Setting your Borders the Key to Straight Results
Now that the house is prepared we can begin the siding process. There are a few basic things that make the difference between a professional looking job and a house that looks like its wearing baggy clothes. Applying the siding the right way the first time will always result in a better job then having to come back and rework the wall later.
First we need to check the plumb of the walls on the house taking extreme care to check any problems at the corners. Using a plum bob attach a nail to the top portion of the house then check the distance from the wall at the the bottom.
The Corner Moldings that we are installing can give you a little play but anything more then 2 inches may point to a structural problem. In the best situations the home should be plumb to under a 1/4 of an inch. If necessary you may need to add a shim to the corners to get them plumb.
Corner Moldings come in 2 styles an inside corner and an outside corner. To apply them to the home you will need to use a 4 to 6 foot carpenters level and you should nail each precut nail hole to the wall with the proper length roofing nail. Roofing nails have a large head and come in 1 to 3 inch lengths. On new construction you can use a 1-1/2″ nail on older homes to get into the framing you may need a longer nail. If you have applied exterior insulation the size nail you use will be dependent on the thickness of the insulation and you may need special fasteners when insulation is involved.
You should attach the top of the molding to the wall and then work your way down checking with the level for plumb.
Starter Strip
Once the Corners are set you will need to install the starter strip. This is a piece of molding that accepts the bottom lip of the first piece of siding. Some Installers will save time and money by only using J-Molding around any opening and also as the starter but if you use J-molding instead of a starter strip you risk water building up in the channel and being forced behind the wall into the sill plate. If your contractor installed J-Molding you should drill holes in the bottom of the molding to allow water to drain. The amount of water that can be shed off of a wall in a strong storm will be in the area of thousands of gallons. Not fixing that problem could cause flooding of your basement.
The Starter Strip must be level around the house for this reason setting the level line is often done with a laser level. On new homes you can expect the foundation to be level and at the same height around the home but on older homes you can expect variances in the foundation due to settling. You must factor in your decision to match the siding to the foundation based on the seriousness of the settling.
If the foundation is out of level up to 6 inches from one side of the home to another point you could end up applying the siding in a level manner and then having it still look weird along with window and door openings being skewed or slanted looking. Siding should not be used to hide structural problems so those problems should be cured before you start your work or a bad outcome will be the result.
With a level line set at the foundation you can apply the starter strip.
You should use a piece of siding placed against the house to set the distance down from the sill plate that you want your siding to overlap the foundation. Then nail in the starter strip every 6″ along the run.
Doors, Windows and J-Molding
J-Molding is used around window and door opening to accept the siding. It is also used in soffet installs under your roof overhangs and around special items like your Electrical Service Meter. Some vents and other items like your outside electrical outlets and lighting fixture mounts may come with their own built in J-Channel Molding and in some product lines the manufacture will provide a series of moldings that can be used for various situations.
For the most part though if your house is older you will have to do some minor adjustments to existing door and window openings and use different types of J-Channel Moldings to hide the ends of the siding.
Applying the moldings can be performed either before the actual siding starts or during the process depending on the objects you will be working around.
New Windows will often come with a Siding Kit or a built in channel to accept Vinyl Siding so if you are replacing your windows and doors ask before you order.