How To Replace Rotted Clapboard Siding

However the amount of present rot can be deceptive.

How to replace rotted clapboard siding.

Use utility knife and speed square to score the cut line onto new clapboard. We used cedar siding to replace the rotted clapboards. A single rotted clapboard can usually be replaced by the homeowner or the commercial maintenance crew by using the old rotted clapboard as a measurement board for the new siding plank. Clapboard is a throwback to an earlier time when hemlock pine spruce or cedar boards were split lengthwise to produce siding.

Use section of old clapboard to mark the length of the replacement siding. Pry the remaining pieces of old clapboard out from behind the course above. The slices were then nailed. Pry off the rotted boards.

When old claps split rot or warp they can t perform their crucial job of shedding the elements. Such was the case with the quarter sawn old growth white pine clapboards on this 1840s era greek revival house which had enough splits and rot to require replacement. Repair methods for clapboard siding. Here s how to repair damaged clapboards also known as bevel or lap siding.

First to help avoid any future insect damage back prime the cedar with oil based primer image 1. To learn how to repair wood siding remove rotted boards with a flat pry bar. 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. Wedge the board away from the house by driving wedges up under the damaged board to pull it out from the sheathing below.

Cut the clapboard using a 10 teeth per inch crosscut handsaw. Before the siding can go up 1x4 starter strips of treated lumber should be nailed to the sill where the lower most course of siding will go up image 2. Specifically he shows every step in how to remove old. For your clapboard siding repair your best bet for a good match on anything out of the ordinary is a good lumberyard.

Replace the old board with a new one of the same size and shape.