Cutting Fiber Cement Siding

Originally asbestos was used as the reinforcing material but due to safety concerns that was replaced by cellulose.

Cutting fiber cement siding.

Fiber cement siding manufacturers say you can cut the stuff with any good quality carbide tipped blade. At home centers you can buy diamond blades made specifically for cutting fiber cement. There are several ways to cut fiber cement siding and each method has it s pros and cons. Fiber cement siding fibre cement cladding in the uk and fibro in australia is a building material used to cover the exterior of a building in both commercial and domestic applications.

Cut the frieze board to length photo 3. Using a cost per square foot metric it s less than a penny per square foot. Fiber cement siding has become a very popular siding choice for new homes and remodeling jobs. Fiber cement is a composite material made of cement reinforced with cellulose fibers.

Even a carbide tooth blade will last for only part of the day. There are many cost effective circular saw and vacuum options that meet table 1 requirements for cutting fiber cement. When cutting fiber cement siding with circular saw use a blade that has only four or six teeth. One of the biggest complaints i hear though is how hard it is to cut the siding during installation.

These blades cut quickly and create less dust. Even if you do invest in higher end tools the total cost per job is low. Installing fiber cement siding is an alternative to wood vinyl and stucco the cost is more than vinyl but less than wood and stucco so it is a project that is cost effective than the former options. For a slow but virtually dustless way to cut siding use power shears.

To keep dust to a minimum use a circular saw that s equipped with either a dust collection bag or electric fan that blows dust into a bucket.