Replacing Damaged Wood Siding

This section shows you how to repair flashing and apply caulk.

Replacing damaged wood siding. Other times a rasp plane or perforated rasp works better. If the siding doesn t have wood or plywood sheathing behind it be sure to crosscut the damaged siding over a stud. When the new siding has been painted two coats of top quality acrylic latex over a primer the repair is hard to spot. In most cases it s necessary to remove more than just the damaged wood to make the repair less obvious.

Repair or replace damaged wood board siding. 3 shorten the board. After you remove the rotted courses use a small hacksaw to cut any protruding nail shanks or if you have a very strong grip use a good pair of wire cutters. When crosscutting the existing siding be sure to stagger the end joints so they aren t aligned above each other.

Protect sound siding with a scrap piece of 1 4 in. Replace the board and re nail it. Sometimes it s easiest to do this with a saw. All wood clapboard siding is coated in paint often multiple layers that have been applied over decades.

That s because the end seams on wood lap siding are staggered across the wall and have to be made at wall stud locations. The wood grain pattern on the fiber cement siding is often a perfect match with existing hardboard although it s not as good a match with real rough sawn wood. Compounding that caulking may have been injected into seams at any of the four edges. Over time however seals can weaken so it s important that you consistently check your siding s seal and replace or recaulk any damaged areas.

A quality siding job is well sealed otherwise water can infiltrate and damage sheathing or the back of siding. Damaged siding lets air water dirt and insects through to the inside. How to remove and replace wood siding. Be careful not to damage any building paper beneath the siding.

Your damaged wood clapboard siding board will be firmly rooted in place. It also allows decay and further damage in the wood around it. Fortunately for you we ve got your back. Allow about 1 16 inch of clearance to the next board.

Besides prying out the rotten wood you may need to cut adjacent boards back a stud or two in either direction. Unfortunately replacing rotten wood siding is something every homeowner who has wood siding will have to do. In this article we ll discuss how you can repair damaged areas or individual shingles yourself which can save you money and head off problems before they become too serious.