Kathleno Siding Installation Tools, 2 Pack of Fiber Cement Siding 1-1/4-Inch Overlap Siding Tool Kit, Heavy Duty Steel Siding Tools for 5/16-Inch Thickness Fiber Cement Siding

This will definitely help to install your fiber cement siding panels

Hanging Hardie fiber-cement board? Which would you rather use, the stupid little green clips on the left, or these substantial professionally-designed chrome ones on the right? Yep, no brainer there! I re-sided most of my two garages' walls with those annoying little clips, which would constantly fall off when placing the next Hardie plank in place, so when I saw these for the first time, I immediately ordered. These automatically provide for the standard 1 1/4" reveal (just like the stupid little green clips). These new chrome hangers work like a charm, especially if you are doing the job solo without a helping hand. One thing to take careful note of when using, is that you DON'T force all three upper prongs on the upper tab of this clip UNDER the top edge of the lower plank, as the two outside prongs actually sit on top, while the inner prong goes BEHIND the lower plank (as per the illustrated instructions); this allow for stable placement with easy removal of the clip once you have nailed the plank into place. Just thought I'd mention that as at first glance you might think you need to force all three prongs behind the top edge of the already installed lower plank. Overall, a godsend for the solo DIYer Hardie board installer.

This is my review of Kathleno Siding Installation Tool, 2 Pack of Fiber Cement Siding 1-1/4-Inch Overlap Siding Tool Kit. This is a remake of a siding install tool I used around 2008 that I felt was not the best way to install cement fiber. The only benefit to using this product is you can install siding by yourself, which is why I bought the original many years ago. The problem is this product holds the bottom edge out from the wall due to the brackets. If the siding is nailed while at an angle it will not sit flat to the wall once complete creating an opportunity for wind to catch the edge. You can somewhat reduce this issue by only nailing a couple of spots, remove the install tool and push the siding tight to the wall before completing the rest of the nailing. It still leaves the installed planks with a little play. As far as keeping the planks level it does seem to do a decent job. I do however re level after about 8 courses just for general principle. Also due to the angle the siding plank does not have solid support behind the nailing area which will cause the nail to blow through if you are using a nail gun such as a roofing nailer. The photos included with my review show some of the issues this product can cause. I was hoping for an upgraded tool that would perform as expected, which did not happen. I personally would avoid this item and find another solution that installs siding flat to the wall such as spacer boards. Since this product disappointed me during my installation causing me to go back to my spacer boards but may be a useful tradeoff for someone who needs to install by themselves, I will rate this tool 2 stars.

Product: Fiber Cement Siding Installation ToolReview: I have been using the green Gator Clamps for hanging Hardie lap siding and they work very well but I prepaint my siding and they tend to mar the paint. I saw these and wanted to give them a try to see if I could prevent this issue. These work very well and because they hook on the panel below top, they ensure the proper spacing without marring my painted panel. Just like the Gator clamps, they make it easy for one-person operation. These cost about one third as much as the Gators which is very nice and means I could get a second set if I wanted more support for the 12ft siding pieces.Quality: These are made of quality steel and should easily last for multiple siding jobs.Recommendation: I would recommend this tool.

I'm a senior woman who does most DIY repairs and construction projects by myself. I'm always looking for tools to help the DIYer complete projects safer and easier. I was happy to discover this siding tool. I have been needing to put new siding on a storage shed, but I've been avoiding the project because it was going to be difficult by myself. I won't start the project until next spring, but this has given me time to play around with these guides. From what I can tell, they will be of great help to me while working alone on the siding project. The tools seem sturdy and well-made. Thanks to these tools, I may finally get the siding project done.