and external lighting. The profiles are mounted on special fasteners-hangers. There should be at least 4 of them per 3 m long rail. Under one hanger we drill two holes directed towards each other, hammer plastic plugs into them and install the fasteners, fixing them with self-tapping screws. Be sure to check the vertical and horizontal of the “skeleton”; for this we need a level with a plumb line.
Foundation sheathing
Now we come to the most exciting issue - attaching the protective strips. The lower part of the house is sheathed with plinth panels, which are characterized by increased strength. Next, retreating 10 mm from the basement siding, a starting strip is installed on the wall. It is mounted to vertical posts using self-tapping screws. Use a level and keep an eye on the horizontal, because the overall appearance depends on how correctly this element is positioned. Don't forget about the corners; the panels can be placed on top of each other. If there are window openings, then connecting profiles should be mounted in their center.
Step 8: Installation of panels
Next, everything is quite simple. The planks are easy to cut with a grinder; it is advisable to use thin discs. Each row is inserted into the previous one from bottom to top. Constantly check the level for horizontal position. The panels are fixed with special self-tapping screws and press washers. The fasteners are screwed in strictly in the middle of the perforation, and it is better to underpress them a little (by about 1 mm). Be sure to pay special attention to the panel joints. The planks should not be offset relative to each other.
Step 9: Door and Window Openings
Siding will also serve as an excellent material for framing houses. If you want buildings covered with these plastic panels to have an original appearance, which is especially important for the facade, you can experiment with colors. For example, it is beautiful when the frame around the openings and the plinth panels are several shades different from the main color. Sometimes the bottom is made dark, and the framing elements, on the contrary, are chosen white. Special J-shaped profiles are installed around the openings, and the resulting frame is sheathed with near-window strips. Finally there is a special finishing strip.