I don't think my client was planning on an energy retrofit when he first talked to me about repairing and repainting the shingle siding on his 120-year-old Massachusetts home.
In the Seattle area, where I work, we get a lot of rain. From the mid-90s to the mid-2000s, there were many high-profile cases of water damage caused by improperly detailed siding, mostly on condos and other multifamily housing.
Georgia-Pacific Gypsum. An alternative to paper-faced gypsum, DensArmor Plus features glass mat facings on both sides as well as a glass-fiber-reinforced core to resist moisture and mold and mildew growth. The product can replace traditional drywall throughout the home or be used in areas prone to...
Full-scale layout simplifies the process of cutting the tapered clapboards.
Cut fiber-cement siding without a cloud of hazardous dust with the FCC4 Guillotine Shear by Malco.
-
Remodeling opportunities abound; weatherization wages too low; in defense of vinyl siding; more
-
Q: We ordered preprimed HardiePlank lap siding to finish a project, but when it was delivered, we discovered that the backs were left unprimed. Normally, we back-prime wood clapboards, but I'm not sure this step is needed with fiber-cement siding, and the manufacturer's Web site is mute on the...
These durable systems are much easier to install than site-built rails.
Clips for flat tiles; mounting blocks; aluminum-and-glass railing; crawlspace ventilation; fibercement siding panels; more
Last fall I reviewed several saws that collect the dust generated when fiber cement is cut.
-
Q: I'm planning an addition for a client who wants to turn a 22-foot-high wall into a climbing wall. He would like this wall to closely resemble stone, but he doesn't want it to cost as much as natural stone. I've poured a lot of flat concrete, but I have never built something like this - so I...
-
Q: Does the addition of fibers eliminate the need for steel in a concrete-slab basement floor?
Specialized tools make for cleaner air and a healthier crew.
-
This list contains links to various related sources: manufacturers mentioned in the story; makers of circular blades; other articles about safe cutting practices; and MSDS sheets for fiber cement.
Future-proof footings; fiber cement at a clip; squeak reducer
Pattern shingles can be efficiently produced on site from fiber-cement lap siding.
OSB on the roof; drywall butt joints; siding solo
How to Build a Concrete Canoe
separate the winners from the runners-up.
A weathertight basement door; matching asbestos siding