Cutting Lap Siding

Hardieplank lap siding with colorplus technology is shipped with a protective laminate slip sheet which should be left in place during cutting and fastening to reduce marring and scratching.

Cutting lap siding.

The sheet should be removed immediately after each plank is installed. On non grooved siding you will need to make sure the reveals are all equal by checking the spacing frequently or using a story pole as described in cutting fastening lap siding. When i saw lap siding i saw 1 2 thick by 6 or 8 without any taper. Step 4 install a 1 4 inch roundover bit into your router and set the depth to1 4 inch.

For a slow but virtually dustless way to cut siding use power. Use moderate contact on butt joints when joining two pieces of plank. Set the depth of the blade to about inch and cut the lap siding in small increments. Run your siding stock across the table saw with one 3 4 inch edge down cutting a bevel along its length.

Cut and position the second from the bottom siding board so it aligns with the layout marks you made with the story pole. In certain installations nails are driven through the bottom of the siding leaving the heads exposed. An oscillating tool with a metal cutting blade is ideal for this job but a simple hacksaw blade will also work. This piece will lap over the bottom board.

Between each cut adjust the blade depth so it is deeper by inch. I m using white pine 1 2 x 6 on my own house and it seems to be okay. To keep dust to a minimum use a circular saw that s equipped with either a dust collection bag or electric fan that. The vertical seams in lap siding should never align one over the other so you may also need to remove portions of boards that are not damaged.

The last boards must meet at the same level or the installation will look unprofessional. Keep the boards pressed against the table and the fence and feed them slowly to avoid chipping and splits. If you cut 1 2 thick you can sticker the wood without any problems and it will dry faster since it is thinner. When the nails have been cut the lower board can be pulled out.

When cutting fiber cement siding with circular saw use a blade that has only four or six teeth. Using the line you scored with the hammer and chisel as your cutting guide use the circular saw to cut along the length of the line.