How to Install 4 x 8 Siding

Put up a layer of tar-based felt paper as a moisture barrier before you install the 4-by-8-foot sheets. Place the felt paper on top of the wall studs, and staple it in place with the hammer tacker, which you use like a hammer, except that it dispenses staples. Cut strips off the roll of paper with a utility knife, and layer the strips up the wall. Apply the upper rows on top of the lower rows, overlapping them by several inches.

Pick your starting point on the outside bottom corner of a wall, and have an assistant help you maneuver the first sheet into place. While your partner holds up the sheet, adjust it with the level until the sheet is plumb to ensure it is level. Drill through the sheet with wood screws to mount the piece on the wall studs, setting the screws every few inches (or according to the siding manufacturer recommendations).

Move your second sheet into place next to the first one, and apply some of the construction adhesive to the part where the two panel edges meet. Have your assistant hold the second piece in place as he did the first sheet, ensure it is level, and screw it into the wall studs. Finish the bottom part of the wall with additional pieces as necessary.

Prep the top edge of the first row for the second row of sheets. Place a row of Z-flashing along the top edge of the first row of sheets, using construction adhesive to glue it to the top edge and the wall studs. Install the second row of sheets the same way you did the first row. Ensure there is at least a 1/4-inch gap between the bottom and upper rows, on top of the flashing.