How to Install Hardy Board Siding on a Stud Framed Wall

Layer your studs with the felt paper to provide a moisture barrier for the siding. Unroll a roll of felt paper across the length of the wall and cut it with a utility knife. Use a hammer tacker to staple the row of felt paper to the bottom section of wall along the studs. Add another row on top of that and overlap it by at least two inches. Work your way up from the bottom, repeating the process until you cover the wall.

Install your first row of siding along the bottom of your wall. For installations on top of decks or patios, leave at least two inches of spacing between the bottom row and the deck floor. Nail a “kicker” strip along the bottom edge of your installation, which forces the siding to angle outwards and down. Fasten a strip of the cement siding on top of this, with the bottom edge of the siding kicked out. Nail the siding to the studs along the nail line inscribed on the siding.

Work your way across the first row until you have completed the entire row. Measure your cuts with a tape measure and pencil. Cut the boards by scoring them with a razor knife along the line and then snapping the waste piece upwards to separate them. You can also use electric cutting shears to cut the boards down to size.

Place flashing strips behind all vertical joints. You can either use flashing strips purchased from your local home improvement store, or you can use scraps of the felt paper that are cut down to size with the utility knife. The goal is to have an extra layer of protection behind all of the vertical joints to force any moisture to run down to the drip lines that are part of the top section of each board.

Layer the wall row by row and work your way up from the bottom to the top. Each row needs to overhang the row below by at least one and one-quarter of an inch. For best results, only nail the boards along the nail line that is inscribed in the face, with the overlapping piece covering the nails for the piece below.