TruLog™ Steel Log Siding

The first step in the TruLog™ steel siding installation process is securing starter strips a ½” to 1”  below the top of your foundation. As you can see in the video below, find that point, make a mark on the wall, measure that mark from the soffit down, and then make that same mark further down the wall. You can then snap a chalk line between those two points so you have a line of reference when installing your starter strip to ensure it is level with the rest of the wall. You will then line up the top of your starter strip flush with that line and secure the strip with 1” to 1 ½”  screws. Check out the video below for more instructions:

The next step in the TruLog™ siding installation process is measuring and cutting your corner base to the height of your wall down from the soffit. Here you will measure from your soffit down to the bottom of the starter and cut your corner base that length. You’ll then secure it to the wall using 1” to 1 ½”  screws. The corner will act as the base for your corner cap, which will be installed later, and act as a channel for your steel siding to be accepted to the corner of your structure. You can see how this is accomplished in the installation video below.

J-Channel is the next step in the steel siding installation process and is required around your doors and windows to accept the siding and cover cuts. First, measure a side of your door or window and add a half inch, mark that extra half inch and leave it for now. We do this so we can intersect the next J-channel piece either at the top, bottom, or side. This extra half inch will be cut out so you can intersect the other piece of j-channel together. Mark your measurement on the j-channel, cut it, and install it. Make sure you have the j-channel behind the start and the j-channel is flush with the top of the door or window. You will need to install j-channel for around all your windows and doors before starting your siding, it will make the installation of the steel siding much easier. Check out the video below for the full installation instructions and tips.

Another piece that helps with the TruLog™ metal siding installation is an outlet block. An outlet block is a base and cap system that helps the siding to be accepted to your faucet, electrical outlets, and lights on your exterior walls. It gives your exterior wall penetrations a nice, finished look. These blocks can be purchased locally at a hardware store. Watch the video below for further instructions.

Now for the best part of the installation process — installing your steel log siding! Your TruLog™ siding will come in 12-foot lengths and will be securely boxed up. Each siding box will weigh around 90 pounds, so be careful when handling and moving the boxes. There will be 11 panels in each box, which will cover 100 square feet of your exterior walls. Also included in the box and behind the siding is the foam backer that will add rigidity and insulation value to your home. Take your first piece of TruLog™ siding out of the box and remove the foam pieces from the back of the siding to more easily lock the panel into place. The foam can be installed later after the panel is locked into place. As you can see on the panel, there is a bottom lock that will fit into the starter. Ensure you slide the panel into the j-channel if you have a door, window, or a corner you are siding into. Fit the bottom lock of the panel into the starter strip and push up on the panel, locking it into place. You can feel on the starter strip if the panel is locked into place or not. Once you feel it is locked into place, you can secure it to the wall on one end and start inserting the foam on the other end by pulling back the panel and dropping it into place. A nice feature here is that you can slide the foam down the line of the panel. After you have all the foam in place, secure the rest of the panel by screwing or nailing it to the studs of the wall and in between. Studs in the wall are usually 16 inches apart. You are now ready for your next piece of siding. For your second piece of steel siding on the same row you just started, again, take out the foam backer from the panel to make it easier for installation. You will notice a notch out at the top and bottom of the panel. This allows the panels to overlap each other about a half of an inch. The seams will lay flat with each other and you will be able to drop in the foam backer and secure the panel to the wall.

If you have a light or an outlet where your next piece of siding needs to go, follow the directions below and watch the video provided to properly cut the siding to fit this wall penetration. Put the next siding piece up on the wall and into the j-channel if able. Line up your light block or material you used to cover your wall penetration and mark on your panel how long and deep you will have to make a cut to make the siding panel fit around the area. You will use your steel snips for this cut since they make the most precise cuts in small areas. Check out the video below for more instructions on installing steel siding around light blocks, faucets, and lights.

The first step to installing TruLog™ metal siding under your windows is to measure from the lock of the panel where you overlap the panels by a half inch, to the inside of the j-channel. Then get the measurement from the inside of the left side of the j-channeled window to the inside of the j-channel on the right side of the window. This will tell you how long your cut needs to be. Lastly, you need to measure the depth of the steel siding that you need to cut out so you measure from the inside of the j-channel on the bottom of the window to the top lock of the panel below it. Mark these measurements on your TruLog™ siding and start your cuts from the top of the panel where the nail strip is. You are now ready to cut this section of steel siding out so your TruLog™ panel will fit neatly underneath the window. Make sure to watch the full video below to get all the steel siding installation instructions you need.

You are so close to being done with your TruLog™ installation! You have one more piece to install, but the siding is too tall so the panel needs to be ripped down to size so it fits correctly right before the siding meets the soffit. Measure from the soffit down to the nail strip and subtract a little bit to make it easier to lock in the panel. Leaving a little room between the soffit and the siding won’t be a big deal because you will have another piece that will snap into the soffit that will cover that cut panel. Make the mark on your panel on each end and then snap a chalk line matching those two lines up. This line will be your cutting line. We suggest you cut your foam this same depth and face nail it to the wall before installing the last piece of siding since you won’t be able to drop the foam in after the panel is locked. You can install the last piece of siding just like you did the other pieces of steel siding. Lock it into place and then you will face nail the panel towards the top since we had to rip the panel down and there is no longer a nail strip. Watch the video below for detailed instructions on how to install your last piece of TruLog™ siding!

One of the last pieces to install is our frieze board or crown piece. Now that we have our last piece of TruLog™ siding installed, you can see the cut siding along with a little foam, so we would like to give the home a finished look and the crown piece does just that. The crown is a 2-inch face L-angle metal that snaps into the j-channel of your soffit or if you have wood soffit. The frieze board covers the last piece of steel siding and face nails finishing your siding installation. Take a look at the video below for more detailed instructions and tools we used for this step.

The last part of the TruLog™ log siding installation is securing the corner cap over the corner base. The corner cap gives your home a unique and finished look. Our corner cap has a hem, so start on one side of your corner base, snap it on, and then you can snap on the other side and adjust the corner up and down as needed. The corner can be stretched a little so don’t be afraid to lock in one hem and stretch the corner to the other side. You can secure the corner with a screw at the bottom if you want, but it isn’t necessarily needed. You are done with your TruLog™ Siding installation! Watch the video below for full instructions on installing your corner cap.

How to install an inside corner with an elevation change going over a deck or a front porch. This video will show you how to complete this inside corner installation with TruLog™ siding.

Watch this video to learn how to install the TruLog™ bold window trim.