Cutting Fiber Cement Siding Tips

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Cutting fiber cement siding tips.

If builders don t use shears for cutting the panels they should use a circular saw with a fiber cement blade. However insulated as well as more decorative options such as panels and fillers board and batten shingles 1 octagons and half rounds will cost approximately 6 8 sq ft. There are many cost effective circular saw and vacuum options that meet table 1 requirements for cutting fiber cement. From traditional lap siding to modern farmhouse from cape cod to craftsman socal siding has you covered.

Use your eyeware and ear protection. I have found that the shears cut better from the back side. Even if you do invest in higher end tools the total cost per job is low. At home centers you can buy diamond blades made specifically for cutting fiber cement.

Plus you could potentially cut costs by using a vacuum to extend the life of your tools and reduce cleanup and housekeeping time. Using a cost per square foot metric it s less than a penny per square foot. When cutting fiber cement panels using the right protective equipment and tools is crucial. How to stagger lap siding for walls longer than 12 feet you ll need to butt additional lengths of siding together.

You have to make the cuts very slowly. For a slow but virtually dustless way to cut siding use power shears. Even a carbide tooth blade will last for only part of the day. Additional materials such as nails saw and caulk 2.

Fiber cement siding averages 4 per square foot for standard siding for a total of 770 for the project. When you cut fiber cement it s important you cut it on the back side explains tim larson with allura. We use the bullet tools cutter and a shear for dust free cutting. Fiber cement siding hardiplank cutting tips.

Cut the frieze board to length photo 3. Fiberboard cement siding is highly abrasive. These are specialized to reduce the dust caused from cutting these planks. To keep dust to a minimum use a circular saw that s equipped with either a dust collection bag or electric fan that blows dust into a bucket.

These blades cut quickly and create less dust. When cutting fiber cement siding with circular saw use a blade that has only four or six teeth. You can make your own fiber cement starter strip by ripping a piece of hardieplank lap siding into 1 1 4 inch strips.