Category Habitat for Humanity International

IN ADDITION TO VINYL SIDING, there are three more exterior finisies to consider if you’re inter­ested in affordability, low maintenance, and attrac­tive appearance:

Composite wood. These planks are made the same way as OSB sheathing panels, but they look like solid-wood clapboards or horizontal lap siding when installed. This siding comes with a factory-applied primer coat, and it needs to be painted after instal­lation. Composite-wood planks don’t split, crack, or warp like solid-wood siding does, but they may not be a wise choice in extremely wet climates.

Stucco. Two tyaes of stucco finishes can be applied to house exteriors. Lightweight acrylic-type stucco treatments are available for application over specially prepared foam insulation board. And old – fashioned Portland cement-based stucco can be applied to masonry walls and to wire lath that’s been fastened to wall sheathing or directly to studs. It’s best to hire experienced professional crews to do these treatments. In hot, sunny cli­
mates, stucco stands up better than most other sid­ing treatments.

Tl-11. This plywood paneling can serve as both sheathing and finish siding, so it can be a real money saver. Tl-11 typically comes in 4×8 sheets and is available in different thicknesses. The "good" side of the panel has a rough-sawn wood finish that is divided lengthwise by a series of parallel grooves. A house sided with Tl-11 has a rustic appearance.

The panels are installed just like regular sheath­ing is—эу nailing through the plywood into the studs and plates. Be sure to use galvanized nails. The long edge of each panel is milled to meet in a lap joint. Tl-11 needs the protection of a good exterior paint or stain for the sake of appearance and longevity. Although it’s not a good long-term (20 years or more) siding, it enables you to cut down on construction costs and provides a workable base for subsequent siding treatments. Vinyl siding, fiber-cement siding, clapboards, and shingles can all be applied right over Tl-11.

range from T in. to 8 in.; there’s even a wide» single-board siding panel with a decorative bead along the bottom edge. Manufacturers offer most of their siding with either a smooth surface or a textured, wood-grain finish.

When choosing a siding color, hear in mind that it will fade slightly over time. Also, darker siding will absorb more heat and expand more than light-colored vinyl.

To estimate how much siding vou’ll need, refer to the sidebar on p. 150. Keep in mind that when vou buy vinvl siding, vou’re act nail v buying a comprehensive system of siding components: siding panels, J-channel, inside

and outside corner pieces, and other types of trim designed to simplify the installation and enhance the appearance. Siding manufacturers also make compatible vinyl soffit paneling and other components, such as vents, electrical outlet covers, and special exterior trim. It’s smart to get an overview of the full range of compatible products before you order siding. Go online to visit manufacturers Web sites or call to request product information (see Resources on p. 278).

EACH PHASE OF A HOMEBUILDING PROJECT OFFERS A NEW SET OF CHALLENGES

and rewards, but the work that we do in this chapter is especially exciting. The big, stick-framed box we’ve built is about to receive a beautiful skin, with windows and doors added to make it weatherproof. By the time we’ve finished the tasks in this chapter, the house will show oil" its finished exterior appearance. And with the inside protected from the elements, we arc free to take on all the interior work ahead.

As I mentioned in chapter 4, its common practice in some parts of the country to sheathe wood-framed walls before they are raised rather than after. In other areas, sheathing is eliminated and diagonal steel or wood braces arc installed to nelp walls resist shear forces. Certain types of exterior siding (such as fiber cement) can be nailed directly to the studs and do not require sheathing underneath (see the sidebar on pp. 160-161).

We are sheathing this house with two materials that share the same —in. thick – ness. Structural wood panels (oriented strand board, or OSB) are used in the cor­ners, where they provide necessary shear strength. To cover the framing between the OSB panels, rigid foam insulation board is fastened against the studs and plates.

1 Install the Remaining Sheathing and the Rough Exterior Trim

2 Install the Housewrap and Flash Openings

3 Set the Windows and Doors

4 Complete Ventilation and Electrical Work

5 Install the Starter Strips and the Trim for Vinyl Siding

6 Install the Siding Panels

7 Finish the Soffits

8 Cover Exterior Trim with Aluminum Cladding

Lighter and less expensive than wood pan­els, rigid foam sheets are easy to handle, cut, and install. Their insulating value improves the home’s energy performance, augmenting the R-value of the fiberglass baits installed between the studs.

We won’t make much sawdust in this chap­ter. Instead, we’ll learn which tools and tech­niques are needed to install vinyl siding and prefinished aluminum coil stock. This plastic and sheet metal exterior is quite different from the redwood siding and trim I used ear­lier in my construction career. Depending on your budget, your personal preferences, and the local availability, there are many siding and trim possibilities. Out West, where I’ve done the most building, fiber-cement siding is often used; it has been installed on quite a few Habitat houses in western states. For a c. oser look at this type of siding, see the sidebar on
pp. 160-161. There are other affordable, low – maintenance siding options to consider, too.

A few of them are described briefly on the

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facing page.

Vinyl Siding

It’s not difficult to understand the popularity of vinyl siding. It’s affordable, widely available, easy to install, and maintenance-free. Vinyl windows, vents, soffit material, and other components are designed to be compatible with vinyl siding, and there are plenty of colors, surface textures, and styles from which to choose. You’ll find vinyl siding on compact, affordable houses like the one fea­tured in this book, as well as on expensive custom-built homes.

Horizontal siding is the most popular type of vinyl siding, and most styles are designed to look like wood clapboards. Clapboard widths

At the ridge, many builders install ridge shingles on the roof ends with a ridge vent between them. An alternative is to install the ridge vent across the entire roof, even though the ends of the vent (located over the gable – end overhangs) are not functional. Some ridge vents do not require a cap of roof shingles, but others do. No matter which type of ridge vent von use, follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding its installation (see the photo at left).

Ridge shingles arc easy to make—simply cut regular three-tab shingles into three pieces, as shown in the top left photo on the facing page. Lay the shingle upside-down on a piece of plywood and cut it with a utility knife. Start at the top of a slot and angle inward slightly in both directions toward the top of the shingle, cutting out a small triangle of waste. These shingles cover the ridge at both ends of the

roof and arc overlapped to show a 5-in. reveal, just like regular shingles. The angled portion of each ridge shingle is covered by the exposed part of the next shingle.

To ensure that both the ridge shingles and the ridge vent are installed straight, I like to snap a blue chalkline about 5 n. to 6 in. down one side of the ridge. N’o one but the eagles I may see this, but it only takes a couple of minutes to do it right, and it’s important to
develop good habits. Fasten the ridge shingles securely with l/:-in. roofing nails. Some ridge vents must also be installed with long nails. Cover exposed nail heads with a good-size dab of roofing tar.

Nice work! This peak experience gives the house its most important protection from the elements. When a roof is installed prop­erly, you don’t have to worry about it for a long time.

With some people using nailers and other volunteers hammering, the panels go down quickly. . .

After lunch, we shift from sheathing to shingling. . .

The scent of cut wood is replaced by the smell of asphalt; pretty soon, we’re hoisting shingles onto the roof.

When a porch roof intersects the main roof at a right angle, a valley is formed. Shingles can be laid across a vallev in different wavs.

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A woven valley is formed by weaving shingles across the valley, alternately overlapping from the main roof onto the porch roof, then vice versa. When properly done, a woven valley is watertight. Let each course of shingles overlap the valley by at least 12 in. and keep nails 8 in. or more from the centerline of the vallev.

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An alternative to a woven valley is a closed, or cut, valley. To create a cut valley, let all shingle courses from the main roof lap across the porch valley by at least 12 in. Don’t alter­nate back and forth from the main roof to the porch roof. After the shingles are laid on the main roof, lay the shingles on the porch roof

Install step flashing at roof-wall intersections

Use metal step flashing to waterproof the intersection where a roof butts into a wall. Usually made from aluminum or copper, metal step flashing is bent to form a series

of elongated, L-shaped pieces that ere lapped over each other in successive shingle courses as well as upward along the wall. The step flashing we used on this house is 10 in. by 6 in., and each leg is 3 in. wide.

The illustration at left shows how step flashing is installed on each course of shingles that runs into a wall. (Its also used where shingles meet a chimney or a skylight curb.) Each time a regular shingle is laid covvn, a step shingle is placed under it—on the part of the regular shingle that will be covered. Lap step shingles by about 2 in. One nail above the tar strip should be enough to hold each step shingle in place. As each successive course of shingles is nailed in place, a portion of the step shingle on the roof is covered. Later, when the wall is covered with siding or stucco, the vertical leg will be covered as well.

HERE IN THE WEST, we try to order shingles the day before they will be installed. Suppliers arrive with a hoist and stack both shingles and felt paper directly onto the roof. An expe­rienced celivery person knows to stack bundles of shingles about 6 ft. apart on both sides of the roof.

The other way to get shin­gles onto the roof is the hard way—hoisting one bundle at a time. If you must haul roofing shingles up to the roof yourself, make sure you have a secure ladder that is positioned prop­erly and is 2 ft. to 3 ft taller than the roof. It’s a good idea to nail a temporary 2x tread at the spot on the roof where you will step off the lad­der. This tread provides a solid foothold where you need it most.

Bust the bundle. Shingles are much easier to carry if you "bust" the bundle first. Pick up a bun­dle and lay it across a sawhorse. Push down on both

ends until the bundle curves downward. A curved bundle is easier and safer to carry on your shoulder than a straight, stiff one (see the photo at left).

Pick up the bundle by bend­ing your knees and draping the bundle over your shoulder. This is not always easy, because a bundle of shingles can weigh as much as 80 lb. Ascend the ladder slowly and watch your balance. Don’t throw down bundles between rafters, or you could break the OSB sheathing. Just set them on the roof without a lot of force, and space the bundles so that they’re easy to grab while you’re shingling.

STARTER COURSE, SECOND LAYER. This shingle layer, and every subsequent course, is installed right side up (tabs down). Position the first shingle of this top layer flush with the lower edge of the bottom layer, with one of its short edges on the second vertical offset line.

It doesn’t make any difference whether vou go to the right or the left of the second vertical line—all that matters is that the tabs of this top layer are offset from the tabs of the bot­tom layer by 6 in. Nail each and every shingle the same way. Use four /-in. roofing nails and drive one nail about 1 in. from each edge and one nail above each slot. Drive all nails just below the tar strip and above the cutout.

REMAINING COURSES. Start several courses of shingles, offsetting each by 6 in. This allows other shinglers to work in both directions. Hold each new course of shingles to the 5-in. horizontal mark above the last course, alter­nating shingle ends on the vertical marks. This establishes a pattern with a 6-in. offset on each shingle.

At vent pipes, install a roof jack, or metal flashing, over the vent to keep out water. Install shingles below the pipes centerline beneath the flashing. Install those above the centerline on top of the flashing (see the top photo on the facing page). The flashing can be nailed near the top corners of the tin, before

shingles are laid on top of it. Don’t nail the bottom corners down, though, as this could cause the flashing to leak.

At the gable ends, cut the shingles to length before nailing them in position. Mark the length and cut them from the back with a util­ity knife. Rather than carrying a square, 1 use another shingle as a straightedge to guide the cut and a third shingle as a protective base below the cut. At the top, cut the shingles flush with the sheathing that was cut back to accommodate the ridge vent.

TO OBTAIN THE RIGHT LAYOUT,

try this two-step method:

1. Measure across the roof from out side edge to outside edge (parallel with the eave wall), including the planned overhang distance for the shingles. For example, let’s assume that the shingles will overhang the drip edge by / in. Measure in yards

(since the length of a standard shingle is 36 in.), plus remaining inches.

2. Measure in from the left edge by a round number of yards (sav, 5 yards) and mark that distance on the roof. Then refer to the chart below to ensure that all the shingles at the edges of the roof will beat least 13 in. wide (a full tab, plus 3 in.).

Example: Lets say the total dis­tance across the roof, from gable end to gable end, is 10 yd. and 13 in. (including the ‘/-in. overhang at both ends). When you check the charts recommendations for a roof with a 13-in. remainder (12 in. to 15 in. is the range), you’ll see that the recom­mended offsets are 3 in. and 9 in.

From the reference mark at 3 yd., make marks 3 in. to the

left and 9 in. to the left of the reference mark. You now have an offset of 6 in., or half the width of a shingle tab, between courses. Staggering the courses like this—so that the breaks between the tabs don’t stack up on top of each other— prevents water from seeping beneath the shin­gles. Make the З-in. and 9-in. offset marks at the bottom of the roof, near the eave, and at the top, near the ridge. Snap chalklines between the marks to establish your vertical start lines.

Install the shingles

Follow the vertical and horizontal lines and start nailing down shingles. Make the starter course two layers thick to provide extra pro­tection at the roof’s edge.

STARTER COURSE, BOTTOM LAYER. All shingles (including wood) are meant to overlap» pro­viding a double layer of protection from the elements. That’s why the starter course must be two layers thick. For the first layer, lay the shingles the “wrong” way so that the three tabs lace up. The stone surface should also face up (see the photo below). Hold the long part of the shingle to the starter line and the right edge of the shingle to one of the vertical offset lines that you snapped near the center of the roof. With either a hammer or a pneumatic nailer, drive four л-in. large head roofing nails into each shingle just above the tar strip (see the illustration on p. 139). T he tar strip is near the center of each shingle and bonds one course to the next, keeping everything in place when the wind blows. Run these shingles up the gable ends, loo. Remember to use shorter nails around the perimeter of the roof if the house has open caves. Butt the starter shingles tightly to each other.

If vou live in a verv vvindv area, you can make the starter course even more secure with I just a little extra effort. For the bottom layer of I the starter course, cut off the three tabs on each shingle just below the tar strip. Snap a line the width of this narrower shingle around I the roof’s perimeter. When you install the nar­row shingles, the tar strip will be very close to the edge of the roof. Nail the narrow shingles. in. or so from the roof’s edge with their tar strips down. When the sun heats up the tar strip, this layer of shingles will be sealed to the roofing felt below.

DETERMINING THE QUANTITY of materials needed to cover and shingle a roof is rather easy. First, measure the roof to determine its square footage. Add the width of both sides of the roof and multi­ply that number by the length of the roof. Let’s look at an example: A roof with an overall width of 28 ft. and a length of 46 ft. has a total area of 1,288 sq. ft., which I’d round up to 1,300 sq. ft.

Figure felt paper first. The first material you will need is felt paper. The coverage you can obtain from a roll of felt paper varies, but it’s often 300 sq. ft. (to make sure, ask your building – materials supplier). Divide 1,300 sq. ft. by 300 sq. ft. for a total of 4.33 or 4Уз rolls. Buy five rolls of felt paper, because you’ll need the extra to com­pensate for overlap and to seal around the plumb­ing vents.

Shingles come in bundles and are ordered by the square. One bundle of standard-size shingles covers 33.3 sq. ft. Three bundles cover 100 sq. ft.

(10 ft. by 10 ft.), which is called a square. It takes 13 squares (39 bundles) to cover a l,300-sq.-ft. roof. Order at least two extra bundles to make up for the ridge cap, the valley lap, and waste.

In addition to the shingles, you’ll also need a ridge vent. Measure the length of the ridge to deter­mine the size you’ll need. Depending on the manu­facturer’s recommendations, vents can extend all the way across the ridge or to within 2 ft. of the roof’s edge at each end.

Don’t forget the nails. Buy 7/s-in. roofing nails for the shingles (about 1 lb. per square) anc ІУИп. nails for the ridge vent (about Vz lb.). Buy cuil nails if you are using a pneumatic nailer. If the eave overhangs will be exposed, buy 2 lbs. of Уз-in. roof­ing nails; longer nails that penetrate the roof sheathing are unsightly. You’ll also need about 5 lbs. of plastic-head roofing nails to hold the felt paper in place on a roof this size. Add a tube or two of asphalt caulk to cover any exposed nails and to seal around the plumbing vents.

shingles relied more heat than dark ones do. For this reason, people living in the southern part of the United States tend to prefer light – colored shingles. People living further north often select darker shingles.

Lay out the shingles

With some simple layout, your shingles can look like a professional installed them. Poorly laid shingles may keep out water, hut they just don’t look appealing. Admittedly, not many people visit your home just to see whether your shingle pattern is pleasing to the eye, hut good workers lake pride in doing things right. When 1 was framing tract houses (500 at a time), I knew roofers who could start in one
corner and shingle an entire roof without

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snapping a chalkline and do a neat, proper job. That’s skill. The rest of us need to snap a few lines to keep the materials oriented correctly.

BASIC MEASUREMENTS. Before snapping a chalkline for the first shingle course (the starter course), determine the distance the shingles will extend beyond the drip edge.

11 ere in Oregon, shingles typically lap over the edge by about V: in. I worked on houses in Georgia where the shingle overhang was about 2 in. T hey drooped in the hot sun and provided the roof with a nice-looking detail. Just be aware that a large shingle overhang presents a greater surface area to heavy winds,

Back in the days when 1 was a roof shingler, I hardly ever saw asphalt or fiberglass (compo­sition) shingles. Being a shingler meant work­ing with wood shingles. Now in most parts of the country, I see wood shingles used more often on the sides of buildings than on roofs. Composition shingles are more popular because they are faster to install and more resistant to lire.

Give some thought as to the color and style ol the shmules that vou want on your house. Л new stvlc of architectural shingle that casts a

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shadow has become popular. Light-colored

Now that the house has been framed and sheathed, its time to seal it from the elements.

As long as you are able to work safely on a roof, voucan cover it with rooting felt and shingles. It’s best if all the plumbing and beating vents are through the root before you install the felt.

If that isn’t possible, just make sure they’re installed before you begin shingling.

Roll out the felt paper

Felt paper, sometimes called tar paper or builder’s felt, is the first protective layer installed over roof sheathing. This material has evolved in a fashion similar to that of a candvbar. In the old davs, you could buv a good-size candy bar for a nickel. Today, you getamuch smaller bar at a higher price.

Similarly, the felt paper available today is much lighter, even though it’s sti. l sold as

15- lb. and 30-lb. felt. I like to use 30-lb. felt for theunderlayment because it provides extra protection and the cost difference isn’t that
great. Roofing felt has horizontal lines marked

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on it. Follow a line that provides a minimum 4-in. lap as you roll one row over another.

Follow nailing guidelines

Some builders like lo snap a chalkline on the sheathing 36 in. up from the edge of the gutter or fascia board and lav the first roll of felt

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to that line. This makes the roll lay down straight. Alternatively, you can hold the felt Hush with the edge of the roof. Unroll the felt Hat (with no bumps or wr nkles) and tack it down with roofing tacks. A roofing tack is a small nail with a large plastic button (gener­ally green, orange, or red) on top (see the bottom photo on p. 136). Stepping on felt that is not nailed well can cause you to slip off the roof, so use plenty of roofing tacks (6 in. o. c. at the bottom and ends and 10 in. o. c. from top to bottom every 24 in. o. c. across the roof). Roofing tacks hold the felt in place, which is especially important if the roof won’t be shingled for several days. Pick up any tacks that fall to the ground so that no one steps on them. Finally, trim the felt flush with the gable ends.

Whether you are tacking down roofing felt or nailing on shingles, it’s important in con­sider whether the nails can be seer, from below. When the eaves around t he house are open (no soffit), a long nail penetrates the roof sheathing and is visible to anyone who looks up. I kindreds of shiny nails sticking through the plywood or OSB is ur at tractive. Therefore, when tacking felt around the perimeter of the roof, take care to nail the tacks into the barge rafters and gable-end rafters—not just through the sheathing into the air. When nailing shingles, use %-in. nails at the gable overhangs and eaves. When work­ing over the house frame, nails that penetrate the sheathing in the attic are not a problem.

Seal twice around vents

The vent pipes that extend through the roof are flashed with special rubber or metal boots when the shingles are installed. But here in rainy Oregon, roofers take the time to make a double seal around these pipes. This is sort of like wearing a slicker and carrying an umbrella, too—but there’s no such thing as being too careful when it comes to roofs and water. To provide this extra protection, cut a 3-ft.-sq. piece of felt and cut a hole in the center the size of the vent pipe. Slip the felt over the vent and seal around the pipe with a tube of roofing tar. Do the same when you roll out the long strips of roofing felt. Cut the sec­ond layer of felt around each vent and again seal it around the pipe with roofing tar. You can lap the fell over the ridge, but remember to cut it away when you shingle to permit air­flow into the ridge vent.

Protect valleys and intersections

When a porch roof intersects the main root at a right angle, valleys are created on each side of the intersection. Valleys divert more water

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than a regular gable roof does, so I always pro­vide extra protection in the form of flashing.

I like to roll at least two lavers of 30-lb. felt

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right down the center of the valley. Even bet­ter is to cover the valley area with a sheet of 90-lb. rolled roofing. Then, when you install regular roofing felt, lay each row 12 in. or more beyond the valley and keep all roofing tacks at least 12 in. from the center of the valley. This technique provides a double layer of protection prior to shingling.

When working on a roof that butts into the sidewall of a house (a porch roof connected to a gable end, for example), lap the felt on the sidewall by at least 6 in. to prevent leaks at the intersection.

Install a drip edge

Once the fell is in place, make i: more secure around the edges bv installing sections of vinyl or metal drip edge. Drip edge is an L-shaped metal or vinyl flashing that comes in 10-ft. sections. One leg of the I profile extends about 13 in. up the roof; the other leg extends down the fascia or barge rafter by the same distance (see the bottom photo on the facing page). It has a slight lip on the lower edge to divert water from the roof.

Using roofing nails, install the drip edge wider the felt at the eaves and on top of the felt at the rakes, or gable ends. Space nails about 2 ft. apart. Where one length of edging joins another, overlap the joint by about 4in. Along the gable ends, make sure the top length of the drip edge laps over the one below. At the corners, cut a pie-shaped slice out of the top section. This allows you to bend the drip edge at a 90-degree angle and nail it around the corner. At the ridge, make a plumb nit in the vertical leg and bend the edge over the ridge, allowing the plumb cut to overlap, as shown in the illustration above.

A SAFE STRATEGY for hoisting sheathing onto a roof is to build a simple staging platform, as shown in the photo at right. Nail the platform’s two horizontal supports (a pair of 2x4s works fine) to the wall framing or, if the wall has been sheathed already, to a 2x cleat nailed through the sheathing and into the studs. The supports must be a couple of feet above the bottom plate of the wall. Space them about 32 in. apart, and make them roughly level. Support the outboard end of the platform with 2x legs firmly attached to the horizontal supports. Nail a 2x on top of the platform near the outer end to provide addi­tional stability. If necessary, install diagonal braces between the supports and the legs or the wall fram­ing for added strength. Then set 4×8 sheets of ply­wood or OSB on edge on the platform; workers on the roof can grab the sheets as needed.

drive up my heart rate at the beginning of the day but not an experience I’d care to repeat, lake care, and stay aware.

Measure 4814 in. from the edge of the gutter or fascia board at each end of the roof and snap a chalkline. Lay the first row of plywood or OSB so that the top edge is right on this line (see the photo at left). Make sure the sheathing extends past the gable-end truss all the way to the barge rafter, which the sheath­ing helps support. Lay the slick side of the OSB down. Kail the sheets with 8d nails at 6 in. o. c. at the edges and 12 in. o. c. in the field. Be sure to nail all the boards.

Before vou start the second row of sheath-

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і tig, put plywood 11-dips, centered between the rafter chords, on the first row (see the photo on the lacing page). Required on ‘/An.

sheathing (but not on %-in. sheathing), these clips hold each row together and make the roof’s surface stronger. Start the second row at one end with a 4-ft.-scj. sheet so that the courses will he staggered, just as they are with floor sheathing. Continue sheatiing until von reach the top. If a ridge vent will be installed, leave a gap at the ridge so that air inside the attic can move up into the vent. If the vent is available, read the manufacturers instructions regarding the size of the gap and check with your building inspector regarding these con­struction details. The gap need not run all the way to the barge rafter. Start it about 1 ft. in on the main rook