By adding a flush mount attachment it is possible to prevent overdriving nails and banging up the surface of your boards. Many people find themselves pre-drilling their nail holes with particular brands and this can obviously slow down a project. Considering the benefits and the low maintenance costs (most brands have pretty good track records for durability).

In the world of Fiber Cement application most installers have added pneumatic nailers to their ever growing list of power tools. They speed up the installation process, making money for professionals. The question is whether purchasing one makes sense for the DIY.

In terms of improving efficiency, a reputable source figured that the nail gun fired 10-14 nails in the time it takes to hand drive one 2 ½ inch nail. That is roughly a 600% gain in efficiency. The numbers prove to be effective for a contractor and obviously similar efficiency gains transfer over to the DIY. Therefore we just need to address the financial advantages. In other words, is it worth spending the money on a gun if you’re doing a one time installation of 2000 sq ft. It will cost $780 for mid range equipment brand new. My local tool rental shop will provide the same equipment; a compressor, a hose and a gun for $45 a day.

Maybe that is the best comparison. There is little debate over whether the nail gun improves efficiency; it is just a matter of how much you want to spend in addition to the material cost. In my mind, $45/ day is well worth your time. In fact I think it is a great deal. If you don’t have a line up of projects that would validate purchasing a nail gun, then consider renting one for your next siding project.

Tyler Fox

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Sometimes it’s bay windows on the house or even if it is on a custom fireplace. Basically you have 3 choices. 1) You can just butt the stones together and you will get a vertical gap where the stones meet. 2) You can grout the line, but when you do this on stack stone it will look a little different because they aren’t meant to be grouted 3) Last but not least, miter cut the stones carefully and butt them together. This is in my opinion the best way because if you cut the angle correctly the joints will blend well.

Check out this thread from ContractorTalk.com, one of the mason guys on there helped a contractor solve his problem of having to do a fireplace with Cultured Stone but with non-standard angles. I’d like to hear if anyone has better suggestions. It’s like therapy, sometimes it’s good to talk about it.

Cheers,

Dave

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Secondly, the finish that the factory applies is better quality. Applied in a controlled environment, the two coats are evenly distributed over the boards. The first coat is applied and then baked on. The second coat is applied and also baked on. No bugs, streaks or moisture problems. After paint, the boards are coated with a plastic to protect them through transportation. At the end of the day your siding is installed, painted. Some two coat applications can even give you a25 yr. warranty against peeling, blistering etc.

So having said all this, and by way I have friends who paint homes for a living, I would invite a painters perspective on the factory finish versus the field application. I mean what is the argument against this process, it seems too good? Did I mention it’s usually cheaper…..

Tyler Fox

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Here is something that seems to be so basic that no one ever asks it until they get into the situation.

“Where do I start my stone? Top down or bottom up?

Well what I can say is there really isn’t a right or wrong way to do it as long as they stick. The trouble with installing in a fashion that is unconventional is that you will have too many variables to look after. If you are doing the entire wall it may be a little easier, reason being is that you can hide some mistakes either near the ground or near the eves. If you are installing stone veneer as a wainscoting then it would make sense to start top down.

Let me explain, most times if you are only doing the first 3 to 4 feet up the wall you are going to use a ledge to separate the 2 types of siding. Well you want to make sure that your stones are parallel with the ledge. If you install your ledge and then start on the bottom and work your way up, you will likely have a disaster if you don’t snap a chalk line to keep you straight. If you use the foundation as your check to keep the stones straight the results will be disappointing. Take a read on this site it has some opinions on where to start.

The only one that made sense to me and I think everyone was missing it. Start with the corners first. Then decide where you want to go from there. Bottom line there is no wrong way as long as the walls don’t leak and the stone look good.

Dave T.

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A lot of you are asking if there are any short cuts you can take when installing manufactured stone inside the home. i.e. using construction adhesive instead of a mortar. Inside or out, its best to stick to” Best Practices”, use the products the manufacturers recommend in there warranty guidelines. In short, use a mortar.

If you haven’t used any cement type products before, don’t be scared of them. If you follow the directions, it can be very easy to use and clean up depending on the scale of your project. Anyone’s that’s made a mess up with construction adhesives or had a tube explode in your gun, knows that not the case here.

I recently found a web site called “Contractors Talk“. It’s a forum of Pro installers talking to other Pros’. There’s vast array of construction topics just like this. What I like about it, at least in the topics that I’ve visited, there seem to be more than just two guys discussing one topic so you get more than one opinion.

Check it out.

Build it well

Stevo

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In general kitchens, bathrooms and exteriors offer the highest percentage returns, or in other words these projects tend to recoup 80-90% of the money you spend on them. There is a website www.bankrate.com that will provide accurate numbers on which renovations show the best returns in different American markets.

Kitchens, in the modern home tend to be the focal point of the interior. It is an area to which people naturally gravitate and prospective buyers are going to pay close attention to the layout and appliances. The function and aesthetics of a kitchen seem to leave solid impressions on people.

Bathrooms seem to have the ability to recoup a fair amount of their costs as well. I have no idea why bathrooms recoup costs.

Siding however, we can talk about. Would you leave your child out in the rain for ten years with an ugly coat? A coat that comes apart at the seams and funnels water into their socks? Probably not.

Siding is the same. It is a renovation that, coupled with the roof, protects the rest of your investment from the elements. It has the ability to draw some curb appeal or attention to your exterior while protecting your home from leaks and eventually mildew and rot. At the end of the day it is the renovation that will put the most money back in your pocket.

Good Day.

Tyler Fox

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For example I moved into a house with my family when I was younger. The previous owner had installed a large marine style propeller in the upstairs ceiling. The propeller sucked the hot air out of the house and into the attic where it dissipated. It was very efficient and I think in the summer everyone in our family appreciated it. As a young kid I was quite fond of having a powerful red propeller in our house. At bargaining time however, Mom and Dad seemed more concerned about purchasing a house with a high powered boat prop spinning above there children’s heads, than they did with potential cooling system. You can imagine the bargaining that went on between this boat enthusiast and my mother in terms of what this propeller offered the prospective party. Needless to say his project added very little to the house in terms of value for the seller. The message here being that this fellow may have been better off, financially, adding some plants and a new garage door.

When it comes to return on your renovation the most recent information I’ve come across is that siding and kitchen renovations are the most cost efficient. Siding provides curb appeal, offering onlookers some color and fresh lines. It provides a basis for your landscaping, windows, roofing and so on. It is a good central place to start. The kitchen is the busiest room in the house, providing a meeting spot for the family and guests as well as providing the space for your appliances. So in the world of limited income these are important choices. Consult with people locally or trust your instincts, but in either case try and compliment your home and your neighborhood.

Tyler Fox

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Many people who use stone , do so because they’re looking for a low maintenance product, so to compliment that product it would make sense to use another like fiber cement. The wide selection of available profiles such as lap siding and shingle ’s gives you many design options, this photo gives you the idea of what I’m talking about.

Cheers,

David Tomson

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Although there are basic trims that you can get to separate the 2 types of siding the best way is with this trim shown in this photo. This for anyone that is wondering was done in our Ready Stack Rustic Suede. In my opinion one of the best looking stones available, although some of that has to do with how it matches the rest of the theme on the home.

Cheers,

Dave Tomson

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Most of the problems surrounding siding are water related. More often than not, with lap siding anyways, the damage is a result of wind driven rain getting through the butt joints. Maybe you find that your tar paper or (in some cases newspaper) has very little life left in it and the structural timbers are wet or even beginning to rot. Although it probably isn’t in the budget, fix this stuff while you have the chance, seek it out and repair it. Put your siding off for two days and tend to any thing you find in disrepair. The other option is pretty bleak, i.e removing your new siding in 6 months to fix an old problem.

As far as a builders tips go “Ask the Builder” is providing some good information on installation techniques to ensure that water stays out of your butt joints. He uses a miniature flashing behind the caulking, pretty clever.

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