Repairing Plywood Siding

A few decades ago plywood paneling became a popular siding choice.

Repairing plywood siding.

Repair is easy but the trick is to match the finish on the patched area. To do this locate the seams around the 4 by 8 foot piece of plywood siding that are filled with caulk or silicone sealant. Drive 2 1 4 inch deck screws about every 8 inches. Instead you can size the replacement using the old clapboard as a template a simple technique that virtually guarantees a tight fit on the first try.

To learn how to repair wood siding remove rotted boards with a flat pry bar. After you remove the rotted courses use a small hacksaw to cut any protruding nail shanks or if you have a very strong grip use a good pair of wire cutters. Siding repair is best done with hand tools with one exception. Use shims to position it with 1 8 inch gaps all around.

Power tools are out for this job. The 4 by 8 foot sheets clad the outside of a home and usually had vertical grooves. Brands may vary so follow the instructions on the bottle. Forget the tape measure tom says.

Plywood is made with layers of wood veneer laid with the grains at approximately right angles and then glued together. Step 1 remove the water damaged plywood siding after you have located the sheet of plywood siding that is water damaged you ll need to remove it. You will need paint or stain that is an exact match so test your replacement finish somewhere on the siding where it will not show. The counter posed grains and strong inter sheet adhesive give this manufactured wood material its strength and resistance to warping.

If needed attach strips to the nailer so the patch is flush. How to replace plywood panel siding. Cut plywood pressure treated to be safe about 1 4 inch shorter and narrower than the opening. When plywood siding ages it s often easiest to replace entire panels.

A typical nailing schedule for plywood siding calls for nails every 8 inches along the edges and every 12 inches in the field but i like to shrink the nail spacing to every 6 inches on vertical edges and every 8 inches in the field. Plywood can be repaired if the damaged area is not extensive. You will want to leave the solution on the plywood for about a half an hour. Protect sound siding with a scrap piece of 1 4 in.