There are many materials for self-finishing facades. However, do-it-yourself sheathing of a house with siding stands out among them for its low cost and extreme ease of installation. Most often, home craftsmen choose vinyl facade panels for such a cladding of their cottage, the installation technology of which we will consider in detail in this article.
Accessories and getting started
To properly sheathe a house with siding from the street, you must strictly follow the manufacturer's instructions. Most of the complaints about self-stuffed PVC cladding then arise precisely because of non-compliance with the banal rules for its installation.
There are several types of vinyl sheathing planks:
Types of components
Initial - starting rail, the first lowest element;
The main panel is the basic segment of the house siding;
Finishing - the extreme upper strip;
Connecting (docking) - H-profile for splicing short panels;
Hinged - ebb, protecting the windows and the basement of the house from precipitation;
Near-window (wide J-profile) - trim for decorating slopes;
Corner (outer and inner) - for closing the ends of siding panels in corner joints;
Soffit - a ceiling panel for sewing cornices and gables of houses;
J-trim is a narrow universal J-profile.
The variety of plank shapes only simplifies self-plating. For each corner and ledge of the house there is a type-setting element, you just need to correctly calculate their required number.
Calculation of material for sheathing and the necessary tools
To calculate consumables, you need to calculate the area of the facade sheathed with siding, and then divide it by the quadrature of the selected panels. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the sizes of windows with doors that the house has, removing them from the calculations. You also need to take a margin of 10% for fitting, so that everything can be finished without problems and restrictions.
To decorate a house with siding, you will need the following set of tools:
Level and plumb;
Ladder;
Screwdriver;
Scissors and hacksaw for metal.
If the walls of the cottage are built of concrete or brick, then you will need a drill to drill holes for the dowels of the crate. It will not interfere with the siding of self-plating the house and the grinder. It will facilitate and speed up the cutting of panels.
Home insulation and waterproofing
Before proceeding with the sheathing of the house, it is necessary to clean the walls and seal the cracks in them. Old paint and plaster will not be visible under the siding, but it is better to get rid of them. If the house is made of wood or aerated concrete blocks, then a vapor-permeable waterproofing film must be fixed to it under the sheathing.
The insulation is placed between the guides of the frame, which is stuffed under the considered finishing material for the facade of a private house. Next, another layer of waterproofing is laid on top of it. Moreover, everything is done so that an air cushion remains between the membrane and the heat insulator on the walls of the house.
Do-it-yourself siding installation
To attach vinyl panels to the crate, you can take:
Screws (self-tapping screws) with a diameter of 3.5–4 mm
Nails with a stem section of 3 mm and a head of 8 mm
Their consumption when finishing the house with siding is calculated based on the step between these hardware on the slats of 30 cm. Fasteners in a wooden lath or metal frame profile should be at least 20 mm. At the same time, a space of 1 mm should be left between its cap and PVC lining. If this is not done, then the vinyl sheathing of the house will warp and go in waves when the temperature outside changes.
Collection of crates for facing the house with siding
The crate is made vertical or horizontal with a distance between the rails (profiles) of 30-40 cm. These guides must be placed across the main vinyl strips. But the transverse crossbars between them should not be, by definition. It is necessary to sheathe the house with siding with your own hands so that there is space under the panels for natural air circulation.
Additional load-bearing rails are installed around the openings and along the corners of the building to securely fasten the PVC cladding. They are also needed in places where lamps and drains are hung on the walls. It is required to securely fasten not only facade panels for the exterior of the house, but also various decorative elements on them.
House crate
Installing the starting bar
The starting bar is fixed on the walls first. To do this, a rope is pulled around the house on carnations at a height of 3-4 cm from the lower edge of the mounted sheathing. Starting profiles are fastened along the perimeter of the building not end-to-end, but at intervals of 5–6 mm in case of their thermal expansion.
Installation of low tide and starting bar. Ebbs are installed from the corner of the house. The starting profile is mounted 30-40 mm above the tide bar.
When sheathing houses with siding, it is extremely important to correctly and evenly fix the initial bar. It serves as the basis for the entire structure of the external cladding. The clarity of geometric lines and the general appearance of the siding finish of a private house depend on it.
Installation of internal and external corners
Next, external and internal corners are attached, installed at the junctions of two walls. Their lower edge should be located just below the starting bar, already attached to the house. The first self-tapping screw is screwed into the uppermost hole for fasteners so that the corner hangs on it.
External and internal corners are set so that the lower edge is 4-6 mm below the starting profile, and the upper part is 1-3 mm below the soffit or cornice
Then the corner is aligned strictly vertically. The remaining self-tapping screws down the bar in increments of 30 cm are already screwed in the middle of the holes and not all the way. This is the only way PVC sheathing of the house will be able to "breathe" and not be deformed.
The extension of the corner elements is overlapped. At the top bar from the bottom, the inner side edges are trimmed by 25 mm. It starts at the bottom corner by 20 mm, which leaves a gap of 5 mm for thermal expansion.
Installation of slats on door and window openings
The next stage is the lining of the openings of the house under the windows and doors with a casing. In order for everything to turn out beautifully in the end, you will have to work hard here. In the upper horizontal J-profiles, you will have to make cuts in the sides with a bend of the cut-off part of the panel, and in the lower ones, make a 45-degree angle cut.
Cutting the window profile
Vertical strips are cut at an angle from above, and cut out from below with a similar bend in the side. The purpose of all these manipulations is not just to sheathe the house beautifully with siding, but to join the platbands so that no water can seep into the joints anywhere.
Installing the main panels
With the main slats, everything is much simpler. The first of them only needs to be inserted into the starting profile, and then fixed on the crate. The rest will follow one after the other. It is the ease of installation of the main panels that allows you to decorate the house with do-it-yourself siding in just a day.
In case of a lack of siding length, we join several planks through the H-profile. To do this, do not forget to install and secure the connecting H-profile in advance. The distances below and above are the same as for the outer or inner corner.
Installation starts from the starting profile and ends with the finishing profile or molding
Do not forget to make "hooks" at the top of the panel
A finishing bar is attached to the upper edge of the windboard on similar “hooks” with the molding
Soffits are installed between molding and J-bevel
The strips should be fixed from the middle to the edges, placing the screws strictly in the middle of the holes on the edge. The final touch of the vinyl cladding of houses is the installation of the finishing panel with the insertion of the topmost main PVC rail into it.
What to consider in order to properly sheathe a house with siding
The technology of work is such that sheathing of houses can be done year-round. But at sub-zero temperatures, the siding should be taken outside in advance so that the material acclimatizes.
If the house is old, then problems with cladding with vinyl panels should not arise. But the new building must be allowed to settle completely, otherwise the decor of the facade will be deformed. No gaps will help in this situation.
Numerous photos of houses sheathed with siding are pleasing to the eye. In order for everything to turn out just as well with self-assembly, it is extremely important to follow the installation instructions and leave gaps where necessary to compensate for the expansion of the material when heated under the sun.
Table of temperature gaps
When installing vinyl siding, consider the air temperature shown in the table below. For example, if you are installing at a temperature of +10 degrees, then the main bar 3.6 m long can lengthen by 8 mm in warmer weather, and shrink by 12 mm in colder weather.
We often see how in Western films people leave noisy cities in a big company in order to spend the Christmas holidays closer to nature. Their country houses attract with their appearance, they are cozy and warm. How to insulate your country house? The simplest and most cost-effective option is to sheathe siding. Here's how to sheathe a country house with siding and we'll talk in this article
Variety
Do you want to insulate your country house and did you like siding lining? But which type should be preferred? How to do it yourself to save on construction services? Let's go in order. What material to give preference to - in hardware stores, eyes run wide. What kind of siding to choose will tell your house: we start from the size, from the type of house - it is capital or summer. It is brick or wooden. One thing can be said with certainty: this material is an excellent option for facing, warming a country house.
- There is such a type of siding coating as wood. An external wooden wall covering is used for facing country haciendas extremely rarely, because it is quite expensive. In terms of quality characteristics, it does not differ much from cheaper counterparts. Another nuance I would like to note is that the wooden coating will burn perfectly. For those who still intend to ennoble the walls with a wooden coating, we will tell you in more detail what it is - these are pressed wooden fibers impregnated with various resins;
- Metal siding is a durable, absolutely non-combustible material that will protect you from property damage. They can be steel or aluminum. We note one drawback that can play against him - this is weight. It is very heavy, light summer houses and foundations may not be able to bear such a load. The appearance of a house lined with steel material is unlikely to remind you of a family hearth and comfort, it will rather resemble some kind of industrial premises;
- Cement siding. It has many positive qualities, gives an aesthetic appearance to the building, but we do not recommend using it. Heavy weight requires capital support. And cutting sheets requires special tools and protective clothing - goggles and a respirator are especially important;
- Vinyl finish. The most affordable of all options will be the vinyl look, which looks great both the day it was finished and twenty years later. It is light, the variety of colors will satisfy every customer. The only negative will be fragility at sub-zero temperatures. To avoid this, manufacturers have thought of everything and made the most easily accessible parts more durable, for example, plinth vinyl. Created under the guise of various natural materials.
Advantages
It is up to you which material to give preference to. We have not determined that vinyl siding is the best option for a seasonal home. More capital buildings can be finished with other types, it all depends on your capabilities and preferences.
If we want to insulate the walls of a house that was used only from spring to late autumn and does not have a fireplace, it is possible to make it much warmer. When siding is used, it is attached to special grids, and the space between the wall and the sheathing material is increased. It can be filled with insulation. This will have a beneficial effect on the microclimate in the room, not only in cold weather, but also when there is unbearable heat outside the window.
The main requirement is that there should be a gap between the insulation and the wall. This will provide good ventilation, this air layer will also play the role of a heat insulator.
The use of cladding for any home plays not only a decorative and heat-insulating function, but also a protective one. By creating a coating for the house, you protect its walls from the harmful effects of the external environment. Especially if you have a wooden manor.
Direction
Decide how the coating will lie: it can be laid vertically and horizontally, the direction will change the design of the cladding. You can create compositions by changing direction, alternating horizontal with vertical, or thus divide the house into zones. Pay attention to the photo - how good this combination looks on houses of different sizes. I would like to emphasize that turning horizontally or vertically will require different types of panels.
Shades
You can combine different shades, come up with a color overflow that will compete with designer finishes. It is possible to use a color for trims, soffits and corners different from the skin. You can also combine siding with decorative stone, for example. There are colors that accurately replicate a real plinth stone or brick.
Installation of the covering involves preparation, as shown in the video, which clearly shows how the wall covering should be installed.
Material calculation
Initially, it is necessary to calculate the amount of material needed and prepare the surface that we will ennoble. To calculate the required amount of material, it is necessary to measure the width and height of the working surface. If you have the opportunity, it is better to immediately buy the material of the required size in order to avoid unnecessary work and waste.
Training
If you have just erected a wooden house, it is not recommended to create a lining from siding, the tree will dry, deform, and the siding structure will lead.
Before starting work, it is necessary to repair or completely remove the old lining. Repair boards, cover cracks, treat surfaces. Installation of the covering involves preparation, as shown in the video, which clearly shows how the wall covering should be installed.
Next, we remove everything that can interfere with the surface: pipes, antennas, plants, platbands, and so on.
We install the rail, corner elements, connecting strips, separation of openings. Next, process the eaves and plinth. The siding itself is very easy to install. You can even see the assembly diagram in the photo. They have special locks, due to which the slats are easily connected to each other. And the locks on the top side help connect to the frame. When the first strip has fallen into place, all the rest are attached one by one to it until you hit a window or doorway.
Summing up
Nowadays, it is not uncommon to see a country house ennobled with siding. And this is logical, because it is aesthetically pleasing and affordable. Ease and speed of installation will please anyone.
Siding is famous for being easy and cheap to install. With proper installation of the panels, it will last for several decades, not being afraid of sudden changes in temperature, wind, or precipitation.
The duration of finishing work, their cost and quality directly depend on the skills of the installer. If you already have a little experience in construction, then sheathing your house with siding will not seem like too much of a task.
In this article, we will step by step analyze how to sheathe a house with siding with our own hands, and also tell you what materials and tools you will need for this.
Finishing the house with siding: preparatory work
Preparation for facing the house with siding begins with cleaning the exterior walls. First of all, all protruding parts that will interfere with the installation of panels are removed: drains, brackets, ebbs and shutters on windows, trim on doors - everything that protrudes from the flat surface of the walls.
Private houses made of stone and brick are cleaned of old plaster, covering all the cracks with cement mortar or mounting foam. Wooden houses are cleaned of dirt and mold, and then covered with a layer of antiseptic.
Finishing a house with siding involves an accurate calculation of the required amount of materials. Therefore, it is necessary to measure the width and height of the walls in advance, then subtract the total area of windows and doors from their total area. You also need to calculate the perimeter of the house and all window and door openings, so the total length of the connecting structures will become clear.
Formula for calculating materials: (the area of all the walls of the house − the area of windows and doors) ÷ the area of one panel × 1.10
Only the useful area of the siding panel is taken into account, that is, without the upper fixing part. 1.10 in the formula is a 10% margin of material, which usually goes to marriage with inaccurate cutting and final fitting.
It is most convenient to use a schematic plan of the house - you can use it to calculate the required number of panels one by one, and you will immediately see where the full-length panels will go, and where cutting will be required. Any siding manufacturer will help you with the calculations for free. This can be done in advance in online services. "Alta Calculator" and "Alta Planner".
Tools and materials
For quick and easy do-it-yourself siding installation, you practically do not need a special tool - it is enough that you already have it in any private house.
- Roulette, square and metal ruler - for measurements.
- Construction level of at least 120 cm - to check the accuracy of the installation of the crate vertically and the accuracy of laying the siding panels horizontally.
- Electric drill, screwdriver or screwdriver - for fasteners.
- A cutter knife, electric jigsaw, grinder or hacksaw (with small and sharp teeth) - any of these tools will be needed to trim the panels. It is better not to use a hacksaw when installing siding in the cold season, because the panels may crack. The grinder should only work at low speeds: at a high speed of rotation of its disk, the material of the panels at the cut site will melt.
- A siding punch, also known as a punch, is used to make hooks to secure the siding to the finish plank.
The punch is the only siding installation tool that you have to buy specifically. Photo #1.
Connecting structures. Siding panels are not the only structural element that will be required during installation. Between themselves, they are connected by special strips: starting, connecting, finishing, etc. Separate structures are used when facing window and door openings, as well as building corners. The use of additional structures allows you to sheathe a house of any design with siding.
Plastic structures used in the installation of siding. Photo #2.
Areas of application of connecting elements. Photo #3.
Insulation. A private country house, used only in spring and summer, in most cases does not need additional insulation. The house in which they live all year round is usually insulated with mineral wool - it is laid outside the building, in the cells formed between the ceilings of the crate.
The scheme of the crate and laying insulation. Photo #4.
The crate is installed on the entire surface of the facade. First of all, it is mounted along the side surfaces of the building, corners, windows, doorways and other ledges. The standard distance between floors is 40 cm. But the heavier the panels, the less the step of the crate needs to be done. A denser crate should be on houses that stand in the zone of strong winds and possible hurricanes.
Windows and doors are surrounded by a crate along the entire perimeter - a reinforced contour is created, on which window and door trims are attached. Photo #5.
As a crate on log houses, simple wooden slats are usually used. Their main disadvantage is the high probability of curvature. Therefore, it is important to choose only dry straight slats without knots, soak them thoroughly with an antiseptic and install only in dry weather.
Another option is galvanized profiles. They are more versatile, but when mounted in extreme heat, they can expand. When it gets colder, the siding trim installed on such profiles is deformed.
The main advantage of polymer profiles is the quick and accurate installation of siding panels on them. Photo #6.
How to properly install panels
During the entire preparatory work, it is better to store siding panels in a covered dry room, protected from direct sunlight, in a horizontal position on a flat surface, at a temperature of -30 to +50 °C.
Fastener sequence. Siding panels are mounted on previously installed connecting structures: starting, connecting and corner strips. The lining starts from bottom to top from left to right. First, the starting bar is attached. It must be mounted absolutely horizontally: the evenness of laying all subsequent layers depends on this.
The first front panel is inserted into the starting bar and slightly pulled up until it clicks into place. Then the panel is screwed to the crate through special mounting holes: the first screw is screwed in the middle of the siding panel to avoid its deformation in the future. When screwing in the screws, the panel must not be pulled up - it must hang freely under its own weight.
After fixing the first siding panel, the next one is installed on it using exactly the same technology. In order to clad the facade evenly and accurately, it is recommended to assemble the panels simultaneously around the entire perimeter of the house - in a circle, visually monitoring the evenness of the laying and checking the horizontality of each third layer of panels with a building level. So there will be less waste during installation - you can immediately see where you can use the cut pieces.
The finish strip is attached after the last layer of siding panels has been installed. In the very top panel, you need to make hooks - this will require a punch. Then these hooks snap into the finish bar retainer.
thermal expansion gap. The main rule of installation is that siding and accessories should move freely and not rest against anything. Due to the natural temperature difference throughout the year, siding is subject to expansion and contraction. Therefore, with rigid fixation to the crate, it deforms and goes in waves.
This is how errors look when calculating clearances for thermal expansion. Photo number 7.
Be sure to leave 5–8 mm free between the siding panel and the side fastener. After mounting the panel, it should move freely to the left and right, but not dangle.
Fasteners. It is most convenient to fasten the siding to the crate with galvanized self-tapping screws with a sharp tip and a wide hat. They are not subject to corrosion and over time will not leave unpleasant rusty smudges on the facade.
There must be a distance of 1.5 mm between the screw head and the panel. The easiest way is to tighten the screw completely, and then loosen it by one turn. Photo #8.
The screws are screwed exactly in the middle of the mounting holes so that the panels can move. Photo #9.
Panel extensions. Often the length of the building is longer than the siding panel. In such cases, a connecting bar is used. In this case, panels of standard length have to be cut. When calculating their length, it is important to remember the temperature gaps.
Installation of siding panels with a connecting strip (left) and lengthening the panels with an overlap (right). Photo #10.
The second way to lengthen the panels is overlapping. So that the junctions are not conspicuous, the joints of the following layers are made with an offset. But still, after a few years, due to thermal expansion between the overlapped panels, gaps will appear and the joints will become noticeable.
Facing the house with siding - video
Even more information on how to properly and quickly sheathe a house with siding with your own hands, in the instructions of the company "Alta-profile" and on video.
