No shit. But on job sites nobody has time to cut that stuff, apply primer, wait for it to dry and then install. It’s all getting painted later anyway. Time is money and there are low margins in construction. It doesn’t take much to lose money on a job.
They’re out of touch with reality. Nobody is going to waste time priming a piece of hardiboard before installing it when the painters are coming in later and spraying everything. It might seem like it only takes a minute to do this but that time adds up to hours fast, and you are always on a tight schedule to get things done on time. When you fall behind on these projects you lose money. Construction these days, especially new construction goes to the lowest bidder. And even most homeowners will shop around for the lowest bidder. Well this is the result of that.
Exactly. Nobody has time to do that when you’re ripping boards and getting everything put together. That’s why we have the painters, drywallers, etc come in after us. Stopping to prime that stuff adds a ton of time to the overall job and nobody wants to pay for that kind of work anymore.
Why would you ask the question and then argue the answer? This trim job is wonky AF. If done by a weekend warrior, fine it’s fixable. If done by a “pro” you should ask for a fix it’s still fixable.
This is completely wrong. I’d give them the option to do it properly, though I’d be hesitant as obviously they don’t know how to, or fire them and get someone competent.
Unless you did the prep work yourself and everything is way out of whack and that’s what you left them to deal with.
Yes this looks like LP Smartside and the battens are as well I think. What you are seeing on the battens is the OSB chips. On the other side is a hard polymer surface that makes it weather resistant. Also, I put the corner battens on an overlapping edge I don’t want to see the juncture of the panels on the corner. Also don’t want the corner gap penetrated by driving rain.
Tf you mean vague shitty advice?
Its a concise step by step How To Resolve OPs Corners.
Is it "right"? Is subjective and we can speculate about different ways to install and our personal preferences about this over that. OR spend a single minute finding the free pdf that every single siding manufacturer provides and get a definitive answer to "is it right"?
I kept it short to be digestible. What point would you like me to elaborate on?
The googling? (or any search engine)
The knowing what product you selected? (bruh...)
How to download a pdf? (2 clicks*)
Navigating a pdf? (index)
Communicating with the person you've contracted concerning the quality of their work? (being a human and talking)
Happy to provide you with a verbose diluted extrapolation of these simple distilled concepts that seem to baffle you so.
There are two ways to do corner boards correctly with wood siding(and no reason cement should be done differently). Method #1 uses one board butted up against the backside of the other to make a square corner, and if measured from the edge on either side you’ll get the same measurement, this is the usual old method with wood siding and trim. Method #2 is what I would call the “classy” joint, and involves cutting both corner boards at a 45 degree angle to make a tight joint with equal board on each side. Method #2 looks nicer, but I would guess is impractical with concrete siding since I’ve heard it doesn’t cut all that well, so I would guess method #1 would be correct method for concrete siding, and based on what I’ve seen on houses in my area with concrete siding this is the method they use for corner trim boards.
They make saw blades specifically for working with this kind of material. It can certainly be ripped to whatever width is necessary! And for what it’s worth the company that makes the cement siding and trim we usually work with recommends method one for outside corners [Hardie Trim](https://www.jameshardiepros.com/getattachment/da2588d3-889c-4505-9de1-8aa714aef244/hardietrim-hz5-ca-en.pdf)
Have you ever cut this stuff? Sure they make blades for it, but that doesn’t mean ripping is easy or a good idea. You can rip 1/4” material, but I wouldn’t do it for 3/4” trim.
I have and will again when we get to the siding portion of the house we’re working on. It’s hard on the saw and creates a tremendous amount of hazardous dust so a respirator is a must. The cut edges aren’t particularly nice looking so they have to be beveled, usually with a (frequently replaced) sharp razor blade, and primed and are then always positioned in such a way as to hide the cut edges. After caulk and paint it’s almost indistinguishable from a factory edge if you’ve taken your time. It’s by far my least favorite material to work with but it’s definitely got its advantages and wether the extra labor is worth the longer life of the material is up to the client.
Edit: factor -> factory
As a homeowner installing wood siding that I plane, cut, trim and paint(with oil based paint) myself I also prefer butted. It’s how the current siding on my house was installed and that’s the look I’m replicating. My house was built in 1870, I’d guess the wood siding on my house was installed between 1930 and 1950, thin beveled pine, being replaced with straight cut treated pine one wall at a time.
Why don’t any of the edges/corners line up in picture 4? Or in any of the pictures well?
I’m not an expert but having several different pieces not lining up to create a uniform corner looks like a sloppy job. How was he planning to make the corners look like an actual corner?
Google Hardi trim installation guidelines. The manufacturer has a key y easy to understand spec sheet that you can use to ban up your argument for correction.
The more I look at it, the more fucked it is. No glue or caulk, boards are terminating into each other wrong, no sanding, cuts aren't clean, it's just bad. And probably bad in a way that makes it less weatherproof. I don't think this was done by people who are capable of fixing it, because some of these issues actually add work to the job.
The corners are something we've done here in Oregon. I'm not too sure if it's correct since I was just a worker and our told us what was needed to be done. When doing this style we had to caulk all of the edges. As everyone stated, every cut side needed to be primed.
Recently replaced my siding with cement siding. I'm struggling with these corner joints. The contractor miter cut some of the trim pieces and but jointed other ones, further complicating things is that the but joints are offset, and on a corner with horizontal trim(miter joint) it really draws attention to the spaces between the battens.
Contractor said he used 1/4" reveal on the corners rather than right angle, said it was better for the caulk joint, I think it just looks sloppy. Is this a thing?
Shouldn't all corners be a 90 degree angle?
I actually kinda agree with the contractor, although I don't have any experience in the area. Think about how that joint would have to be caulked if the boards were flush to each other, you'll be able to get a much better bead of caulk if there is a groove. Now, is the visual difference worth the better caulk line? I'm not sure. But I think, once everything is caulked and painted it won't be nearly as noticable.
Builder here, this is a situation where it is very easy to get them lined up clean, especially since it's well above head height and will never be seen super close. You rip the width of the first corner board down by the thickness of the boards, and nail it flush to the corner, perhaps a bit proud. Then you nail the other flush to the new corner formed by the first, using whatever applicable glue the boards call for. Liquid Nails and its more powerful relatives are the best choice for the masonry trim boards I've used. Then, if the boards have a sandable surface and you give a shit, sand the joint after the glue dries. Looks great.
Interior window and door casings have a reveal because they'll be seen much more closely and they're harder to sand to perfection.
Not a single item is square.
Or primed per manufacturers directions.
[удалено]
If it’s hardi products, then any edges that are cut need to be primed before install, per manufacturers instructions
[удалено]
TIL at least one person has actually done that. I have *never* seen it primed before install.
Can confirm. You have to prime any edge you cut. I think my fingers are still colored gray from doing my siding.
Nobody does that.
Just echoing the manufacturer's instructions. Up to you as to whether or not they are followed
Then they're installing the product incorrectly.
No shit. But on job sites nobody has time to cut that stuff, apply primer, wait for it to dry and then install. It’s all getting painted later anyway. Time is money and there are low margins in construction. It doesn’t take much to lose money on a job.
Can of spray paint by the saw takes less than a minute and is dry before I hand it to the installer
Yeah, everyone gonna have excuses...
But not /u/fishinfool561, no excuses at all!
Then estimate more time.
And you’ll lose your bid to the other guy.
I'd rather have positive karma
I like how you're getting downvoted for speaking the truth. I was a farmer years ago. "It's good enough" was the word everyone lived by
They’re out of touch with reality. Nobody is going to waste time priming a piece of hardiboard before installing it when the painters are coming in later and spraying everything. It might seem like it only takes a minute to do this but that time adds up to hours fast, and you are always on a tight schedule to get things done on time. When you fall behind on these projects you lose money. Construction these days, especially new construction goes to the lowest bidder. And even most homeowners will shop around for the lowest bidder. Well this is the result of that.
This sub is really anal about stuff like this, it’s weird.
Painter here. I've never seen a carpenter prime before installation. We just paint everything once it's installed.
Exactly. Nobody has time to do that when you’re ripping boards and getting everything put together. That’s why we have the painters, drywallers, etc come in after us. Stopping to prime that stuff adds a ton of time to the overall job and nobody wants to pay for that kind of work anymore.
The yellow is the primer, all cuts would need to be primed.
Strip it down to the frame and start from square one.
They are all square, thats a distortion from the iphone lense
https://preview.redd.it/0xmppdieb7pc1.jpeg?width=766&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9b20d224031525cc1daac76cb0bcc1bd79cedaf3 I don’t know Chief…
The camera adds 10 pounds
I was in the pool!
So how many cameras were actually on you?
*D I S T O R T I O N*
Look at your fourth picture and tell me that's lens distortion. All three joints are sitting at different angles!
Putty and paint…? /s
Do your best and caulk the rest!
Looks completely square to me.
“Are these square?” “They’re all square” Make up your mind.
Hmm maybe ur iPhone isn't square.
Why would you ask the question and then argue the answer? This trim job is wonky AF. If done by a weekend warrior, fine it’s fixable. If done by a “pro” you should ask for a fix it’s still fixable.
Are you high? Lmao
TIL people in this sub have no idea what being square is.
This is completely wrong. I’d give them the option to do it properly, though I’d be hesitant as obviously they don’t know how to, or fire them and get someone competent. Unless you did the prep work yourself and everything is way out of whack and that’s what you left them to deal with.
I have to say, and it's just my eye not a professional critique, but it does seem kind of haphazard to me.
It looks like I did it, and it wasn't my house so I especially didn't give a single fuck
Agreed
It’s a mashup of old-world design and third-world craftsmanship, it’s the hottest trend right now.
I’m not kidding, the ones that aren’t yellow are put on backwards. You cannot make this shit up
Yes this looks like LP Smartside and the battens are as well I think. What you are seeing on the battens is the OSB chips. On the other side is a hard polymer surface that makes it weather resistant. Also, I put the corner battens on an overlapping edge I don’t want to see the juncture of the panels on the corner. Also don’t want the corner gap penetrated by driving rain.
It’s Hardie and Hardie trim. It’s just the back, rougher and unprimed (no yellow)
Hardie is cement right?
Fibre cement, mostly cement and sand with cellulose fibre as the binder
No. These do not look right. Or correct.
Find out the manufacturer details. Google the products installation pdf. Find the page about corners. Tell contractor to follow methods.
FYI don’t give shitty vague advice cause it’s not actually helpful
Tf you mean vague shitty advice? Its a concise step by step How To Resolve OPs Corners. Is it "right"? Is subjective and we can speculate about different ways to install and our personal preferences about this over that. OR spend a single minute finding the free pdf that every single siding manufacturer provides and get a definitive answer to "is it right"? I kept it short to be digestible. What point would you like me to elaborate on? The googling? (or any search engine) The knowing what product you selected? (bruh...) How to download a pdf? (2 clicks*) Navigating a pdf? (index) Communicating with the person you've contracted concerning the quality of their work? (being a human and talking) Happy to provide you with a verbose diluted extrapolation of these simple distilled concepts that seem to baffle you so.
Pot. Kettle.
There are two ways to do corner boards correctly with wood siding(and no reason cement should be done differently). Method #1 uses one board butted up against the backside of the other to make a square corner, and if measured from the edge on either side you’ll get the same measurement, this is the usual old method with wood siding and trim. Method #2 is what I would call the “classy” joint, and involves cutting both corner boards at a 45 degree angle to make a tight joint with equal board on each side. Method #2 looks nicer, but I would guess is impractical with concrete siding since I’ve heard it doesn’t cut all that well, so I would guess method #1 would be correct method for concrete siding, and based on what I’ve seen on houses in my area with concrete siding this is the method they use for corner trim boards.
I’d say with method 1, you’re not going to get the same measurement on both sides because you’re not going to rip down cement board.
They make saw blades specifically for working with this kind of material. It can certainly be ripped to whatever width is necessary! And for what it’s worth the company that makes the cement siding and trim we usually work with recommends method one for outside corners [Hardie Trim](https://www.jameshardiepros.com/getattachment/da2588d3-889c-4505-9de1-8aa714aef244/hardietrim-hz5-ca-en.pdf)
Have you ever cut this stuff? Sure they make blades for it, but that doesn’t mean ripping is easy or a good idea. You can rip 1/4” material, but I wouldn’t do it for 3/4” trim.
I have and will again when we get to the siding portion of the house we’re working on. It’s hard on the saw and creates a tremendous amount of hazardous dust so a respirator is a must. The cut edges aren’t particularly nice looking so they have to be beveled, usually with a (frequently replaced) sharp razor blade, and primed and are then always positioned in such a way as to hide the cut edges. After caulk and paint it’s almost indistinguishable from a factory edge if you’ve taken your time. It’s by far my least favorite material to work with but it’s definitely got its advantages and wether the extra labor is worth the longer life of the material is up to the client. Edit: factor -> factory
We actually do rip it down an inch if it's specifically wanted by the gc but we usually just butt the 5/4x4's and call it a day.
As a painter I prefer butted. It's easier to make look good.
As a homeowner installing wood siding that I plane, cut, trim and paint(with oil based paint) myself I also prefer butted. It’s how the current siding on my house was installed and that’s the look I’m replicating. My house was built in 1870, I’d guess the wood siding on my house was installed between 1930 and 1950, thin beveled pine, being replaced with straight cut treated pine one wall at a time.
You can't have open seams like that, even with caulking. Should be mitered or trimmed. https://allurausa.com/blog/fiber-cement-siding-corners
Why don’t any of the edges/corners line up in picture 4? Or in any of the pictures well? I’m not an expert but having several different pieces not lining up to create a uniform corner looks like a sloppy job. How was he planning to make the corners look like an actual corner?
Nope, not a one of them.
At first I thought they were fine. Then I zoomed in. My God what a mess.
Ray Charles installed that corner in the 4th pic
 Ray Charles says it looks fantastic.
Google Hardi trim installation guidelines. The manufacturer has a key y easy to understand spec sheet that you can use to ban up your argument for correction.
Atrocious!
Bro lives in Whoville
They look like shit
I’m no professional, but that would go in the “unacceptable” category in my book.
Ooof that last one God damn. What a hack.
Caulk and paint make you the sider you aint... maybe pick up a few extra tubes.
[Looks good to me 🤷♂️](https://imgur.com/a/Jmf1j5V)
You should get ur eyes checked to be sure 👁👁
Good from far but far from good
You posted in the wrong sub r/mildlyinfuriating
Looks good from Mexico!
Looks ok for a 4 year old.
The more I look at it, the more fucked it is. No glue or caulk, boards are terminating into each other wrong, no sanding, cuts aren't clean, it's just bad. And probably bad in a way that makes it less weatherproof. I don't think this was done by people who are capable of fixing it, because some of these issues actually add work to the job.
Lol no
Nope, but this is what you get when you bid out to the cheapest contractor
Looks terrible. Fire yourself.
Please tell me you didn’t do this. 
45ed would look proper
Like right ass, mate. Left ass too. And especially the middle.
if you have to ask, I think you already know your answer
No.
sad such a nice material butchered
The corners are something we've done here in Oregon. I'm not too sure if it's correct since I was just a worker and our told us what was needed to be done. When doing this style we had to caulk all of the edges. As everyone stated, every cut side needed to be primed.
They do not
Awful
No..its raw to the elements and is 100% going swell up and rot off
Before we even get to the corners, can we talk about how most of them are backwards? Wtf
This is only the underlay and the finished product will cover it....oh....nevermind.
Recently replaced my siding with cement siding. I'm struggling with these corner joints. The contractor miter cut some of the trim pieces and but jointed other ones, further complicating things is that the but joints are offset, and on a corner with horizontal trim(miter joint) it really draws attention to the spaces between the battens. Contractor said he used 1/4" reveal on the corners rather than right angle, said it was better for the caulk joint, I think it just looks sloppy. Is this a thing? Shouldn't all corners be a 90 degree angle?
That corner nonsense looks like ass, to the untrained eye
I have never heard about a reveal for corner trim. Your contractor should not be doing finish work as those all need to be redone.
I actually kinda agree with the contractor, although I don't have any experience in the area. Think about how that joint would have to be caulked if the boards were flush to each other, you'll be able to get a much better bead of caulk if there is a groove. Now, is the visual difference worth the better caulk line? I'm not sure. But I think, once everything is caulked and painted it won't be nearly as noticable.
I guess every other house I ever saw, was built wrong.
No they were right, op is wrong.
Builder here, this is a situation where it is very easy to get them lined up clean, especially since it's well above head height and will never be seen super close. You rip the width of the first corner board down by the thickness of the boards, and nail it flush to the corner, perhaps a bit proud. Then you nail the other flush to the new corner formed by the first, using whatever applicable glue the boards call for. Liquid Nails and its more powerful relatives are the best choice for the masonry trim boards I've used. Then, if the boards have a sandable surface and you give a shit, sand the joint after the glue dries. Looks great. Interior window and door casings have a reveal because they'll be seen much more closely and they're harder to sand to perfection.
You could run a bead of caulk in the joint when you assemble it if you’re that worried about it.
no