Current Projects: Sealing Prep for Fiber Cement Paneling

Just wanted to keep my readership (two or 3 readers) updated on what I've been up to. This past weekend I was working at a friends house in the Germantown area of Philly. The siding is going to be modern-looking fiber cement panels, as seen on local projects by SoLibs and Postgreen Homes, installed by yours truly.

Here's a few early photos of the insulation board, air sealing techniques, and re-used Trex decking composite used for the fiber cement support structure. We're installing 1" rigid foam on the exterior, with taped joints and silicone and tar sealing techniques along the brickwork, widows, and doors. This is going to be our main waterproofing layer so it's imperative that no area is left vulnerable to water penetration.

Once this is secured, I started to build the framework to support the fiber cement panels. You can buy channels and supports of wood or stainless steel, but the recycled Trex is perfect - a material that won't rot or warp.  Usually, you run your supports vertically to allow the water to flow quickly out through the bottom, but in some areas I'm forced to do horizontal supports. In these instances, small water channels were cut to keep water from pooling.

Comments or disagree with my methods? Let me hear it in the comments.