An exterior wall is usually constructed of an inner core of sheathing, which is usually plywood or “oriented strand board” (OSB). Over this, a layer of siding is added which can be constructed from a variety of raw materials such as vinyl, aluminum, steel or milled wood. What is important to bear in mind is not so much what siding is, but the job it is performing – siding is really about the process of protecting your home from the elements, not what it actually is made of.

If you are building a wall from scratch, you will not have to worry about whatever lies underneath the old siding and you have a free hand in getting the project completed. When it comes to choosing the right sheathing materials to use, you will need to take account of whether the sheathing is structural or non-structural. Structural sheathing is part of the home’s integral strength and binds the wall studs together as well as providing shear strength. Non-structural sheathing does not add much in the way of structural strength, but nevertheless, it is important from an insulation point of view. You can also consider what type of sheathing material is best for where your home is situated because some sheathing panels provide greater resistance to moisture accumulation and the development of mold while others offer greater heat insulation.

If you are replacing or residing your home, then you will need to take the old siding off from the sheathing and clear it of extraneous materials such as left-behind nails and in addition, you will need to repair and make good any deficiencies in the sheathing and underwall. Typically, the sheathing does not need to be replaced when you are replacing siding, but you should check with your local building codes and the siding manufacturer’s guidelines. While you have the siding off, make sure you have the right insulating material and indeed, that the walls are properly insulated generally.

Estimating the amount of siding you are going to need is a fairly straight forward exercise. Simply measure your width and height of the faces of the building you are working on and calculate the surface area. Next you will need to add a factor for waste and overlap – typically 10% is used, though if you have a sharply pitched roof, this requires more cuts and that means more waste (so use 15% instead). Finally, you will need to check to the siding manufacturer’s guidelines to see how much you should allow depending on the pattern you are using.

At this point, you should appreciate that replacing or putting new siding on a house is a very big job. Many people believe they can save a great deal of money by doing the work themselves, however in reality the job is bigger than the vast majority of amateur home improvement enthusiasts. You should consider hiring a contractor for the work for virtually every installation, and especially for large homes or tall buildings or homes sat on steep sided hills.

Author Bio: Keith Smallwood is the president of Creative Energy Exteriors, a leading Richmond siding contractor and provider of Richmond home improvement services and products such as Richmond Infinity by Marvin windows. Creative Energy Exteriors can be found online at: CreativeEnergyExteriors.com .

Category: Home Management
Keywords: siding systems,old siding,sheathing material,non-structural sheathing,sheathing panels provide