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When the gauge is SET for a 7 inch exposure, the ACTUAL exposure is 7 1/16 inch. If the issue of this Malco fiber cement siding gauge being made of flexible plastic wasn't annoying enough, it has another more serious design flaw:This gauge fails at it's most basic function.measuring an accurate exposure. This can be verified by measuring the gauge with a tape measure.Although 1/16 of an inch may not seem like much, after 16 rows, the cumulative error is 1 inch.
However, they did it horizontal so the eye could not tell - and this is all trompe l'oeil work. It is the bane of siding. I just gave them to Young Jack and wished him the joy of them. Seems to get the board flatter.Tech Tip: You will be amazed at the cumulative error you can crank in. I went around the house today on another issue and the boys managed to insert a pair of 3/16 down ticks and a 1/4 down tick in five courses on a wall that was a mass of layout lines.
All they had to do was insure that the top of each course hit the chalk line. What works rather well is the.Malco FCG2 1-1/4 Inch Overlap 5/16-Inch Thickness Fiber Cement Siding Gauge, 2-PackJust bought another pair for the crew so I could get to use mine. Once it is nailed off and gauges released and back in your paws, hit the nails again with a hammer. Your corners have to meet. They are worth the price. I had these gauges in my HardiePlank tool chest.
They hold the board while you fiddle about. You must return to a surveyed layout line every four courses or.
That can add up to quite a bit after 20 rows of siding with each row based on the previous. It works as a gauge and I use it, but it can vary as much as 1/8 of an inch depending on how hard you are pushing on it. Would be much better, if it were more rigid.
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