How to Cut and Install Fiber-Cement Siding | This Old House

This Old House general contractor Tom Silva shares his secrets for working with fiber-cement siding. (See below for a shopping list and tools.)

Shopping List for How to Cut and Install Fiber-Cement Siding:

Tools List for How to Cut and Install Fiber-Cement Siding:

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How to Cut and Install Fiber-Cement Siding | This Old House

[cruisinthru]

Tommy and Norm are the reason I became a General Contractor 20 yrs ago. They continue to teach us things. For instance at 3:20 in we learn its called a sar....not a saw. lol. And one time He was out on his boat and roger said "You dont want a shack on your boat. Later i learned that means Shark in the common mans language. LOL. Just ribbin you guys!!! Good times ;)

[smarthome]

I sided a huge church with this and I did it alone. I used metal banding strap bent in an S shape to hold the 16 foot long boards on the opposite end as I attached the first end end. Once I got it tacked up, I removed my 3rd hand (clip) and finished nailing (with a nail gun).
The church is the Faith Baptist Church of Wesley Chapel FL. I did the whole church, roof, classrooms, even the custom entrance and steeple. I also had to make up the top of the arched windows out of 1"x6" cement board trim.
The cool thing about working on it was the area. It was old seminole indian hunting grounds and I found arrowheads.

[johnhillside]

We have a new digital television set here at Shady Acre Observatory and we are watching the shows on WFYI. I really like This Old House 🏡!!! We're having a remodeling of this garage now and a new set of garage doors with electric lifting is in the project planning.

Thank you, a big, big fan here.

[johnthomas]

+1 for flashing the joints hahaha. Also, Ive seen alot of crews around here priming the exposed cut ends (rattle can quick and easy). From what I hear James Hardie has changed theyre install methods 500 times over the years due to unforseen issues hahahaha.

[michaelpage]

Two things:-
1. Calking is all well and good but after a couple of years gaps open up between the boards and unless, like you showed, water egress is a problem. Calking is a ongoing problem.
2. It is a hard product but recently our holiday house which is hardy plank clad had an outdoor blind break and strong winds hammered it against the planking creating a large hole. I'm asking if you could show how to replace an already existing board that is between existing boards and also whether a smaller hole can be repaired without being removed and matched to the existing pattern.
I watch, with interest, your show and have used a lot of techniques that have been explained. Thanks for an education in the use of products and tools. 👍🏻😁🇦🇺

[johnkast]

To cut Fiber-Cement Siding, I use a Jig Saw with a diamond tile cutting blade. Very little dust and low noise.

[vilo]

James Hardie says not to caulk where butt joints are, but to make sure its painted and make sure u have Aluminum backing to allow the water to run out.

[MrJamesbuffington]

Take an old dull regular sawblade and put it on backwards...I learned it 20 years ago

[carl]

I love how they put masks on to make a cut in a closed room then took the masks right after

[florascentts]

lol i grew up around this stuff for years as a kid. this hardee stuff is great for soffit, fascia, and siding of course. we knew we shouldn't be inhaling the dust, but that didn't stop my dad from bringing us to the construction sites every weekend

[ClassicBMWFanInQuebec]

I like how Tom pretends he's busy at the beginning of every Ask segment :)

[rogerborno]

The best dust control is a 20 inch Box Fan at max speed standing 2 feet away and blowing the dust to open space (backyard). You wouldn't even need a mask. Shut it off when you are not cutting. Obviously not suitable for indoor, but most of these jobs are exterior. For cutting I used angle grinder with a regular diamond blade for concrete and it was like cutting butter. I pre-drilled holes only in the corners to prevent cracking.

[JJP]

If you're hand nailing the board would it not be better to pre-drill to reduce the chance of damage to the board?

[daviddudeskie]

Don't caulk the joints unless you want water in your wall. They make flashing that goes behind the joint so water can't get in. It is the correct way to side. Water sheds right off and out of the joint. Caulk creates an uneven surface and dams the direct the water in directions other than straight down with gravity.

[skylark]

Installed this almost 25 years ago, still good, mine was only primed, paint still looks good, recently did a hidden side of the house that never got done, I remembered the nail gun wasn't always consistent so this time I predrilled and counter sunk hole and used stainless screws, (just snug) really wasn't that bad, maybe over kill but I slept good! I wish those guillotine shears weren't so expensive, not sure why...$265, I used the 4 tooth blade...

[ptownjb]

James Hardie recommends not to caulk the butt joints. you're supposed to use a step flashing where they butt up at.

[kuzumisama]

Manufacturers do not recommend caulking butt-joints any more (change in policy).  The caulk breaks out and looks bad eventually.  The new method is to flash it well with waterproof material like Tom did here, and paint the ends of the joint where it was cut. DO NOT paint the back.  Most people leave about a 1/8th inch gap at the butt for expansion.  I like to use colormatched  or similar color metal flash, such as painted aluminum roll flash under the gaps as that will never rust, and you can just use spray paint to give it a light coat of matching paint in one line on the flash, but tarpaper or synth work just fine and are not that noticeable.
You should always go to the manufacturers website and read what they  recommend.

[toomanyjoes]

I've seen people cut this stuff with a utility knife. Score it and snap it at the cut. That seems way easier than anything offered here.

[mikehoont]

Those dust collecting SAR's are pretty neat

[moviemakerwannabe]

The Hardie installation video says not to use caulking.