How to Lay Masonry Siding

Use a stud finder and a chalk line to mark the locations of all the studs. These chalk lines will help you determine where to place your nails when attaching the masonry siding.

Start at the bottom of an exterior wall. Attach a 3/8-inch kicker strip along the edge of the seal plate. Use 8D siding nails to hold this strip of wood in place. This piece of wood helps hold the bottom piece of the lower section of siding at an outward angle.

Measure the size of your siding. Measure up from the bottom of the kicker strip along the corners of your exterior wall. Hold the chalk line at the height of your first piece of siding and pop the string line to create a guideline for the top of the bottom piece of siding. Place the top of the siding even with the string line and nail it in place with the siding nails, hammering one nail into every stud. Place the nails 1 inch from the top edge of the siding. Cut the last piece of siding along your bottom row with a circular saw to fit even with the corner of your home.

Make another chalk mark above the top of the bottom piece of siding. Subtract the amount of recommended overlap from the size of the siding to create the chalk line low enough to ensure that the bottom of the next piece of siding overlaps the nails on the lower piece of siding. Use the remainder of the cut piece of siding to start your next row. Make the joints of the upper pieces of siding at least 4 feet away from the joints along the lower pieces of siding. Continue attaching the masonry siding in this manner. Cut the top piece of siding to fit tightly against the soffit.

Attach the corner pieces of masonry siding over the joints along the corners of your home using a masonry adhesive or the type of glue recommended by the siding manufacturer.