Cement Board Siding Installation Q

[Engael]

Hoping this is the correct forum to post this query: 3-storey Beach home, wood frame construction with horizontal Hardie siding. The Contractor has installed the siding with blind and face pneumatic nailing which (as far as I know) is not recommended, you either blind nail or face nail the siding?. Do they need to take it off and start over, any long term downside? Any feedback would be much appreciated, Thanks

 

[hokie66]

I assume you mean Scyon weatherboards. The norm is secret nailing, but in some cases due to the layout of the boards, face nailing is required also. I don't think there is anything in the James Hardie manual prohibiting a mixture. The face nails should be punched and filled in accordance with the manual.

 

[Engael]

Thanks hokie66. One last question, several face nails are not located at the 1-1/4-inch overlap of the boards, but in the middle of the board, my concern is that these may be a point for water ingress...?

 

[hokie66]

I don't know why they would have nailed in the middle of the board, as the face nails are supposed to penetrate both thicknesses. But these boards are quite rigid, so I wouldn't think flexing would be an issue. As long as the nails are punched in about 2 mm and filled with painted polyurethane sealant, I wouldn't worry.

 

[a2mfk]

Who is the manufacturer (if you know) and where is this located? Manufacturers have different nailing schedules and details based on the product, fastener type, structure type, and of course wind speed. For example:

http://www.jameshardie.com/homeowner/pdf/esr-2290.pdf

They are also very specific on attachment, not to overdrive nails, how to caulk/paint, doing touch-ups etc etc. If you do not follow all of their specifications and there are issues down the road, the manufacturers may use this to deny any claims on their products. So I would ensure the installation is done in strict accordance with all of their specifications, even if you may question some of them.

 

[hokie66]

a2mfk,
He did say in his first post that it was a James Hardie material, but did not identify the actual product. My answers were based on a different product than those your referenced. What I was talking about are Scyon Linea weatherboards, which are 16 mm thick. Do you have that product in the US?

 

[Engael]

a2mfk,
Thanks for the link/pdf. There is 6 and 8-inch horizontal "hardie board" siding (hardie plank lap siding, primed) over tyvek, wood sheathing (1/2" cdx)on the house (located in the Fl panhandle). I have asked the Contractor to confirm that the installation is per the mfg's recommendations/spec, response is "yes,this is the way we do it". I am not convinced. Is it a valid concern that the nailing in the middle of the plank will work itself out over time, even if caulked, and allow water in? Not even sure how to go about getting the manufacturer's blessing. Would a written statement from the Contractor stating that the installation is per spec have any weight if there are problems down the road.
I appreciate yours and hokie66's responses, hope I'm not straining at gnats...

 

[a2mfk]

Hokie, you are right, he did say Hardie but your post threw me off

I have not heard of Scyon's products, but doesn't mean it isn't popular here. But Hardie has huge market share in Florida and has been at the forefront of cement-wood composite products.

Engael- What is your role in all of this?

Like Hokie said, I don't think it would make sense to blind AND face nail. Face nailing at the lap gives you two fasteners through each piece of siding at each nailed location. Most importantly, it eliminates the cantilever condition of blind nailing, so it is higher in wind resistance.

Anyway, bottom line is if it is your job to ensure the siding was installed you need to inspect the job and determine the exact installation method. This would include determining if the siding was nailed to wall studs or to sheathing. You have to see if the nails are flush or overdriven. Basically you need to study the manufacturer's installation guidelines and determine if they were followed.

The contractor certifying his own installation is pretty useless, though it may help down the road if the homeowner has problems and they want to litigate against the contractor. At that point, the contractor may have dissolved the company, left the state, retired , etc. Make sure it is done right now before any final payments are made. Like I said before, improper installation can void the manufacturer's warranty down the road. I have been involved with this type of claim on a job with Hardie.

 

[hokie66]

If your job were in Australia, you would just call Hardie, get the rep to the job site, and get advice accordingly. Have done that several times. I don't know if the Hardie network is that well developed in the US. If I understand what the "Hardieboard" is, it is much thinner than the Hardie Scyon Linea boards, so nailing in the centre of a board would be a concern.

 

[hokie66]

If you study the installation instructions in the following link, Hardie says nothing about nailing in the middle of these boards, so I think that is a no-no.

http://www.jameshardie.com/homeowner/products_siding_hardieplankLapSiding.py