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seamus1234_gw

Help Fastening Cedar Battons

Seamus1234
9 years ago

Hello,

Just finishing up a garage build. Hardie Vertical 4' x 8' siding with 1" x 4" cedar batts. Down to the batts/trims.

Question is what would be the best or recommend way to attach the batts. I don't have the use of a pneumatic nailing so hand nailing is what I'm looking at. I was thinking of 2 fasteners side-by-side spaced about 24" apart on the cedar batts. Pre-drilling the holes about 1" from the edges and either using exterior wood screws or 8d galvanized nails. Painting over the heads. I'm sure the screws will be more expensive but it might do a better job.

Any thoughts or recommendations? Is predrilling the holes overkill; or can I just nail or screw without the problem of splitting? Is the idea for the batts to be fastened to the studs or is fastening to the hardie and plywood sheeting sufficient?

Comments (4)

  • renovator8
    9 years ago

    For real vertical board and batten siding, the battens are normally only large enough to cover the joints (1x2) and all boards must be nailed to horizontal blocking to avoid cupping.

    If the battens are to be installed over HardiePanel siding in order to imitate board and batten siding, cupping would not be an issue but their instructions do not show nailing of a batten without a stud behind it and your battens are too wide to be nailed to a single stud without the risk of cupping. You might try ripping them in half.

    It's difficult to imagine what kind of screw would have adequate traction in cement board or OSB but you can try and see. Ring shank nails might hold better and screws should work better in plywood sheathing.

    Unless you modify the design you might have to install horizontal blocking every 24".

    To avoid splitting hit the nail on the point to dull it before using it in cedar. Screws would be very slow and be more likely to split the cedar.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Hardie's version of board & batten siding

  • rwiegand
    9 years ago

    Sounds like a great excuse for a new and useful tool. I'd use a framing nailer with 2-1/2 in stainless steel nails and not mess with screws or drilling. A small compressor is infinitely useful and worth buying, you can rent a nail gun for a day pretty cheaply (though once I got a set of nail guns I've never looked back and use them all the time).

    If you can't go for the gun than just hand nail with SS nails. Pre-drill only of you run into a problem with splitting, I wouldn't think you would. Screws are more likely to split due to the thicker shanks, so predrilling might well be needed for screws. Nails will be fine for this application. Batts are typically only nailed into the sheathing, unless your desired spacing hits the studs-- the ones at the joints will be over studs at least. All the fastener has to do is hold up the batten.

  • millworkman
    9 years ago

    The Hardie siding is the elephant in the room as it will not hold your baton boards and if the fasteners and method of fastening is not to the "T" of the Hardie instructions your warranty is out the window and you very well may have issues with the siding.

  • mushcreek
    9 years ago

    If there is plywood sheathing behind the Hardi, that will probably be enough to hold ring nails. My gable ends are similar, and I used 1X2 battens over the Hardi, with 1/2" sheathing behind it. I put caulking on the back of the batten and shot them with a nail gun. I tried to pull one off, and it was on there good and tight, plus the caulking works as an adhesive, as well as keeping water out of there. You might have a hard time nailing through the Hardi by hand.

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