Steel Siding

Steve@Advance

Well-known Member
I've got a 10'x20' storage shed in the back yard needing some attention.

It is a simple 2x4 framed building, hip roof, comp shingles. It has the old 4x8 Masonite siding. The siding has gotten really bad down around the bottom where it gets wet. There are no inside walls or insulation, so any water that gets in eventually evaporates, but if I don't do something the bottom plate is going to rot, if it hasn't already.

I'm thinking about going with steel R panel. Can I add some 1x4 nailer strips over the Masonite siding? Or should I take the siding off? I'm a little afraid to take all the siding off as there is no diagonal bracing. If I take the siding off one wall at a time, do I need to add diagonals? Or would the R panels give enough support?

Any suggestions other than R panel? I need to keep this low budget but presentable.

Thanks!
 
Just cut away the rotted siding at the bottom and replace it with plywood - 1 foot high, 16", 2' high, whatever.
Generally that masonite stuff is 7/16" thick.
If you used 1/2" CDX plywood (which is actually 15/32) you couldn't notice the difference. Just snap chalk lines and set your circular saw depth to just a hair deeper than the masonite.
 
That masonite siding always seems to fail in short order in our State. I have an old building on my place that has it and I have been gradually throwing it in the trash.

By "no inside walls" do you mean the studs are exposed? Diagonal bracing is always good and you could run a couple of diagonal 2x4's on the inside. Or if you're more ambitious you can notch the wall 2x4's with a skill saw for "let in" bracing. You could use plywood and cut large triangle gussets to put in the corners. 3/8 ply would be thick enough for that.

I would lose the masonite AND add 2X4 nailers for the R panel. R panel is designed for a 3ft module and typical frame construction based on 16" centers and 4ft modules so without a nailer of some kind you may not be able to get screws where needed.
 
My house is braced with steel strips/bars made for that purpose. They're u-shaped, an inch wide with half-inch sides. They have holes to correspond with wall studs at 45 degrees at 16-inch center or 24-inch center. Carpenter marks two diagonal lines across the studs, an inch apart, uses a circular saw with blade set to cut half-inch deep. He then taps the bar flush into the kerfs and nails into the stud through the matching hole.
 
If you take off the existing siding, you'll at least need temporary bracing until the new siding is installed. Even if you only do one wall at a time. A couple of 2x4s nailed diagonally across the interior wall will do the trick.

Steel siding needs diagonal bracing. You could replace the existing siding with T1-11 plywood; it would last a lot longer than Masonite, but if the end grain gets wet it will eventually fail.

I like UD's idea of cutting off the bottom of the siding and replacing it with plywood. Then put your steel over that.
 
Sounds like an economical plan to me. The thing I like most about this thread is hearing several posters mention masonite siding. Lately, when I've gone to one of those big box lumber stores trying to match a certain type of masonite siding, the hired helpers look at me like there is no such thing. They never heard of it. If you don't call it by whatever their company calls their product, they won't talk to you.
Butch
 
The masonite siding is enough for the cross bracing and also adds an insulation aspect so I would leave it there. Just put your furring strips on and install the R panel. If you wanted more insulation you might put foam board between the furring strips. R panel tends to sweat on the back side if you try to heat the building so the foam board would help.
 
I would use the R panel right on top of the siding but I would run it horizontal running my screws thru the siding into the stubs.
 
Decomposition of the bottom edge of the wood indicates issues with water. The building is too close to the ground, too much adjacent ground cover/shrubbery shading the moisture from drying, too short of an eave, no eave troughs, or the area where the water drips from the roof bounces back up.

Once you come up with a siding plan, you will also need to come up with a plan to keep water off the bottom edge, as that will accellerate the rusting of the steel too.

People are cheapening up buildings these days shortening eaves and doing un-smart things that, unless the building is water proof, shorten the life expectancy of the materials.

Pete
 
I like the suggestion JerryS makes about using the channel steel as diagonal let-in bracing. I once spent more than half a day notching studs to use 1X4's as let-in bracing---mainly so that I could use some asphalt impregnated fiber board as sheathing rather than bear the extra expense of using plywood. When I think of how often I chose to spend extra time to save a little money, or abused my body to avoid spending the money to do things an easier way (i.e. used hand tools rather than rent the power tool that would have done the hard part for me), I realize that the uncomfortable bed I'm now sleeping is the one I made for myself.

Stan
 
I haven't seen that product but that sounds like a good idea. Certainly saves a lot of work over cutting the full width in studs for a board.
 
If I'm gonna invest my labor into something like that. It would be without a doubt cement Hardi board sheathing. Yes, it's heavy expensive and a pain to cut. If you trim it out it'll look great and last a long time. And as been stated get the building up out of the dirt bring it up at least 6", maybe on some pedistal blocks. Other wise put that composite OSB exterior (the old T-111) siding on it and be Happy with that. bjr
 
Yea, get the dirt off the building. That Hardi board/ cement board will NOT last either if is in contact with the ground. I see it rot all the time where people thought because it was cement that it could last being in contact with the ground, it don't. I'd use the r-panel, it would last as long as anything else and still cheap to replace in 20 years, and its already painted. JBD
 
I would brace it from inside before removing old siding. Use duplex head nails or screws to hold plywood or 1x4 braceing if you don't want to leave braceing in place when finished. I would use U-Panel,R-panel doesn't look good on small buildings. Run metal horizonally from stud to stud instead of virtically with add on nailers.
 
We just installed a product like LP "Smart Siding". Yo still have to paint it but it sure beats having the insurance company say "no damage."
 

I replaced the bottom two pieces with Hardi board. I used a cut off wheel in a side grinder went under the original siding cut the nails removed the siding and slipped the Hardi board in place nuttin to it other than the right nail and a drill to drill for the hail..
:D

Latter on I added vinyl siding.

On My office that I added to my metal building I used wood construction with metal siding. I used metal strap to brace it alond with house rap... Sum'N like this.

https://jet.com/product/detail/f94d...d=CKHK48z7n80CFZI9gQodEqIH_g&gclsrc=aw.ds
 

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