Chapter 26 Further Reading: Siding and Exterior Cladding

Books

1. "Exterior Siding, Trim and Finishes" — Fine Homebuilding (Taunton Press) A compilation of Fine Homebuilding's best material on exterior cladding installation, from drainage plane construction through specific material installation techniques. The writing assumes basic carpentry literacy but is accessible to motivated homeowners. Covers fiber cement, wood, vinyl, and stucco installation with detail drawings.

2. "Renovating Old Houses" — George Nash (Taunton Press) The chapter on exterior restoration is among the best available treatments of the repair-vs.-replace decision for older siding and the specific challenges of working with historic or period-appropriate materials. Nash's treatment of paint removal, wood rot repair, and matching historic profiles is practical and unsentimental.

3. "Moisture Control Handbook" — Joseph Lstiburek and John Carmody (Van Nostrand Reinhold) The academic foundation of much modern building science practice on moisture management. This is not light reading, but it's the source material for the drainage plane and hygrothermal concepts summarized in this chapter. For homeowners who want to go deep on the science of why walls fail and how to build them to last, this is the reference.

Online Resources

4. Building Science Corporation — Wall Assembly Research (buildingscience.com) BSC's published guidance on wall assemblies — particularly their "Builder's Guides" for different climate zones — is among the best free technical content on exterior wall design available. Their material on vapor barriers, drainage planes, and rainscreen assemblies is directly applicable to both new construction decisions and retrofit assessments.

5. James Hardie Technical Resource Center (jameshardie.com/pro) James Hardie's technical resources include full installation guides, detail drawings for window and door integration, climate-specific recommendations, and ColorPlus finish specifications. Even if you're comparing fiber cement products, Hardie's technical documentation represents the installation benchmark for the category.

6. Fine Homebuilding — Exterior Content Archive (finehomebuilding.com) Fine Homebuilding's online archive contains decades of articles on cladding installation, paint failure diagnosis, stucco application, and exterior repair. The content is aimed at skilled contractors but is accessible to serious homeowners. Particular value in the "Troubleshooting" articles that diagnose specific failure modes.

7. Propertycasualty360 — EIFS Litigation History For homeowners with EIFS-clad houses, understanding the litigation history of non-drainable EIFS provides essential context for assessing risk and understanding what remediation has involved in documented cases. Multiple law review articles and insurance industry analyses of the EIFS litigation are available through general internet search. Search "EIFS class action settlement moisture damage" for relevant material.

Standards and Codes

8. ASTM E2112 — Standard Practice for Installation of Exterior Windows, Doors, and Skylights The ASTM standard governing correct installation practice at exterior openings, including flashing sequence, sill flashing requirements, and head flashing specifications. Not required reading for most homeowners, but understanding that a standard exists — and that there is a specific correct sequence for window flashing — is useful when evaluating contractor proposals. The standard is available at astm.org.

9. IRC Chapter 7 (Wall Covering) and Chapter 14 (Exterior Wall Covering) The International Residential Code chapter on wall covering specifies minimum requirements for exterior cladding materials, clearances from grade, ventilation requirements for wood cladding, and flashing requirements at penetrations. The IRC is available at codes.iccsafe.org.

10. Vinyl Siding Institute Installation Manual (VSI) The VSI publishes installation guidelines for vinyl siding that represent the industry standard. The nail-slot and fastening specifications, corner treatment requirements, and window trim integration details are all addressed. Available at vinylsiding.org. Useful as a checklist when evaluating existing or proposed vinyl installation quality.

Contractor Certification Programs

11. James Hardie HardieZone Certified Contractor Program James Hardie's certification program requires contractors to complete training on their installation system, including cut-end priming requirements and climate-appropriate detailing. Searching the Hardie contractor locator for certified installers in your area identifies contractors who have completed this training. Not a guarantee of quality, but a baseline of product-specific knowledge.

12. EIMA — EIFS Industry Members Association (eima.com) For homes with EIFS or homeowners considering drainable EIFS, EIMA provides contractor certification and consumer resources on correct EIFS installation and inspection. Their published installation standards distinguish drainable from non-drainable systems and provide the technical basis for evaluating any EIFS-related work.