Installing Wood Shake Siding

For curb appeal that will make your house stand out in the neighborhood consider installing shingle siding.

Installing wood shake siding.

A popular choice in north american colonies wood shake and shingle siding s history traces back hundreds of years. The shingle overhangs the foundation wall to provide a drip cap as shown in figure 4. Installing cedar shakes is pretty much the same as installing shingles. This is when each piece of cedar siding covers half of the one below it much like staggering and layering on cedar siding on top of one another to provide a scale like appearance.

Thisoldhouse asktoh subscribe to this old house. The chalk line together with a wood board a straight piece of 1 x 3 or 2 x 4 serves as a guide to align the shingles. Drive the heads flush with the wood but don t allow them to penetrate. When you come to the last space in a row use a utility knife to cut a shingle to fit into it.

Nail the starter strip to the siding aligning the top of the strip with the chalk line. Pop a level chalk line for the starter strip an inch or two above the bottom of the siding. Use two nails per shingle. Nail vertical vinyl corners to the corners of the house making sure they are plumb.

Attach the shake with a pair of 5d galvanized box nails and a shingle hatchet or hammer. Although cedar shingles take more time to install than most other types of siding they lend a rich textured look to your exterior. Tack up a length of 1x3 furring as a guide for the next course moving up the wall with each successive course. The first course of shakes or shingles is doubled with the outer course dropped 1 2 inch lower to create a drip edge see figure 1 14 at left.

Attach the shingles with 1 inch roofing nails. Align one of the vertical edges at the edge of the trim or corner of the wall. If you re thinking of installing shingle siding it s important to note that this option can be used only if the sheathing is boards plywood or osb. The nails install 6 inches.

The traditional way to install cedar shakes is through a method called single coursing. Tom silva shows the apprentices how to properly install wood shingles. Ply gem offers beautifully textured shake and shingle vinyl siding that resembles natural wood without all of the maintenance and upkeep.