Nails or screws for old cedar siding?

Nails or screws for old cedar siding?

I'm painting a house I just bought (my very first house), and I have a
question:

Several of the old cut-nails used to hold the siding on are loose, and
therefore the siding is loose. I'm in the process of sanding now, but
when I prime/paint, I want to secure the siding back to the house.
Should I use nails or screws?

At first, I thought, "Screws, absolutely." But do I WANT the siding
to be able to move around a little on the nail? Vinyl siding is put
up loose.

Thanks.

Phil Crow

Re: Nails or screws for old cedar siding?

Painted siding should not move. Painted siding gets caulked and sealed so
that it will not absorb water and moisture and when it is heated by the sun
or cooled by the weather it should remain inert. If water happens to get in
the siding will swell and shrink like a barometer.
I would use screws and stainless type, that have a pre-drill head and
possible bugle head with (seat-cleaning threads) these are trim and deck and
siding screws. They are expensive.
A person can seat these and caulk.
If the siding is clap siding or paint stain, it will absorb moisture and
tend to work......
If using nails use a rim shank type.....
Good luck.
jloomis
<phildcrow@gmail . com > wrote in message
news:f8fc415d-6522-4a6f-b691-650b1a8eee2b@f63g2000hsf.googlegroups . com ...
> I'm painting a house I just bought (my very first house), and I have a
> question:
>
> Several of the old cut-nails used to hold the siding on are loose, and
> therefore the siding is loose. I'm in the process of sanding now, but
> when I prime/paint, I want to secure the siding back to the house.
> Should I use nails or screws?
>
> At first, I thought, "Screws, absolutely." But do I WANT the siding
> to be able to move around a little on the nail? Vinyl siding is put
> up loose.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Phil Crow

Re: Nails or screws for old cedar siding?

jloomis wrote:
> Painted siding should not move. Painted siding gets caulked and sealed ...

No, it should not be caulked (except perhaps at a corner). It is left
w/ bottom edges uncaulked specifically so any moisture has a path out
rather than pooling and being trapped behind...

For OP, agree a ring-shank siding nail would be fine--depending on the
sheathing, make sure you're nailing into something solid--may not be
anything solid-enough except at the wall studs if it's a fairly new
house. If it's old enough, the sheathing may be solid underneath.

--

Re: Nails or screws for old cedar siding?

some sidings are open bottom......ship lap, clapboard, etc. some sidings
are not. tongue and groove, and v-rustic.........I guess it depends on what
type of siding you are talking about when it comes to caulking.
I would not caulk a clapboard or shiplap, but would a t & g or
v-rustic.... . it is made to be sealed tight.....
jloomis
"dpb" <none@non . net > wrote in message news:fvkfcg$tjd$1@aioe.org...
> jloomis wrote:
>> Painted siding should not move. Painted siding gets caulked and sealed
>> ...
>
> No, it should _not_ be caulked (except perhaps at a corner). It is left
> w/ bottom edges uncaulked specifically so any moisture has a path out
> rather than pooling and being trapped behind...
>
> For OP, agree a ring-shank siding nail would be fine--depending on the
> sheathing, make sure you're nailing into something solid--may not be
> anything solid-enough except at the wall studs if it's a fairly new house.
> If it's old enough, the sheathing may be solid underneath.
>
> --

Re: Nails or screws for old cedar siding?


"jloomis" <jloomis@ocean . net > wrote in message
news:fvlgpo0r65@news1.newsguy . com ...
> some sidings are open bottom......ship lap,
> clapboard, etc. some sidings are not. tongue and
> groove, and v-rustic.........I guess it depends on
> what type of siding you are talking about when it
> comes to caulking.
> I would not caulk a clapboard or shiplap, but would a
> t & g or v-rustic.... . it is made to be sealed
> tight.....

T & G if installed right should not be caulked. If
it is put on up side down as I have seen, then yes it
should be caulked

Re: Nails or screws for old cedar siding?

jloomis wrote:
> some sidings are open bottom......ship lap, clapboard, etc. some sidings
> are not. tongue and groove, and v-rustic.........I guess it depends on what
> type of siding you are talking about when it comes to caulking.
> I would not caulk a clapboard or shiplap, but would a t & g or
> v-rustic.... . it is made to be sealed tight.....

Not a one I've ever seen should be caulked...

--

Re: Nails or screws for old cedar siding?

Maybe what I am talking about is what a painter does when he fill small gaps
and spaces and nail marks.....
Not that the entire length of the joint should be caulked....
V-Rustic stands alone fine......A heavy bodied paint will seal the joints
also....
jloomis

"dpb" <none@non . net > wrote in message news:fvlhip$e8g$1@aioe.org...
> jloomis wrote:
>> some sidings are open bottom......ship lap, clapboard, etc. some sidings
>> are not. tongue and groove, and v-rustic.........I guess it depends on
>> what type of siding you are talking about when it comes to caulking.
>> I would not caulk a clapboard or shiplap, but would a t & g or
>> v-rustic.... . it is made to be sealed tight.....
>
> Not a one I've ever seen should be caulked...
>
> --

Re: Nails or screws for old cedar siding?

jloomis wrote:
> Maybe what I am talking about is what a painter does when he fill small gaps
> and spaces and nail marks.....

That's entirely different...
> Not that the entire length of the joint should be caulked....

Correct...

--

Re: Nails or screws for old cedar siding?

phildcrow@gmail . com wrote:
> I'm painting a house I just bought (my very first house), and I have a
> question:
>
> Several of the old cut-nails used to hold the siding on are loose, and
> therefore the siding is loose. I'm in the process of sanding now, but
> when I prime/paint, I want to secure the siding back to the house.
> Should I use nails or screws?
>
> At first, I thought, "Screws, absolutely." But do I WANT the siding
> to be able to move around a little on the nail? Vinyl siding is put
> up loose.

Use SS ring shank nails that are made specifically for siding. They are
much less ugly than screws and are almost invisible if installed
properly. They are soft and will bend if you hit a knot or such, but
otherwise drive pretty well.

Matt

Re: Nails or screws for old cedar siding?

Ok, thanks all. Looks like ring-shanks it is.

Now all I've got to do is get the damn thing painted. Ugh.

Thanks again,
Phil