Are You Hooked?

But this is not the case. Maybe it's because we are DIYers and we are learning this metal lap siding as we go. Maybe it's because we are building our mothers' house, and don't want to be spending the rest of our lives maintaining problems stemming from poor construction. Or maybe the Momplex is just huge - two houses in one - and it just takes this long to side this huge of a building.

But like everything we do, we just focus on one step at a time.

We put the starter strips up already all the way around the bottom of the Momplex where the siding starts.

And then we cut our first piece.

And slid it down the C channels trimming out the garages

And at the top, there's a lip that the hook hooks into.

So the first piece gets hooked into the starter strip.

And the screwed along the top edge, pulled tight keeping the hook in place.

No fasteners showing!

Then the next piece is slid into place

And hooked over the first piece

Are you hooked?

Yep!

And the siding is screwed on at the top fastening strip.

Should go super fast right?

It does.

Until you hit a utility box.

The location of the utility box is measured out and noted.

And then marked with a square on the lap siding. When possible, you cut with tin snips. But it is very difficult to cut through the ribs in the siding with tin snips.

Sooo ....

You cut across the ribs like this ....

And then it's just straight cuts

from there that you can finish with tin snips.

I swear the most important skills you need to build a house - at least this one - are the ones you learn in Kindergarten. How to cut with scissors. A little glue goes a long ways.

Can you tell I'm a little nervous about Grace going to Kindergarten this year?

The siding slides into place ... will she fit?

Pretty close!

And the good news?

Pretty close is good enough.

And the bad news?

There are no less than 18 things in the way of siding this front wall.

Why on earth did we decide to start siding on the hardest wall? Right about now, that side wall is looking pretty easy.

Next time we do this, tell us to start on the easiest side first, okay?

You know where we will be for the next two weeks.