Do it yourself if you already have the experience and skills
As you prepare to replace your siding or install fiber cement siding on a new house, first, ask yourself if you’re ready for the job. While labor accounts for a large portion of costs in your siding installation expense, this is a challenging project requiring advanced skills, tools, and, preferably, previous siding installation experience. If you checked yes on all of the above, you can definitely make some room in your budget by going the DIY route.
Installing fiber cement siding takes an arsenal of tools and supplies. You want to gather everything you need well in advance before starting this DIY project. The most important purchase is choosing from the types of cement siding. Most homeowners are considering Hardie board vs. cement board, but take your time deciding as you'll spend decades with your choice.
If you have a two-story house, there are safety issues to consider. You'll be working on a ladder or may need scaffolding. If you're not confident with heights or working on a ladder, it's best to leave this project to a professional siding contractor.
No matter how many stories your home is, you'll need some assistance with installation. Installing fiber cement siding is also a two-to-three people job, therefore, make sure you have a few families and friends who know what their way around siding installation is to call for help.
If you're upgrading your home's siding, the first step is to remove the old one. Start from the top and work your way down to remove your home's old siding. Use a pry bar to remove siding and nails from the exterior. Dispose of siding products.
Installing a house wrap material over the external sheathing is essential for optimal insulation and to reduce the risk of water entering the home. Instructions for cutting, hanging, attachment, and sealing must be followed in accordance with the house wrap material chosen. For these types of sheathings, staples, and sealing tape are typically used. The procedure will vary when applying the wrap to different materials, such as concrete blocks, so make sure to refer to the product instructions.
If the wall is constructed with wood framing, utilize chalk lines to mark all of the studs' locations. Do this by unrolling and snapping vertical chalk lines that are spaced accordingly, usually at 16 inches apart. Utilize a stud finder to verify the exact positions of the studs. If the wall is composed of a non-wood material, such as concrete blocks, this step can be omitted.
To divert water away from your windows or doors, attach metal flashing to the top edge of the trim. Select a flashing material that is appropriately sized and shaped, and attach it with caulk and nails. Galvanized or stainless steel nails can be used. For a newly built home with recently fitted windows or doors, the manufacturer may have specific directions for the flashing installation.
When measuring fiber cement, take 0.125 in away from each end to allow for slight expansion in fluctuating weather conditions. If the wall being covered is larger than the siding pieces, multiple pieces will have to be joined together. To ensure proper alignment, these pieces should be measured to meet in the middle of a framing stud marked on the house wrap.
Use a circular saw to cut fiber cement pieces. For clean-cut lines, cut the boards upside down. Ensure you wear protective materials such as eyewear and a mask as the material produces a lot of dust during this process. You will want to wear ear protection as well due to the sound of the saw.
Attach vertical trim pieces to your house wrap and sheathing using galvanized or stainless steel nails and a hammer. You can choose to use a nail gun if you prefer. Fiber cement siding should be fitted with trim from the same manufacturer for corners.
Cut each piece to size, minus some wiggle room, ensuring the nails penetrate 1 inch into the wood framing. When attaching fiber cement to non-wood walls, such as concrete block, use specialty screws per the manufacturer’s instructions. Prior to the installation of two adjacent pieces of trim, a thick bead of caulk should be placed along their connecting ends. When the entire trimming is complete, a thin caulk line should be added to all vertical edges of the trim.
For the lowest siding course, nail wood lath strips along the framing studs with galvanized or stainless steel nails. Begin 0.25 inches from where the bottom of the fiber cement siding should be, and then draw a level horizontal line with chalk.
Install a strip of wood lath that is 0.25 inches thick and 1.25 inches wide just above the line. This strip will angle the siding outwards, aiding in the dispersal of water. Set the lowest course of fiber cement siding no lower than 6 inches from the ground level in order to ward off moisture absorption.
Create a horizontal reference line on the wall, signifying the top of the base layer of the siding. To ensure the pieces fit, measure 7.75 inches from the bottom of the lath and mark this point. The additional 0.25 inches will be used for the siding to overhang the lath.
Have a partner position the first siding course against the chalk line while you secure it to the wall's framing studs at 1-inch intervals. This process, known as blind-nailing, involves placing the nails flush with the surface of the siding but not below it. Use galvanized or stainless steel nails and attach with either a hammer or nail gun.
Working from the bottom up, install fiber cement siding in a horizontal lap pattern overlapping the previous course. Use a blind-nailing technique while attaching each piece of siding. Leave a gap, as specified by the manufacturer at any trimming location, such as around doors and windows and along the edges of trim. Once the siding has been installed, seal the vertical gaps between it and the trim with caulking.
Painting your siding should take place within a few days of installation. In cases where the fiber cement comes pre-primed, simply touch up any areas that have the primer removed due to scraping or scratching with an exterior-grade acrylic latex primer.
Painting primed siding can take place within six months of installation with 1–2 coats of paint, although it's ideal to paint as soon as you can. If the fiber cement isn't pre-primed, apply a full primer coat before adding 1–2 coats of paint. It is imperative that both priming and painting occur to ensure that the fiber cement is protected from the elements.
If you have prior DIY experience working on the exterior of your home and plenty of time on your hands, tackling fiber cement siding installation is doable, as long as you have some help. The cost savings are significant, as a major cost factor of a siding installation is labor. Fiber cement siding cost ranges between $4 and $6 per square foot.
The cost of labor for installing fiber cement siding adds $2 and $8 per square foot on top of the cost of materials. For a 2,000-square-foot home, you could spend $10,000 for DIY compared with double that amount by hiring a professional.
However, installing fiber cement siding on your own comes with risks if the installation isn't completed properly. Aside from being aesthetically pleasing, siding helps protect your home's structure. If there are errors in installation, you risk damage from weather and outside elements. Fixing these issues in the future could prove more expensive in the long-run, so ensure you're confident you can get the job done well.
If you don't have experience, knowledge, or time, it's best to hire a local siding contractor to handle this project. Even with the increase in cost, it would be worth it to ensure the project is completed accurately and timely.
While some tasks associated with installing fiber cement siding can be done by yourself, the overall installation cannot be done with just one person. You will need at least two other people to help with the task, specifically in holding the siding in place while affixing it to the home's exterior.
Additionally, having more people can reduce the time it takes to complete the job. There are quite a few prep tasks to be done, and the process moves more quickly if more than one person takes it on.
The most common problem associated with fiber cement siding installation is the health risk posed while cutting the material. Fiber cement siding emits a large amount of dust while cutting it and it generates respirable crystalline silica. This silica is a known human carcinogen and inhaling too much can lead to health issues such as COPD or lung cancer. For this reason, wearing protective gear is essential.
Fiber cement siding is an incredibly durable siding option and can last for up to 50 years. To get the maximum life out of the siding, proper maintenance is required, which includes painting. It's generally recommended to repaint fiber cement siding every 10 years. Luckily, maintenance for fiber cement siding is rather minimal, though you do want to avoid using pressure washers or harsh cleaners.
Generally speaking, the thicker the siding, the higher the quality. Thicker siding provides a stronger resistance against extreme weather conditions. Thicker siding also tends to fade more slowly under the sun. Hardie boards, a popular fiber cement siding option, is usually 5/16 inches thick. Meanwhile, masonry-finished cement siding varies from 5/8 to 5/8 inches thick.
