Fiber Cement Siding Gauges: Overlap

Good, but…use the facing gauge too

I'm a home owner who used the overlap gauges to re-side my house. The gauges work great. I found it very helpful to have a second person help with the first row of HardiePlank because my starter strip was not perfectly straight across. After that it was a one person job. I highly recommend using the face gauge as well, at least for installing the HardiePlank over existing plywood or any surface that is not perfectly flat. The overlap gauges hold the bottom of the plank slightly out from the top of the lower plank. When blind nailing, especially the 8 1/4" plank, there is not much pressure pulling the plank inward against the lower plank. When the overlap gauges are removed I had numerous planks that did not fall tight against the lower plank because their weight could not overcome the combination of slight irregularities in the wall and the fact that they had been nailed at a slight outward angle. The solution was to put the new plank in place using the overlap gauges, then get the nail gun ready, remove one overlap gauge and replace it with a face gauge, hold the new plank firmly against the lower plank with the face gauge in one hand, then nail with the other hand. Nailing the planks at the correct angle usually generated enough inward pressure to overcome small irregularities in the plywood and underlayment.

important siding tool

I ordered a pair of the FCG2 fiber cement siding overlap gauges to install some 8-1/4 Hardie Plank panels on a small building. As a do-it-yourselfer and working along, these gauges are a labor-saver and easy to use. Bravo, Malco

Five Stars

Worked out very well, as described.

Great Seller. Tool arrived quickly and as described.

Great Seller. Tool arrived quickly and as described. Ordered the facing gauge and did not use/need it. Two of these made my installation easy for one person install. Thanks.

Got to have it

If you are hanging siding alone this is a got to have.

Five Stars

Great tool!

Five Stars

Best investment ever. Couldn't have done the job without them.

Five Stars

These made the job very easy...pretty idiot proof!

These rock. Just what I needed to make it…

These rock. Just what I needed to make it a one man job. Watch the video!

Four Stars

Like having four hands.

Siding Clips

Performed the job without another body, excellent tool for the handy man.

Very practical tools

Very practical tools to ask only fiber cement siding. Very light and very handy. I do not regret my purchase.

Five Stars

Makes installing Hardie Planks a one man/woman job worked great!

Excellent Product

The Malco FCG2 works perfectly and allows me to do siding by myself

Great product. Life saver if you hanging siding alone.

What a time saver. Used this to hang my 6" concrete fiber siding. Hang your first row level, clip these on at about the 25% and 75% mark, hang the next level, nail it down, remove the clips. The only thing that takes some getting use to is the release system. You have to push down the little tab to let the new level sort of "snap" flush against the previous. It's just kind of weird. I don't really know why it's necessary, but it must be for some reason. It just takes some getting used to. You'll struggle getting them to release and to get the hangers out for the first couple rows. Then you'll get it and have a good system. These are about the only way you're going to hang siding alone. And even with a helper, this will make sure your rows are level with one another. I know they make much more expensive items that apparently do the exact same thing. For the money, these are hard to beat.

Labor Saver

Major labor saver, good design and well made.