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To “close in” the building is to seal it from the outside. This is the time to install windows and doors, erect the siding, and block other openings. Although closing in involves tedious, repetitious work, it's exciting in that the finished product begins to emerge.* Tools The tools required for this stage aren't different from those you have used throughout the framing stages. In addition, you will need a caulking gun in which to place tubes of caulking compound. You may also need a hatchet, if you are installing wood shingles, and a nail set. A putty knife and a flat bar come in handy for removing old siding. Materials To finish the overhangs (if you have any) you’ll need wood boards for:
APPLYING THE BUILDING PAPER Building paper is applied in horizontal layers over the sheathing to form an additional barrier against water and wind. It comes in 48” -wide rolls and is marked with a white line, which serves as a guide for overlapping the layers. The application of building paper is a two- person job. Starting at one of the building corners, the bottom layer of paper is applied. While one person unrolls the paper, the other one staples or nails it (approximately every 8”). Make sure that the paper is going straight. When you come to an opening, cut the paper with a utility knife. INSTALLING WINDOWS and DOORS Door and window installation is made easier by planning ahead. Be sure as you are framing in the rough openings that they are plumb, level, and square. Although this advice may seem redundant, it's not unusual to find yourself with rough openings that aren't plumb. Such an opening will, in turn, throw the windows and doors out of level, making their installation trickier. Windows and doors are heavy; the less you have to fuss with them, the better off you are.
Yet another factor to keep in mind while framing in the openings is to allow for sufficient clearance so that window and door units can fit easily. A space approximately 1/2” all around is usually enough to give you installation leeway. E.g., if a window is 5’ X 6’, the rough openings may be 5’-1” X 6’-1”. Consult the manufacturer’s catalogue for recommended clearances before framing. Be aware while doing the installation that walls have depth and so do the frames of windows and doors. Consider the depth of the siding and the interior finish and place the units accordingly. If the frames are too deep and project far into the room, you may find yourself having to cut them down to fit. On the other hand, if they are too shallow, you are also in trouble. Most manufactured windows come equipped with self- flashing which is nailed to the sheathing. It automatically sets the window in place. Generally these window jambs come designed for 4 1/2” stud walls. If you have 51/2” walls, you will need an extension, which can generally be provided by most window manufacturers. When preparing to install the windows and doors, make sure that you have a helper. Two people are needed to lift the window into place. Once it's in place, one person holds the unit in the rough opening while the other one levels and nails it through predrilled holes according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. (Use aluminum or galvanized casing nails spaced every 16” on center.) Windows Window units come complete with frame, outside trim, and hardware. There are units that come self-flashed with either top or full perimeter flashing. (Check to see that they come with a drip cap; if not, you have to install one after the window is in place.) Start by double-checking the size of the unit against that of the rough opening and make sure they correspond. Most windows re quire a 1/2” space on each side and 3/4” above the head for plumbing and leveling. From the outside of the building, lift the window unit onto the rough opening. Since it’s easier to work from a secure floor than hanging from a ladder, one per son holds the window in place while the other goes inside to level and nail it. Check at the sill to see that the window is level and that the space at the top between the frame and the rough opening isn't too great. If everything checks, tack the unit in place. (By tacking we mean leaving the nail out about 1/4” or so.) Tack the unit at the top, sill, and both sides. Once the window is tacked, open and close it to make sure it’s working properly. Again check the sill for levelness. If all is well, drive the nails in. To prevent heat loss and drafts, any space left between the window unit and the rough opening is stuffed with fiberglass insulation. If the window unit isn’t level, a little moving around is in order. Shims are used to level the window. (They are any kind of scrap wood that's wedged under the sill until the window is level.) Wood-shingle scraps are particularly good for use as shims because they slope. Using two shingles with slopes in opposite directions, you can arrive at various thicknesses. With the window level, tack and nail it as previously described. Doors Doors can be purchased prehung. This is a great advantage over the old process of constructing the frame, hinging the door, weather-stripping, and so on; particularly for the amateur builder. It saves you time and meticulous work. The procedure to follow for the installation of a door unit is essentially the same as for a window. Lift the door in place and check it for plumbness on the hinge side. Keep in mind that the sill should be flush with the finish floor. When the door is plumb, tack it in place. Check that it closes well. Be sure to nail the door to the rough opening through shims placed behind hinges and at regular intervals through both jambs. Do not nail through the doorstop. Install the lockset (if it did not come already installed). Flashing The top edge of all windows and doors should be flashed to prevent water leakage. Always keep in mind while installing flashing that it should be bent in such a way that it promotes drainage. Once the windows and doors are in place, the upper half of the flashing is nailed directly to the plywood sheathing. It should extend about 4” into the wall’s surface. The flashing is then bent into shape to fit over the head (or top) trim. To allow water to drip free from the window or door trim, the flashing should overhang about 1/4” There are many doors and windows that come with built-in flashing. INSTALLING SIDING Bevel Siding = = = NAILS: When siding, windows, or doors are to be painted, the nailhead should be punched below the surface of the wood and covered with putty. To avoid crushing or splitting the wood, use a nail set and a hammer. The small end of the nail set is placed over the nailhead. Hit the back of the nail set with the hammer to drive the nail below the wood’s surface. Cover the hole flush with the siding with good-quality putty. Low-quality putty has a tendency to dry out and eventually fall out, leaving the nailhead exposed. = = = REMOVAL OF OLD SIDING: Most renovation work will involve some form of removal and replacement of the existing siding. You must keep in mind that this siding, after years of exposure, is rather delicate. If you want to keep new siding to a minimum (to keep the same weathered look the wood), you must exercise a lot of care when removing existing siding. The method used to remove bevel siding depends on the condition of the wood, the type of finish (stained or painted), and the type of nails originally used. Expect to do some experimentation. Take a wide putty knife, insert it under the siding, and gently pull the board up. (Putty knives are thin and can easily be inserted between boards.) Once the siding is slightly loose, use a flat steel bar or chisel to pry the board loose. Work slowly along the entire length of the board. Once pried, push the board back. This will loosen up the nails. Press the board back down to elevate the nailheads. If the nails aren't ribbed or rosin- coated, they will pull out when the board is pushed back. You can now pull out the nails. If the nails don’t pop out, you will have to pull everything out (the heads will pull through the wood) and then remove the nails separately. Keep in mind that nails may go through two layers of siding. Make sure you get rid of any remaining nail shanks before replacing the siding. If you are unable to remove the board, break the old siding in pieces and trace the shape onto the new siding stock. The new piece could be driven into place with the aid of a block. INSTALLING NEW SIDING: An important aspect of the application of siding is to use the right nails. Corrosion-resistant, galvanized, stainless-steel, or other nails made of similar metals will not bleed and spot the siding’s surface. These nails will cost more but they are worth it. In terms of shape, the nails used for siding are usually thin and have a flat head (box nails). Thin nails are used in order to reduce the risk of splitting the wood. You must be careful, however, to drive them only to the wood’s surface. Driving the nails too hard could show hammer blows and increase the chances of crushing the wood. INSTALLING A LOCKSET Lockset manufacturers provide instruction sheets and a template to guide you in the installation. Some doors come with predrilled holes to accommodate the locksets, making your job easier. Although the installation of a lockset may vary somewhat with the lockset type, the steps usually required are as follows: 1. Install the latch by inserting it into the bored hole. With a pencil, mark its outline and re move it. In order for the latch to be flush with the door, chisel out the area where the latch is to be installed. Insert the latch in place and tighten the screws. 2. The strike plate is installed next. The template will give you directions on how to find the location of the strike plate’s screws. With a pencil, mark this spot on the doorjamb. Drill the latch bolt hole. Place the strike plate on its proper location by matching the center line of the screw holes with the one you’ve drawn on the jamb. Draw the strike plate’s outline, remove it, and chisel out the outlined area so that the strike plate will be flush with the doorjamb. Install the strike plate by fastening the screws. 3. Finally, insert the knob that has a spindle into the latch and push it against the door. The other knob is installed by placing it on the spindle of the first. This knob, too, is pushed against the door and firmly tightened with screws. Bevel siding should lap no less than 1” and preferably 2”. The recommended exposure distances (exposure distance is the amount of siding left exposed to the weather) are 4” for 6” siding, 8” for 10” siding, 10” for 12” siding, and so on. From the standpoint of both weather resistance and appearance, the exposure distance is adjusted to meet the fixed dimensions of windows and doors. Obviously, you need to continue the same amount of overlap and expo sure as already exists on the rest of the house. Although siding can be installed by one person alone, it's more easily done by two. The erection of siding starts by securing a nailing strip to the bottom edge of the sheathing. This strip should be equal in thickness to the “top” thickness of the siding. Make sure that the nailing strip is level. At either end of the wall, measure up from (the bottom of) the nailing strip — the dimension of the siding board and snap a chalk line. Using the chalk line as a guide, position the board and nail it on the studs at approximately every 16” on center. When you are through with the first board, simply butt up the next board against the one you’ve just nailed. DETERMINING THE SIDING EXPOSURE Once the first row of siding is complete, mea sure up from the top of the first row the exposure distance for the second row. Snap a chalk line and locate the board. Nail the second row in the same manner as the first. This time, however, make sure that you’re nailing up far enough along the siding to clear the lower course. The remaining courses are installed in the same manner. To fit around windows and doors, butt the siding up against the frames. Caulk the joints between the siding and the frames, in order to seal them against water penetration. Here are a few general points to remember while installing siding: Try to minimize joints. Joints are the point of least resistance to weather. The fewer the joints, the more weathertight the wall will be. To minimize joints, use longer sections of siding under windows, over doors, and whenever there is a long uninterrupted stretch of wall. Save the smaller pieces for areas in between openings. Keep in mind that these joints should occur over the studs and should be staggered between courses. For further protection against moisture penetration, dip or brush the ends of the siding in a water-repellent preservative before nailing in place. In addition, check that all the ends are perfectly square. Joints must be good and tight; otherwise, water may find its way in. Whenever cutting the board is necessary, cut it with a table saw, a radial-arm saw, or a miter box to ensure a square end. CORNERS: There are two corner conditions you have to worry about: inside and outside corners. Outside corners are easier and can be handled in a number of ways. The two most popular ones are mitering and butting against a wood strip called a corner board. Mitered corners involve cutting both boards at an angle that will form a 900 corner when butted against each other. Miters have a tendency to come apart, so add extra nails around the miter. joint from both sides. Another way to handle outside corners is by using a corner board. This type of joint involves nailing two vertical wood strips at the corner of the building; this will serve as a surface against which both pieces of siding can butt. Interior corners are trickier. Mitering doesn’t work in this type of corner. One solution is to place a corner board in the corner and butt up both surfaces of siding against it. Another, more difficult joint involves taking one piece of siding and butting it right up to the sheathing. The other side is coped to fit the first. This is done by holding the siding in place against the one you’ve just nailed and scribing it at the proper angle. Cut the siding at this angle and nail in place. = = = DETERMINING THE SIDING EXPOSURE: The procedure used to determine how much the recommended exposure distance has to be adjusted so that the siding aligns with a window isn't difficult. Let’s say that you are using 8” siding and the window height is 55”. The number of courses needed between the top and the bottom of the window is found by dividing 6”—the recommended exposure distance for 8” siding—into 55”—the height of the window. You need 55 ± 6 = 9 1/6, or nine courses. To find out precisely the exposure the siding must have to get nine courses, divide 55” (the window height) by 9 (the number of courses). You need 55 ÷ 9 approximately 61/90 exposure for each course of siding to meet the window flush at either end. The exposure for siding located between the windowsill and the foundation wall should also be adjusted. You may, otherwise, find yourself with two noticeably different siding exposures or a very narrow end course within the same wall. E.g., if the distance between the bottom of the windowsill and the top of the foundation wall is 31”, you need 31 ÷ 65 1/6 courses between the two. To arrive at the necessary exposure for the right number of courses, divide 31 5 and you get 6.2”, or approximately 6 which is only slightly over what the exposure will be for siding above the sill. Therefore the difference will hardly be noticeable. = = = Shingles Removal: See discussion under “Bevel Siding.” INSTALLING NEW SHINGLES: The installation of shingles is more time-consuming and difficult than that of bevel siding because they are smaller, are irregular in shape, and have to be applied one by one. There are several things you should be aware of before installing shingles. Shingles come in varying widths. Spread the widths out evenly so that you don’t get a concentration of narrow shingles at one end and wide ones at the other. The maximum recommended exposure for shingles is 1/2” less than one-half its length. E.g., a 16” shingle has an exposure of 7½”, an 18” shingle an exposure of 8 1/2”, etc. Both the shingle exposure and the pattern should be kept as close as possible to that of the rest of the house. As with siding, shingle joints are the areas of least resistance to weather. For this reason, the joints should be staggered so that no two courses have joints overlapping any closer than 1½”. The installation of shingles starts by snapping a chalk line 1/2” below the bottom of the sheathing on the foundation wall. The shingle over hangs the foundation wall to provide a drip cap. The chalk line together with a wood board (a straight piece of 1 X 3 or 2 X 4) serves as a guide to align the shingles. Because the wood board can't be nailed to the concrete foundation wall for the first course, shingles are nailed to either end of the board to serve as nailers for the sheathing above. Nail the board in place aligned with the chalk line. The first row of shingles is located using the wood board as a guide. The reason for using the bottom of the shingle as a measuring point rather than the top is that shingles may vary slightly in length. Since the bottom is the part that remains visible, that’s the part that should be carefully aligned. Use two nails for shingles 8” wide or less and three nails for wider shingles. Once the shingles are nailed, remove the board and reset it until the first course is complete. A second layer of shingles is applied directly over the first course. With the double course finished, start the second course by measuring up from the bottom of the shingle the distance it's to be left exposed—that is, 7 1/2” for 16” shingles. Snap a chalk line. Again align the wood board with the chalk line and nail it directly to the sheathing. Rest each shingle on the top of the board and nail it in place. Make sure when you drive in the nails that you do so about 1” clear of the course below. The following courses are laid in the same manner. The space that should be left between shingles varies with the amount of moisture present in the wood. If the wood is new and damp, you can butt them against each other. If it’s old, leave a space of approximately 1/5” to allow for expansion under moist conditions. Generally, the cheaper the grade of shingle, the drier it's and the more it will expand. When shingles meet windows and doors, merely butt the ends to meet the frame, leaving enough expansion clearance depending on the moisture content of the shingle. CORNERS: Both exterior and interior corners are handled in essentially the same manner. For an exterior corner, nail one shingle flush with the corner edge of the sheathing. The shingle meeting it from the other side will overlap this one. Nail the overlapping shingle. The excess wood is cut off with a hatchet. Laps should be alternated in each course. Interior corners are handled in a similar manner. The only difference is that instead of nailing the second shingle and cutting it in place, it's held in place and scribed. It is then cut and nailed in place. Vertical Tongue-and-Groove Siding REMOVAL: The first step in removing tongue- and -groove siding is to find out in which direction the tongues are going. (An easy way to do this is to take a look under the siding where the foundation wall and the siding meet.) The boards should be removed from the direction of the tongue side to the groove side. With a lath knife, cut into the tongue at the center of the groove. Be careful while doing this. Keep in mind that you may hit a nail, which could break the blade. Once the tongue is cut, begin to pry up the adjacent board from the bottom up. (Do this with a pry bar and a piece of wood to protect the adjacent board.) Remove the first board. Start working on the next board by taking a nail set and driving the nails through the tongue. This board can now be pried loose. Keep repeating this procedure for the remaining boards. INSTALLATION: In order to provide a good nailing surface for the boards, the plywood sheathing underneath vertical siding should be thicker than that used for horizontal applications (approximately 5/3” to ¾”). In horizontally applied siding, the boards are nailed to the studs every 16” on center. This isn't the case with vertical siding; hence the thicker plywood. Start the siding application at one of the building corners. Position the board plumb against and aligned with the sheathing. The bottom of the board should overlap the foundation wall approximately 1/2” to provide a drip cap. Check to be sure that the board is perfectly vertical. Start nailing from the top of the board. The nails should be located as close to the groove as possible. Another row of nails is then driven at the tongue side, which will be hidden from view. Insert the second board into the first and nail it, this time, however, only at the tongue; the other edge is held secure by the groove. To fit over an opening, allow a small gap (approximately 1/8”) between the board and the door or window frame. There should also be a small gap left at the sides. Fill them with caulking. CORNERS: The corner conditions, both exterior and interior, are most easily handled by lapping boards. You will have to cut the board length wise. Exterior corners may also be mitered. REMOVAL: Unlike bevel and tongue-and- groove siding, with plywood siding you will most likely not be able to reuse any of the pieces you remove. There’s not much finesse to removing plywood siding. Pry along one joint with a pry bar until the panel comes loose. Nails sometimes come out with the wood, but are likely to stay in the wood. If the nails come out with the panel, make sure to either bend them over or remove them. (You may otherwise puncture yourself while throwing away the panels.) INSTALLATION: Plywood siding is very popular because it's easier and faster to apply than any other type of siding. Because the panels come in 4’ widths, their application isn't vastly different from that of sheathing. These panels may be applied directly over studs (which isn't recommended, for structural stability, water penetration, and energy conservation reasons) or over sheathing. Panel application over sheathing begins by snapping vertical chalk lines at the location of the studs. These lines will serve as a guide for nailing the paneling over the studs. Pick up the first panel and position it at one corner of the building. Make sure it's plumb against the sheathing. Nail it in place approximately 4” to 6” on center at the perimeter and 8” to 12” at intermediate studs. The next panel is either butted against or inserted into the edge of the first, depending on whether the edges are square, shiplap, or tongue and groove. Butt joints are protected with a batten strip. Nail the panel in place in the same fashion as the first. If a horizontal joint is necessary, flash it well to protect against moisture penetration. Some panel manufacturers have joining devices specifically designed to protect horizontal joints in their panels. For extra protection against moisture penetration, you can treat the edges with water-repellent preservative. A space of approximately 1 should be left between the panel and door and window frames. This opening is later caulked. FINISHING THE OVERHANGS There are two basic types of overhang conditions: the flush or simple overhang and the rafter over hang, which can be opened or closed. Plywood Panel Siding Both the sheathing and the building paper should have been notched to fit around the rafters. The rest of the installation consists of laying out, beveling, notching, and nailing on the frieze. In the case of open overhangs, cut the frieze to fit between rafters. For flush cornices, cut the frieze to span between the building’s corners. Level the pieces, tack them in place, and nail them. The joints should be smooth and square for a tight fit. Boxed-In Overhang A boxed-in or closed overhang requires more work. This type completely hides the rafters with a fascia and soffit. Start by leveling across between the rafter overhang to the wall. Do this at both ends of the overhang and snap a chalk line. Nail, aligned with this line, a ledger, or nailing strip. Lay out and cut the lookouts. Set them in place, level, and nail them. (First nail to the rafter and then toe-nail to the ledger.) The lookouts can also be installed in the framing stage and nailed directly to the rafters and studs. The next step is to cut out the plywood soffit. Openings should be provided in the soffit for ventilation. These openings are protected with a screen to prevent insects from flying into the building. Ventilation louvers are also available, which only require installation into the openings. With the soffit cut out and ready, nail it to the bottom of the lookouts, making sure it’s level. The fascia is installed next. It is nailed directly to the ends of the rafters and lookout. The fascia should extend about 1” below the soffit to provide a drip edge. The top is beveled to meet the roof slope. A frieze is later installed under the soffit. Next: Renovating the Plumbing |
