Wood Shingle Siding Installation

By Lee Mothes

Shingles have been used to cover houses for hundreds of years. They are thin, tapered strips of wood (usually cedar) about 16  inches long and 2 to 10 inches wide. The thicker bottom end of a shingle is called the butt. Shingles are graded like lumber, from no. 1 to no. 3, and are sold in bundles. I recommend no. 3, or “backup,” shingles for their low cost and wide availability. Shingles are quite easy to put on, and after a while you’ll understand the logic of how they shed water. You will need your hammer, a 1-pound box of 3D galvanized box nails, a utility knife, and a handsaw.

Housewrap

Most builders put tar paper or, nowadays, a special white plastic called housewrap on house walls before nailing on the siding, which helps keep the inside dry. Shingles, clapboards, or other siding will do a good job by themselves, especially for a backyard dwelling, so it’s up to you. If you have tar paper (not the mineral-coated kind) left over from your roof, save money and just use that.

How to Shingle

Step 1. To start, temporarily nail or prop up a straight board at the bottom of the wall so the top of the board is ½ inch below the bottom of the sheathing boards. This will be your guide for nailing the first two courses, or rows, of shingles. (I’m assuming you’ve already put the trim boards on the corners by now, because the shingles will be nailed up against the trim board edges.) Shingles are sold in bundles. 2" to 10" wide 16" long

Step 2. Load up your nail apron with 3D nails.

Step 3. Grab a wide shingle and set it on your guide board and against the corner trim board.

Step 4. Drive a nail about 7 inches above the bottom of the shingle and ¾ inch in from each side edge of the shingle. No matter how wide the shingle is, use only two nails per shingle.

Step 5. Add more shingles, mixing narrow and wide ones in a random pattern, as shown in the drawing on the facing page.

Step 6. As you nail the second course of shingles over the first one, stagger the shingles by keeping the vertical joints or cracks between shingles at least 1 inch away from those on the row of shingles beneath.

 Step 7. Continue nailing both rows all the way to the other end of the wall.

Step 8. When you get to the far end, set the last shingle against the trim board and mark its top and bottom with your pencil so you can cut it to fit.

 Step 9. Get out your utility knife. Set the edge of a straight piece of wood on the shingle at the two marks, and pull your knife along the piece of wood to cut the shingle. This works well until you hit a knot; if this happens, use your saw to cut the shingle.

Step 10. Measure up from the bottom of both trim boards, making pencil marks every 6 inches (6", 12", 18", 24", and so on). This marks the exposure of your shingles by showing you where the bottom of every row of shingles will be. Builders call this “6 inches to the weather.”

Step 11. Start the next row of shingles at the corner board. Line up the bottom of a shingle with the mark you made on the corner board, check the vertical edge to make sure it is not over the crack between the shingles below, and nail it in. Add more shingles in the same way.

Keeping Courses Straight

To keep your rows of shingles straight, there are two methods:

Guide Block. For short walls and most backyard dwellings, you can use a guide block. This is an easy-to-make piece of ¾-inch thick wood with a 6-inch notch cut into one side. Simply hold the block so the notch is hooked on a shingle you have already nailed in, then set the shingle you want to nail on the top of the block. Remove the block and nail in your shingle.

Chalk Line. For long walls, you can use a chalk line, which is a long string with a little hook at the end that is kept inside a “chalk box” filled with bright blue or red chalk. Hook the string to a small nail (or have a helper hold it) at the exposure marks on both ends of the shingle row and pull it tight. Then pull the string straight out from the middle of the wall and let it snap back; the chalk leaves a line that is your guide for aligning the bottoms of the shingles.

How to Shingle Around a Window

When you get to a window, you’ll have to trim the shingles to fit around it.

Step 1. Set the first shingle to be cut over the window trim and hold it steady while you mark where it needs to be cut.

Step 2. On your sawhorse, first cut across the grain of the shingle with your saw. Then switch to a utility knife to cut with the grain, as before. This lessens the chance of splitting the shingle.

Step 3. Nail the shingle in place.

Step 4. Cut the remaining short shingles that go under the window to the same length with your saw. If these are shorter than 4 inches, use a trim board instead. The same method applies when you get to the top of your wall.

If you goof while installing a shingle (it happens!), use your crowbar to pry it off. Pound the short leg of the crowbar under the shingle at the nailhead and then pry. You might lose part of the shingle (they split easily), but the middle might still be usable.

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EDITOR'S NOTE

This article is excerpted from Beginner’s Guide to Backyard Building by carpenter and architectural designer Lee Mothes, used with permission from Storey Publishing. All illustrations © Lee Mothes.

Beginner’s Guide to Backyard Building ($24.99; Paperback) is an accessible, hands-on introduction for readers constructing their very own backyard structures, from choosing the right site and gathering materials to framing walls and completing the final build.