Smartside panels not centering on stud

[eflyersteve]

I'm into the process of siding my 16x80 with Smartside panels. This is a shiplap product that needs to overlap on the center of a stud. For those of you that have installed this, or another shiplap product like T1-11, how did you handle it when a lap didn't fall on a stud?

It turns out my very first panel will end up like this if I start flush to a corner. The studs are 16" OC but the first one from a corner may not occur until 19.5 because the end stud of the adjacent wall. This pushes out the panel end stud from 48" to 51.5" I hope that all made sense.

I see a few options:

1) toe-nail in new studs - this would likely result in me needing to add a stud for each and every panel.

2) Center the panel on the first full course of 16" OC studs and use a short section of panel for the corners.

3) Install 1x2 or 2x2 cleats behind each underlap so that I can nail the overlap securely to it.

I know none of these are ideal conditions but I am in the middle of the process of removing the metal siding and hate to leave my home exposed to any weather. Luckily no rain is forecast for the next few weeks and I have the week of the 4th off to work on this project.

Thanks to any and all that can help.

[1987Commodore]

#2.
#1, a lot of extra work and expense.
#3, will not secure the edges to the home, allowing warping.

[eflyersteve]

That is the conclusion that I am reaching. Looks like I can shift the panels down to the first stud and just have to add a section to each side of each corner. Will require extra panels but is the best way. I've come this far - not a good time to start skimping.

[Greg]

Did you check the other end? If your luck runs like mine, if you start from the other end things will line up perfectly. If not, I would start where the studs do line up and figure out the ends later.

Greg

[ponch37300]

I would do option #4. I would start out from the corner with a 35 1/2" panel instead of the 19 1/2" panel in option #2. Corners are a place where strength is important. I'm not familiar with smartside and not sure what you're putting it over. You may have plenty of strength if you're siding over another panel of some sort. But if you're just going over studs I would keep the end panels as long as possible to offer more strength. This may never be an issue but might as well keep it as strong as possible.

[eflyersteve]

For better or worse I went with option #2. With the gable end of the home already stripped of metal, wrapped, the new bathroom window re-framed, flashed and installed on Sunday, I installed three full panels. Surprisingly easy really. I'll have to install one more partial panel, the short sections at the top and a 3.5" piece on one corner. I can understand the concern about corner strength though. I'm hopeful that the ship lap will help to add a bit of strength back.

Sunday I was about to throw in the towel and hire someone to finish what I started. After yesterday evening, I'm feeling much better about handling this myself. The eve ends should be a piece of cake relatively speaking.