Cladding Installation

[gregt]

I'm about to reclad the rono with Hardiplank woodgrain. Is there any methodology to laying the planks in regards to the joins? I recall something about it but it has escaped me. I think there was a name for it. Or just chuck them up and stagger the joints.
Greg

[lbgking]

Are you talking about off stud joiners?

[Barry_White]

With my place I used the plastic "H" joiners that have a woodgrain pattern in the front face and these allow you to place the joins anywhere but certainly stagger the joins. In fact these actually work better away from the studs because they will hold the cladding away from the stud and show a bump in the wall.

[gregt]

I'm using the "H" stlye plastic joiners not the soaker type joiners as I can't see what they do? I was mainly refering to any type of pattern that you should try and follow ie: first sheet 800 long, next one up 1200 long, next one 1600 long.....
Maybe I'm just being fussy and should put them up randomly (staggered of course)

[silentC]

It depends very much on the job. How many openings, how long the run is etc. Main points to keep in mind:

1. No joins directly over a stud
2. Try to have the shortest board span at least 3 studs. If this means cutting a board at the beginning of the run so that you end up with at least 900 at the other end, do so.
3. Try to work it so that you use the offcuts consistently. ie. Start the first row with a full board, start the next with an offcut.
4. Use up your shortest offcuts first.

Soakers are used at the corners, not to join boards. You either use the H or you use a hidden joiner (gal clip that goes behind the board). Personally I prefer the latter.

How are you doing the corners?

[gregt]

Thanks for that.
I'm using the aluminium formed corners. Not sure why but they look alright. A little more fiddley but neater I think. I should post some pics. Is there a link on how to post pics and stuff?

[silentC]

Sorry, got myself mixed up there. The soaker jointers are the ones I prefer. They also set the lap for you because they sit on the board below. They don't cover the gap though, so your cuts need to be neat and you have to fill them.

For the corners, I prefer a continuous strip which the boards butt up against. But that's a personal thing. I prefer the square profile to the sawtooth look the individual corners give you.

There is a link somewhere on posting pictures. I think it's a sticky under the Woodworking Pics forum perhaps...