Wall Construction & Design Considerations

How to calculate coverage areas

Siding installations at  corners, dormers and roof junctions

Installing Bevel Siding
Installing Board Siding
Installing Shiplap Siding
Installing T&G Siding

How to finish solid wood siding

Bevel Siding
Board Siding
Log Style Siding
T&G and Novelty Siding

Hot-Dipped Galvanized, Aluminum or Stainless Steel Hot-Dipped Galvanized, Aluminum and Stainless Steel Nails are all corrosion-resistant and can be used to nail Southern Cypress. Other types of nails are not recommended. They can rust and disintegrate and react adversely with the natural preservative oils present in cypress, resulting in stains and streaks. Copper nails also react with cypress and should not be used.

Stainless steel nails are the best choice, especially if the siding is to be finished with a transparent stain. Use No.304 stainless for general siding applications and No.316 for seacoast exposures.

Nails: Type, Size and Spacing for best results use "split-less" siding nails. These have thin shanks and blunt points to reduce splitting. For greater holding power, nails with ring threaded or spiral threaded shanks are suggested. Nails with textured heads can be used to reduce glossy spots at the nails when finishing (see Figure 2 for nail types).

Nails should be driven with care. Heavy nailing distorts the wood and may cause splitting. At mitered corners, near edges and near ends, nail holes may need to be pre-drilled to avoid splitting.

The size of the nails to use depends on the type and thickness of siding. Good building practice is to use nails long enough to go through underlying materials, such as sheathing and insulation, and penetrate at least 1-1/2" into solid wood or 1-1/4" if using ring or spiral shank nails. See Table 3 for recommended nail lengths for various thicknesses of siding.

Siding should be fastened to each stud or furring strip with nails spaced at a maximum of 24" on center. Nail placement depends on the siding pattern and width. The key is to fasten the siding securely without preventing it from moving in response to the moisture content of the air. In general, each piece of siding must be nailed independently.

Nailing overlapping pieces together restricts the natural movement of each piece and will cause splitting.

Table 3. Minimum Recommended Nail Lengths for Cypress Siding Over Wood Sheathing (Nailed at Studs)

*For application over foam sheathing, add the thickness of the foam to the tabulated nail length.