How to Replace and Fix Tongue and Groove Wood Siding
Tongue and groove siding is an interlocking building material that serves to beautify your house and protect it from water and sunlight. Because it is directly exposed to the elements, siding is susceptible to damage over time. Sun can deteriorate wood fiber, and insects and birds can bore holes into the wood. Water can cause warping and cracking. Wood cleaner will remove sun-damaged wood, and minor defects in tongue and groove siding can be filled with wood putty. Badly damaged boards may need to be removed and replaced. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Wood cleaner
- Nylon scrub brush
- Putty knife
- Wood putty
- 120-grit sandpaper
- Chisel
- Mallet
- Circular saw
- Pry bar
- Slater's ripper
- Hack saw blade saw
- Replacement siding boards
- Corrosion-resistant nails
- Hammer
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Instructions
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Removing Sun-damaged Wood Fiber
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Mix up a solution of wood cleaner. Wood cleaner is generally sold in a concentrated form. Follow the manufacturer's instructions regarding the recommended dilution for removing sun-damaged wood fiber.
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Wet down the siding with water and apply the wood cleaner. Allow the cleaner to sit on the wood surface for 15 to 30 minutes.
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Scrub the siding vigorously with a nylon scrub brush. Scrubbing will remove the damaged wood fibers while leaving the healthy underlying wood intact.
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Rinse the siding down thoroughly with water.
Repairing Minor Defects in Wood Siding
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Use a putty knife to apply exterior wood putty to minor defects in the wood siding. Work the putty down into holes and cracks, and leave some excess product over the surface and edges of the repair.
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Follow the putty manufacturer's instructions regarding drying time. Smaller holes, like nail holes, require one or two hours of drying time while deeper, wider defects may require up to 24 hours to fully cure.
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Sand the repair with 120-grit sandpaper. Work the repair smooth and flush with the siding surface.
Removing and Replacing Badly Damaged Tongue and Groove Siding
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Cut the tongue and groove siding board vertically with a chisel and mallet if you're removing an entire section. Cut the section to be removed away from the intact portion of the board.
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Use a circular saw to cut the board, or the damaged section of board, lengthwise. Adjust the circular saw to the thickness of the siding board and cut it in half right down the middle. Because tongue and groove siding locks together, bisecting the board will allow you to pull the board free in two separate pieces.
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Lift the split board and expose the nail shafts with a pry bar. Pull out the nails with a slater's ripper or cut the shafts with a hacksaw blade saw. A slater's ripper is a specialized tool that can be slid underneath the boards to hook and pull the nails out. A hacksaw blade saw is a thin, toothed saw blade mounted on a handle that can be used to cut the exposed nail shafts.
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Use the pry bar to loosen the boards, above and below the replacement board. Fit the replacement board into place then knock the loosened boards flat again with a mallet. Fasten the replacement board using corrosion-resistant nails. Follow the existing nail patterns to achieve a consistent finish.
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References
- Photo Credit old wood siding with ferns image by BONNIE C. MARQUETTE from Fotolia.com
