Siding is a dry type of exterior finishing and is suitable for most types of residential and commercial buildings, especially those made of foam concrete and sandwich panels. Its light weight will not put a significant load on the foundation, which is why such cladding is also used on old wooden houses.
The growing popularity of siding is explained not only by its low price, but also by its durability, because it will not crumble like plaster over time, easy maintenance, excellent protective properties and a wide selection of shades and textures. The undoubted advantage of siding is that you can give a modern look to even an old house with your own hands, significantly saving on the services of builders.
Tools and materials
Before covering your house with siding, you should check the availability of the following tools:
- or a fine-toothed saw, metal scissors,
- screwdriver and screwdriver,
- hammer,
- tape measure, square and level (a laser tape measure will greatly simplify the work),
- a stepladder that is high enough to reach the roof of the house.
Siding manufacturers offer a full range of elements and panels for covering a house, even with a complex configuration. As a rule, the buyer should indicate the area of the walls of the house and their dimensions, the type of roof and the number of windows, and the seller himself will calculate the required number of certain parts; a schematic plan of the house from the outside will facilitate this process.
Knowing some points will help you control or check the calculation. So, the components for installing siding include the following elements:
- External corner - the height of this element is 3 m, and if the house is one-story, it is worth using entire elements for each external corner of the house; if the height of the walls is more than 3 m, then sum up the length of all external corners in meters and divide it by 3, taking into account that there should be a margin for margin when joining. Corners are used not only for decorative purposes, but also due to the fact that the ends of the siding must be closed.
- Internal angles are calculated using the same principle. If the roof eaves are finished with siding, internal corners are also used in the areas where it connects to the wall. In cases where the finishing of the cornice was done earlier or will not be done at all, use a finishing strip.
- To finish the cornice, elements such as soffits and wind boards are used.
- The required length of the starting strip is equal to the perimeter of the house minus the width of the doors and gables.
- In areas connecting extensions, height differences and roofs of different levels, a J-profile is used.
- The perimeter of the windows is covered with a window strip; it must be taken with a reserve so that the joining points are not visible. Also, to frame the windows, flashings are needed, which also should not have visible joints.
- A drain strip or ebb sills are installed around the perimeter of the base if its width of 40 cm is not enough.
- If the length of the house wall is more than 3.66 m - the standard length of siding panels - the connection is made using an H-profile. It is necessary to think about the location of its installation so that the proportions of the building are maintained.
- The number of siding panels themselves is approximately calculated using the formula: “((area of all walls of the house – area of windows and doors)/panel area)*1.10”. A reserve of 10% is needed to cover scraps and waste.
- For installation, it is preferable to use galvanized self-tapping screws 25-35 mm long, since their use makes it easier to maintain the recommended gap of 1 mm. For 1 sq.m. Approximately 2 self-tapping screws are consumed, they should also be taken with a reserve. If possible, then you should choose self-tapping screws with a rubberized head, which will definitely not leave rusty stains after a few years.
Preparatory work
Before covering with siding, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work. First, all protruding parts are dismantled: doors, trim, grilles, etc. Seal or foam all the cracks in the walls, around windows and doors. The walls of an old house are cleaned of dirt and dust, chipped plaster and paint, mold and rotten areas. Wooden houses are treated with antiseptics and antipyretics; walls made of foam concrete can be treated with a deep penetration primer.
Installation of sheathing
The first step is to install a sheathing made of metal profiles or wooden slats, since it is strictly forbidden to attach the panels directly to the wall. Galvanized profile is the only option for metal siding and for brick and concrete walls. As a profile, you can use a CD profile for drywall. If the vinyl profile is attached to a wooden or frame house, you can use 60*40 mm slats with a residual moisture content of 15-20%, treated with an antiseptic and thoroughly dried.
Using a tape measure and level, mark straight lines on the walls of the house so as to obtain a closed contour. Having carefully measured the distance in the corners of the house from this line to the base, they find the minimum, and, putting it down, draw another contour. Subsequently, a starting bar is installed along this line, and if it deviates from the level, the cladding panels will warp.
Then, using U-shaped fasteners, vertical guides are mounted, starting from the corners. It is necessary to ensure that they fit tightly to the wall, for which you can put pieces of wood or dense foam. The distance between them is 30-40 cm; in those places where the siding will bear additional load, for example, street lamps, as well as near corners, windows and doors, you need to add guides. The vertical guides should not be connected by anything so that there are no obstacles to ventilation, since the lack of air flow will lead to the appearance of mold.
Waterproofing and insulation
For wooden and aerated concrete walls, installation is mandatory, and a layer of insulation is optional. As a material, preference should be given to a water- and wind-proof membrane. If insulation is not performed, then the film is fixed directly to the wall of the house in order to maintain the distance necessary for ventilation of the siding. When installing an insulating layer, waterproofing is laid over it, and then the sheathing is rebuilt to provide a gap for ventilation.
Fastening the guide elements
Installation begins by installing the drainage system on the base, placing its upper edge along the previously marked line. It is a rigid structure and is easier to keep level than a flexible starter bar. Then a series of corner profiles. They must be firmly secured with self-tapping screws in the upper part of the first hole. Subsequent screws are screwed into the middle of the hole.
If it is necessary to increase the length, the upper profile should be laid overlapping the lower one with an overlap of several centimeters. Then, along the previously marked line, a starting bar is attached to the top of the drainage basin. It should be 5 mm above the bottom edge of the corner profile.
Window strips or J-profiles are attached around the windows so that the outer bottom edge is a few centimeters lower than the inner one. Door openings are edged with J-profiles. The corners of these elements can be filed at 45 degrees, or they can be overlapped, placing the top planks on the side ones.
When installing H-profiles vertically in pre-designated locations, a level is used. As when installing other vertical elements, you need to leave a gap of 5-6 mm to the cornice and base so that the planks do not bend when expanding. A finishing strip is installed under the roof or where the area provided for siding ends.
Installation of panels
When all the guide elements are installed, you can proceed directly to the installation of the panels. The first row is attached to the starting bar until the lock clicks from below; at the top, the panel is secured with self-tapping screws in the center of oblong holes every 40 cm. All other panels are installed according to the same principle, row by row rising to the roof or window. You should not pull the panel up and fasten it rigidly; it should move slightly to the sides. The top row of siding ends with a finishing strip.
What should you consider?
Rule #1. Under no circumstances should siding panels be firmly secured. The material from which they are made contracts when cold and expands when heated, length fluctuations can reach 1%. This is what causes the elongated shape of the mounting holes. The fasteners cannot be screwed or driven through the panel, but only into the center of a special hole, and the screw is not screwed in all the way, with a gap of 1 mm between the plates and the head. If this rule is violated, the siding may simply burst under extreme heat.
Rule #2. There should be a gap of about 10mm between the planks and the guides (less when installing in hot weather), so that the siding does not bend when it expands. When covering a house in the summer, it is worth protecting the material from the sun.
Rule #3. Siding can be installed at any time of the year, but please note that at temperatures below -10 degrees, elements may crack when cut, so you should be careful and use an angle grinder.
With the help of siding, if you follow the rules and installation technology, you can renovate your house and protect it from atmospheric influences for 30-40 years, this is exactly the service life that manufacturers promise.
If we talk about the simplest, fastest and relatively inexpensive way to decorate the facade of a house, then we will undoubtedly talk about vinyl siding, which, as if by magic, is able to eliminate all external defects of the building and give the facade a fairly decent appearance. It is this technology for manufacturing ventilated facades that we will talk about in this article, where, together with the website, we will study the question of how to cover a house with siding with your own hands.
Covering a facade with siding is in some ways comparable to walls with plastic panels - there is no significant difference, except perhaps for the frame. In all other respects these are almost identical technologies.
How to cover a house with siding yourself
How to make a frame for attaching siding panels
If you master the manufacture of metal sheathing for siding with your own hands, then you can say that you have completed 90% of all the work. But this will not be so easy - the frame for the siding must have increased strength and withstand all weather conditions. Let's be consistent and start in order.
First you need to make markings - you need to determine on the wall where the fasteners will be installed. This is done like this: strictly vertical lines are marked from each corner of the building at a distance of 20 cm, relative to which they will be installed. All other profiles located between them are marked with the same horizontal lines with a pitch of 600mm. It is better to mark the verticals completely from top to bottom so that they are visible along the entire height of the building.
The next step in assembling the frame will be the installation of brackets holding the profiles - on each vertical they must be installed every 80cm, starting from the very bottom of the walls. U-shaped brackets, depending on the material of the building walls, are fixed to them either with dowels or with self-tapping screws.
DIY vinyl siding installation photo
Next we install the supporting profiles. You need to start with the corners. Using a level, they are achieved in a clear vertical position and attached to the U-shaped brackets. These two profiles on each side of the house need to be given special attention - the integrity and uniformity of the plane of the future facade depends on them. All subsequent profiles are installed using a thread stretched between them to touch - this is the only way to maintain an even plane of the frame.
That's not all, now let's talk about the most difficult part (you are unlikely to find this information in the siding installation instructions). It needs to be done correctly - it is mounted from two ud profiles twisted together. They are expanded by horizontal bridges between the corner CD profiles and securely fixed with metal screws. The installation step of these jumpers should not be less than 60cm. Thus, having formed each of the outer corners of the building, we get a reliable base on which we can install vinyl siding with our own hands.
DIY siding installation instructions
There is no need to relax further, because the frame of the window and door slopes still needs to be installed ahead. Here the principle is the same as with external corners, only a ud-profile is used as one of the corner profiles, fixed along the perimeter of the window or door frames. The upper part of the slope is done last and its sides are tied to the side slopes.
Just in case, I’ll also mention the internal corners that sometimes appear on the facades of modern buildings. In these places, the frame is assembled as follows - first, a ud profile is attached to one of the walls, which is connected through horizontal jumpers to the adjacent vertical profile. Then another ud-profile is mounted vertically on the resulting horizontal jumpers and is connected in the same way by horizontal jumpers to the nearest vertical load-bearing profile of another plane.
Now we can say that the frame for the vinyl siding panels is ready, and you can start covering it.
Do-it-yourself lathing for siding photo
How to cover a house with siding yourself: installing panels
The hardest part is over, and you can relax a little, but not too much, since there are plenty of nuances in the process of installing panels. But first, the walls of the house need to be insulated. You can, of course, do without this stage of work, but it is better not to ignore insulation, since a warm home means not only your comfort, but also lower bills for consumed natural resources.
As a rule, a basalt slab is laid between the existing walls of the house and the metal frame - this vapor-permeable material will not cause any harm to the walls. To protect it from moisture vapor and condensation, insulation must be placed between hydro and vapor barriers.
Insulating walls before covering with siding photo
Installation of siding must begin with the installation of corner elements - they are almost the same as for plastic panels, only slightly larger. They are attached rigidly, without taking into account temperature deformation. At the junctions of different planes, they are simply inserted into each other or joined at an angle of 45˚ - such places are mainly found in the area of slopes.
DIY siding finishing
The so-called starting elements are attached directly to the windows and at the bottom of each wall - they are necessary to ensure a tight fit of the siding to. I completely forgot, if the length of the walls exceeds the maximum size of the siding strip, then it is also necessary to install a connecting element. I think you can handle it without further explanation - the main thing is to understand the importance of installing it at a vertical level.
How to cover a house with siding with your own hands photo
When all the corner elements are installed, you can begin covering the house with siding yourself. Everything is simple here - a panel cut to length (or solid) is inserted into the corner elements and attached to each of the profiles with special metal screws. These self-tapping screws differ from ordinary tex screws in the size of the head - it is larger and has a groove at the bottom for reliable clamping.
Attaching siding to the frame photo
By the way, about clamping self-tapping screws - here you need to understand what the coefficient of thermal expansion is and how it affects such a material. When heated from the sun's rays, the siding panel increases in size, which, when permanently fastened, leads to swelling of the material. That is why, after you have tightened the screw, you need to loosen it half a turn, thus ensuring free movement horizontally. For exactly the same reason, the siding strip should not completely fit into the connecting elements - there should be at least a centimeter of empty space on each side between its ends and the strip. Only in this case will finishing the siding with your own hands be done correctly.
As you can see, covering a house with siding with your own hands is not as simple as it seems at first glance - there are many subtleties, but you should not be afraid of them. The main thing to remember is that you are doing this work for yourself, and if something goes wrong, you won’t have to blame anyone. Therefore, try, and everything will work out in the best possible way.
Siding is a modern, promising, cost-effective direction in finishing buildings of various types. The main mission of cladding is protect external walls from damaging effects natural factors, as well as give them a special flavor and presentability.
Covering the facades of buildings with siding does not require much labor from the performers. The activity can be carried out using simple construction tools and fairly short terms.
Types of material
The materials used to create siding are: vinyl, metal, PVC, wood and cement.
If desired, masters can successfully create an imitation other popular materials for finishing houses. Depending on the main material, experts distinguish several types of siding.
Vinyl
Essentially, these are PVC panels that can successfully imitate cladding made of wood, stone or brick.
Advantages:
- affordable price;
- light weight structures;
- vinyl cladding will last more than 50 years;
- a huge variety of textures and colors;
- absence of toxic substances;
- resistance to deformation and disasters;
- operating temperature: -50–+50 °C.
In order to avoid possible deformation of the material, when installing units it is necessary to take into account the expansion coefficient.
Wood
If it is assumed that wooden siding will be used for cladding country houses, then it is additionally treated with special antiseptics under high pressure conditions.
Advantages:
- high level of thermal insulation;
- presentable;
- environmental friendliness.
Covering a building with wood siding is an expensive undertaking. Wherein this material requires special treatment and special care.
Metal
This cladding is made of steel, aluminum or zinc. For finishing country houses with metal siding it is preferable to use aluminum, which can be painted to resemble wood.
Advantages:
- strength;
- durability;
- lack of microflora;
- resistance to sudden temperature changes.
Metal siding is subject to deformation and corrosion processes.
Cement
The main production material is high-quality cement, to which cellulose is added. This type of cladding is able to qualitatively replace decorative stone.
Advantages:
- fire resistance;
- reliability and strength;
- resistance to moisture and ultraviolet radiation;
- ease of restoration;
- absence of rotting processes and mold formation.
The disadvantage of cement siding is considered high weight of the starting material, which complicates installation work.
Read also about facade panels for exterior decoration of a house.
Which siding to choose?
If timber or a solid log was used as a building material, then it is best to use vinyl siding to cover the erected log house.
PVC panels reliably protect the building from adverse atmospheric phenomena.
They are quite light, so do not create additional load on the foundation. Plastic panels are easy to install and clean. Such cladding will significantly extend the life of a wooden house and give it a unique appearance. Sheathing an old wooden house will give it a fresh look.
Wooden siding is ideal for covering a frame house. This type of cladding looks truly expensive and impressive. Sheathing installs very quickly. In this case, the panels can be installed both vertically and horizontally.
Excellent breathability and no toxic fumes– the main advantages of wooden siding. For cladding a frame house, experts recommend purchasing panels made from beech, spruce, pine or larch wood.
As for a brick building, when choosing a finishing material, you should take into account the purpose of the building. If this is an industrial building, then it is best to finish it with metal siding. It is better to cover a residential brick house with vinyl siding. He will allow you to successfully imitate other expensive materials.
To decorate houses made of foam blocks and aerated concrete, you can successfully use vinyl, metal, and basement siding. Ease of installation and excellent performance characteristics, the installed panels will help improve the facade of the house, it will look beautiful and stylish.
A high-quality frame for siding, where insulation is necessarily present, can significantly reduce heat loss and improve the waterproofing of the building.
Features of high-quality siding:
- Same panel thickness. This cladding will not deform and will serve the building owner for as long as possible.
- The presence of a uniform layer of paint. If the panel is unevenly painted, then most likely low-grade raw materials were used in the production process. Such panels cannot withstand mechanical loads, quickly lose their color and become deformed when temperatures fluctuate.
- Surface structure. There are no chips, stains or cracks on high-quality panels. They should not delaminate.
- Plastic. All cladding parts must demonstrate flexibility and strength.
- Availability of certificates. When purchasing material for cladding a house, feel free to ask for a quality certificate. The document must contain, certified by seal, expert conclusions that confirm the fire resistance and hygiene of the product.
How to calculate the required quantity?
A competent calculation of the amount of material required to sheathe a house or cottage will allow you to predict the total cost of the event and the time frame for completing the work.
To organize the calculation process must be prepared in advance: tape measure, calculator, sheet of paper and pencil.
At the beginning a schematic plan should be drawn up Houses. This will allow you to calculate as accurately as possible the required amount of materials and additional elements. So let's get started.
- Divide the facade into separate segments, determine the actual area of each wall, and then the facade as a whole.
- The area of door and window openings should be subtracted from the resulting amount.
- The actual metric characteristics of the ridge and roof will indicate the size of the overhangs. They should be hemmed with soffits.
- For proper installation of siding panels, it is necessary to determine the true number of platbands, window trims and other additional elements.
After completing all the calculations, you can independently determine the quantity of materials and the approximate cost of the cladding.
Since in the process of cutting and installing panels some amount of material will become unusable, when calculating the total area of the cladding to its total value It is recommended to add another 15%. Thus. You definitely won’t experience a shortage of material when cladding the building.
To correctly calculate the required amount of siding for a house, the surface area that needs to be covered with cladding, must be divided by the area of one panel. The required reserve should be added to the resulting value.
Additional elements:
- In order to determine the number of starting strips, the length of the gap sections should be added to the length of the building perimeter, and the resulting amount should be divided by the size of the profile.
- The number of external and internal corners depends on the configuration of the building.
- The number of window profiles is determined by the length of the perimeter of the recessed window openings.
- The number of finishing strips must correspond to the number of starting profiles.
- The number of J-straps is determined by the length of the front joints.
- The number of platbands depends on the parameters of the facade segments that need cladding.
How much does 1 m2 cost?
The total cost of siding a house determined by several factors, namely:
- surface area to be covered;
- cost of source material;
- the need to install fastening structures;
- complexity of work;
- installation of thermal insulation.
On average, 1 square meter of siding will cost the owner of an architectural structure approximately 200 rubles. Wherein the cost of all other work is considered separately.
Do you know how to cover the outside of a wooden house? Read this article about choosing the best material.
Is it possible to clad a building in winter?
Naturally, it is best to sheathe a house with siding during warm periods of the year. But, if this event has to be held in winter, then must be remembered several important nuances.
Because when exposed to low temperatures, vinyl panels may crack, then this type of cladding is not recommended for installation in winter.
As for metal siding, its panels should be installed with some clearance, After all, with warming, the material will expand. Since there is a gap between the panels and the insulation, owners have no reason to worry about condensation accumulation.
How to properly cover a house with siding yourself?
Since the technology for installing siding sheathing is quite simple, this type of work can be done independently.
When installing cement panels, it is necessary to pre-strengthen the foundation, this is due to their large weight.
Preparatory work
Walls and surfaces around the perimeter of the house must be get rid of mold, dirt, fungi, dust and moss. Places where such phenomena have been identified should be treated with special antiseptics.
The next step is carefully examine the walls of the building. If cracks or other surface damage is detected, they must be repaired with construction emulsion.
The area of the site needs to be cleared, and then a small canopy must be erected on it to protect power supplies and power tools from possible precipitation.
To work you will need:
- cross saw;
- pliers;
- metal ruler;
- roulette;
- screwdriver;
- hammer;
- level;
- knife-cutter;
- pliers;
- awl;
- protective glasses;
- hacksaw for metal.
Installation of sheathing
So that the siding design securely held by the frame, its creation must be approached as consciously as possible. If the project involves additional insulation of the walls, then the waterproofing should be placed under the insulation ball, and if not, under the sheathing.
First you need to determine the material from which the sheathing will be made. If you plan to install wooden or vinyl panels, then the frame can be either a metal profile or timber.
Other types of siding require the installation of metal sheathing. If timber was chosen as the frame material, it must be thoroughly dried and treated with an antiseptic. After these procedures, you can begin to assemble the sheathing.
First you need to mark the areas for installing fasteners. The first profiles should be installed in the corners. They must be perfectly smooth. Use a building level for control.
Next, you can mount horizontal beams below and above the surface you are sheathing. Once everything is ready, you can safely mount the remaining vertical elements along the entire surface plane.
The distance between the profiles should be about 30–50 cm. It is recommended to attach the lathing directly to the walls of the building with dowels, the holes for which are made with a hammer drill.
Wall insulation
In order to properly insulate the walls of a building, it is recommended to lay insulation (foam plastic, basalt or mineral wool) between the sheathing profiles. Choice of insulation depends on climatic conditions on the territory where the house is located.
If in winter the air temperature does not fall below -15 °C, then experts recommend using polystyrene foam. More severe climatic conditions require the use of mineral wool as insulation.
The insulation should cover with waterproofing film. It is attached directly to the sheathing. To do this, use a construction stapler. A counter batten must be installed on top of the waterproofing layer. This will create a ventilation space between the insulation and the panels.
Finishing
Before installing panels, you must secure additional elements structures (external and internal components, finishing and starting film, J, H-panels, water supply segments, window film).
First panel fixed on the starting film, after which, moving from bottom to top, the remaining siding segments are installed. The last panel must be secured to the finishing film.
Do not tighten the screws all the way. Between the surface plane and the head of the fastening element it is necessary to leave a gap of 1–2 mm. This will allow the material to expand without harming the siding structure.
So, covering a building with siding is an ideal, generally accessible way to ensure the presentability and durability of the building.
What mistakes can you make when installing siding? Watch in the video:
If you have recently built a wooden house or want to update the old walls of a long-built home, then siding is just what you need. Siding can not only significantly transform the walls of a wooden house, giving them an original appearance, but also protect them from harmful external influences caused by: temperature changes, rain, winds, ultraviolet radiation, etc. How to cover a wooden house with siding with your own hands and save on services installers? As part of the article, we will provide step-by-step instructions for covering a wooden house with siding with your own hands, and the video and photos in the article will help resolve some issues related to DIY siding installation.
How to properly cover a wooden house with siding with your own hands: detailed instructions
Finishing a wooden house with siding somewhat different from cladding, such as brick walls. The whole point is that sheathing on wooden walls is much easier and faster than installing it on brick walls with preliminary drilling of holes for dowels for installing and fastening the sheathing under the siding.
ON A NOTE! The price of covering a house with siding per square meter primarily depends on the material from which the walls of the building are constructed.
Leveling the walls of a wooden house for installing siding
No matter how well the builders try to erect the walls of the house, in any case, these measures are unlikely to be without errors. Just in order to smooth out the builders’ flaws before installing the siding, it is necessary to make a leveling sheathing from wooden blocks or a metal profile. It is the sheathing or subsystem that makes it possible to correctly attach the siding to a wooden house without much difficulty.
If we take into account all the technological nuances, then it is impossible to do without a leveling sheathing, since any type of siding be it vinyl or metal, basement or wooden, it requires a correctly aligned subsystem for high-quality installation. In addition, if you plan to insulate the walls of the house under siding, then it is not possible to do this without pre-installed sheathing.
ADVICE! It should be borne in mind that even with leveling sheathing, if it is not installed correctly when covering the house with siding yourself, you can end up with visually noticeable crooked walls.
The sheathing step for covering a wooden house with siding must be done as often as possible, thereby ensuring that the entire cladding is given maximum rigidity. The average pitch of the sheathing between the slats is 400-600 mm, however, you can make this distance smaller, for example 300 mm, but taking a pitch of more than 600 mm is not recommended, especially for vinyl siding, since PVC panels are very fragile and easily deformed when low or high temperature conditions and mechanical loads, such as strong winds.
Do-it-yourself insulation of a wooden house under siding
If you want to insulate the facade of a wooden house, then you should take care of this in advance. You need to decide on the type of insulation that is most suitable in your case. It is advisable to use insulation of the required thickness. So, for example, if the walls of a house are built from timber 180 by 180 mm, then it is better to choose insulation, for example polystyrene foam no more than 30 mm thick. And if the walls are no more than 150 mm thick, then it is better to choose a slightly larger foam thickness, for example 50 mm.
Insulation for the outside walls of a house under siding is used in a variety of ways, ranging from budgetary ones - polystyrene foam, slag wool, glass wool and ending with mineral wool, basalt slabs, polyurethane foam, extruded polystyrene foam, etc. It is quite common to insulate a wooden house from the outside with mineral wool under siding, and also using polystyrene foam.
Experts, based on their many years of observations, recommend using slab insulation when insulating the facade of a house rather than roll insulation, since it is slab materials that can stay in place for quite a long time without noticeable movement, which cannot be said about rolled materials. Rolled insulation is quite heavy and is mainly used for insulation on horizontal surfaces. Mounted on a vertical plane, it will certainly sag over time, leaving noticeable gaps which in turn will open up access to cold air.
Dowels for installing insulation on the walls of a wooden house are not needed, and instead of them, nails of the appropriate length and a plastic cap are used, which presses and holds the slab, preventing it from sliding down. See photo below.
Fasteners for insulation under house sidingYou can also attach the insulation to wooden walls using self-tapping screws of the appropriate length and plastic caps.
IMPORTANT! If polystyrene foam or expanded polystyrene boards are used as insulation, then the joining seams between them must be foamed with foam pre-installed on the mounting gun.
Vapor and wind protection films when installing siding on the wooden facade of a house
Installation of a vapor barrier is a necessary condition when covering a wooden house with siding. The film is mounted directly on the walls of the facade, that is, under the insulation. Taking into account the technology and physical laws, the installation of wind protection is simply necessary. The vapor barrier film protects the insulation from the accumulation of moisture vapor, thereby preventing its destruction.
Wind and hydroprotective film is a unique protective technology, widely used mainly in the installation of roofs and facades. The uniqueness of the wind-hydroprotective membrane lies in its ability to retain heat and not let the cold in from the outside. In addition, the membrane structure of the film is capable of “breathing,” i.e., providing the necessary ventilation under the skin.
A film is mounted, covering the insulation on the main sheathing, after which wooden slats of counter sheathing with a diameter of no more than 30x40 mm are placed perpendicularly on top of it, which in turn provide a ventilation gap that prevents condensation from accumulating under the sheathing. See photo below.
The photo shows how to correctly install an intro-lattice under the horizontal cladding of a wooden house with sidingCovering a wooden house with siding yourself in 5 stages
Installation of scaffolding
- The first thing you need to do when covering the facade of a wooden house with siding with your own hands This is to install scaffolding and stepladders if necessary, for example, in the case of tall buildings of 2 or more floors. To do this, the space around the house must be cleared at a distance of at least 2 meters.
- It is best to rent scaffolding for the required period. You can also build scaffolding from dry, strong boards. Dry boards with a length of at least 4 meters and a thickness of 40-50 mm can be used as flooring. No cracks or noticeable knots. It is recommended to install scaffolding for installing siding with your own hands first on one side of the facade, and after covering it, move it to the next side, and so on until the entire area of the facade of a wooden house is covered.
Preparing the facade for siding installation
- The plan for preparing the façade for siding involves dismantling utilities: electrical cables and appliances, plumbing pipes, ventilation hatches, etc.
- All loose façade elements must be carefully secured.
- Next, the walls of the facade of the house should be sheathed with an overlapping vapor barrier film.
Do-it-yourself sheathing installation
- After installing the membrane protective film, you can begin installing the sheathing under the siding. For the sheathing, a dry flat wooden block 30-50 mm thick, treated with antiseptic agents or a PP metal profile 60x27x3000 mm is suitable.
- When cladding the facade of a wooden house horizontally, the sheathing is installed vertically and vice versa. The pitch between the slats should not exceed 600 mm, ideally 30-40 mm for vinyl siding and 40-50 mm for installation of metal siding.
- The sheathing slats are fastened to metal profile hangers see photo below.
- A self-tapping screw for attaching the suspension to the wall is used with large rare wood carvings of at least 30 mm in length. See photo below.
- Fastening of the leveling lathing slats is carried out using self-tapping screws with a press washer no more than 20 mm long for a metal profile and a wood self-tapping screw no less than 30 mm long for fastening wooden beams.
ADVICE! The shorter the self-tapping screw for attaching the suspension to the rail, the easier and faster it is to screw it in. Therefore, try to purchase a shorter fastener.
Insulation of the facade of a wooden house
- Insulation for installation of siding panels is carried out after installation of the sheathing. Before installing the sheathing, it is necessary to select the optimal type of insulation based on price, quality and size. Only after the thickness of the material is known can the walls of the façade be leveled with slats.
ADVICE! Remember that the insulation should not protrude beyond the subsystem. Ideally, it should be flush with the plane of the sheathing or slightly sunk into it.
- After the insulation is secured, all seams should be foamed if necessary. Next, the insulated façade needs to be covered with a layer of wind-hydroprotection.
- At this point, the insulation of the walls of a wooden house under siding with your own hands is completed, and you can proceed directly to the finishing of the siding itself.
Installation of siding on a wooden house
- Installation of panels should be done from bottom to top. Knowing the length of the panel, you can install connecting profiles. Recommended clearances must be maintained throughout for vinyl siding. So, for example, you should not tightly screw the panel to the sheathing; the gap should be at least 1 mm. The panel should seem to slide slightly on the screws. At joints in corners and connecting strips, it is also necessary to leave a gap of at least 5 mm between the panel and the joining elements.
ADVICE! It is better to screw siding panels onto small screws or nails. For example, it is better to use galvanized fasteners that do not rust and, as a result, do not leave visible stains on the surface of the facade.
- The windows around the perimeter are framed with siding, and the slopes are finished with special PVC slope strips, included in the kit or selected separately. A metal sill is installed at the bottom of the window.
- Options for lining the roof eaves include the use of a soffit panel or siding. For this purpose, a j-profile for siding is used and installed along the entire length of the cornice, the length of the panels is measured, after which the soffits are cut and inserted into the fixing profile, after which they are screwed onto self-tapping screws.
Let's sum it up
Sheathing, finishing, cladding of a wooden house with siding- This is an excellent alternative to any other facade design option. Installing siding with your own hands on a wooden house only seems difficult, but in fact, if you arm yourself with a sense of enthusiasm and optimism, you can easily, originally and quickly decorate the facade of a wooden house without involving professional installers. In addition, you can save a lot if you do the installation work yourself.
How to cover a wooden house with siding with your own hands: video instructions
Siding is a dry type of exterior finishing and is suitable for most types of residential and commercial buildings, especially those made of foam concrete and sandwich panels. Its light weight will not put a significant load on the foundation, which is why such cladding is also used on old wooden houses.
The growing popularity of siding is explained not only by its low price, but also by its durability, because it will not crumble like plaster over time, easy maintenance, excellent protective properties and a wide selection of shades and textures. The undoubted advantage of siding is that you can give a modern look to even an old house with your own hands, significantly saving on the services of builders.
Tools and materials
Before covering your house with siding, you should check the availability of the following tools:
- grinder or saw with small teeth, metal scissors,
- screwdriver and screwdriver,
- hammer,
- tape measure, square and level (a laser tape measure will greatly simplify the work),
- a stepladder that is high enough to reach the roof of the house.
Siding manufacturers offer a full range of elements and panels for covering a house, even with a complex configuration. As a rule, the buyer should indicate the area of the walls of the house and their dimensions, the type of roof and the number of windows, and the seller himself will calculate the required number of certain parts; a schematic plan of the house from the outside will facilitate this process.
Knowing some points will help you control or check the calculation. So, the components for installing siding include the following elements:
- External corner - the height of this element is 3 m, and if the house is one-story, it is worth using entire elements for each external corner of the house; if the height of the walls is more than 3 m, then sum up the length of all external corners in meters and divide it by 3, taking into account that there should be a margin for margin when joining. Corners are used not only for decorative purposes, but also due to the fact that the ends of the siding must be closed.
- Internal angles are calculated using the same principle. If the roof eaves are finished with siding, internal corners are also used in the areas where it connects to the wall. In cases where the finishing of the cornice was done earlier or will not be done at all, use a finishing strip.
- To finish the cornice, elements such as soffits and wind boards are used.
- The required length of the starting strip is equal to the perimeter of the house minus the width of the doors and gables.
- In areas connecting extensions, height differences and roofs of different levels, a J-profile is used.
- The perimeter of the windows is covered with a window strip; it must be taken with a reserve so that the joining points are not visible. Also, to frame the windows, flashings are needed, which also should not have visible joints.
- A drain strip or ebb sills are installed around the perimeter of the base if its width of 40 cm is not enough.
- If the length of the house wall is more than 3.66 m - the standard length of siding panels - the connection is made using an H-profile. It is necessary to think about the location of its installation so that the proportions of the building are maintained.
- The number of siding panels themselves is approximately calculated using the formula: “((area of all walls of the house – area of windows and doors)/panel area)*1.10”. A reserve of 10% is needed to cover scraps and waste.
- For installation, it is preferable to use galvanized self-tapping screws 25-35 mm long, since their use makes it easier to maintain the recommended gap of 1 mm. For 1 sq.m. Approximately 2 self-tapping screws are consumed, they should also be taken with a reserve. If possible, then you should choose self-tapping screws with a rubberized head, which will definitely not leave rusty stains after a few years.
Preparatory work
Before covering with siding, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work. First, all protruding parts are dismantled: doors, trim, grilles, etc. Seal all cracks in the walls, around windows and doors with cement mortar or foam. The walls of an old house are cleaned of dirt and dust, chipped plaster and paint, mold and rotten areas. Wooden houses are treated with antiseptics and antipyretics; walls made of foam concrete can be treated with a deep penetration primer.
Installation of sheathing
The first step is to install a sheathing made of metal profiles or wooden slats, since it is strictly forbidden to attach the panels directly to the wall. Galvanized profile is the only option for metal siding and for brick and concrete walls. As a profile, you can use a CD profile for drywall. If the vinyl profile is attached to a wooden or frame house, you can use 60*40 mm slats with a residual moisture content of 15-20%, treated with an antiseptic and thoroughly dried.
Using a tape measure and level, mark straight lines on the walls of the house so as to obtain a closed contour. Having carefully measured the distance in the corners of the house from this line to the base, they find the minimum, and, putting it down, draw another contour. Subsequently, a starting bar is installed along this line, and if it deviates from the level, the cladding panels will warp.
Then, using U-shaped fasteners, vertical guides are mounted, starting from the corners. It is necessary to ensure that they fit tightly to the wall, for which you can put pieces of wood or dense foam. The distance between them is 30-40 cm; in those places where the siding will bear additional load, for example, street lamps, as well as near corners, windows and doors, you need to add guides. The vertical guides should not be connected by anything so that there are no obstacles to ventilation, since the lack of air flow will lead to the appearance of mold.
Waterproofing and insulation
For wooden and aerated concrete walls, installation of waterproofing is mandatory, and a layer of insulation is optional. As a material, preference should be given to a water- and wind-proof membrane. If insulation is not performed, then the film is fixed directly to the wall of the house in order to maintain the distance necessary for ventilation of the siding. When installing an insulating layer, waterproofing is laid over it, and then the sheathing is rebuilt to provide a gap for ventilation.
Fastening the guide elements
Installation begins by installing the drainage system on the base, placing its upper edge along the previously marked line. It is a rigid structure and is easier to keep level than a flexible starter bar. Then a series of corner profiles. They must be firmly secured with self-tapping screws in the upper part of the first hole. Subsequent screws are screwed into the middle of the hole.
If it is necessary to increase the length, the upper profile should be laid overlapping the lower one with an overlap of several centimeters. Then, along the previously marked line, a starting bar is attached to the top of the drainage basin. It should be 5 mm above the bottom edge of the corner profile.
Window strips or J-profiles are attached around the windows so that the outer bottom edge is a few centimeters lower than the inner one. Door openings are edged with J-profiles. The corners of these elements can be filed at 45 degrees, or they can be overlapped, placing the top planks on the side ones.
When installing H-profiles vertically in pre-designated locations, a level is used. As when installing other vertical elements, you need to leave a gap of 5-6 mm to the cornice and base so that the planks do not bend when expanding. A finishing strip is installed under the roof or where the area provided for siding ends.
Installation of panels
When all the guide elements are installed, you can proceed directly to the installation of the panels. The first row is attached to the starting bar until the lock clicks from below; at the top, the panel is secured with self-tapping screws in the center of oblong holes every 40 cm. All other panels are installed according to the same principle, row by row rising to the roof or window. You should not pull the panel up and fasten it rigidly; it should move slightly to the sides. The top row of siding ends with a finishing strip.
What should you consider?
Rule #1. Under no circumstances should siding panels be firmly secured. The material from which they are made contracts when cold and expands when heated, length fluctuations can reach 1%. This is what causes the elongated shape of the mounting holes. The fasteners cannot be screwed or driven through the panel, but only into the center of a special hole, and the screw is not screwed in all the way, with a gap of 1 mm between the plates and the head. If this rule is violated, the siding may simply burst under extreme heat.
Rule #2. There should be a gap of about 10mm between the planks and the guides (less when installing in hot weather), so that the siding does not bend when it expands. When covering a house in the summer, it is worth protecting the material from the sun.
Rule #3. Siding can be installed at any time of the year, but please note that at temperatures below -10 degrees, elements may crack when cut, so you should be careful and use an angle grinder.
With the help of siding, if you follow the rules and installation technology, you can renovate your house and protect it from atmospheric influences for 30-40 years, this is exactly the service life that manufacturers promise.
