Hanging the starter course
To end up with a single “round” centered at the peak of the
gable, you must properly locate the first starter panel.
Begin by marking a vertical plumb line from the peak.
Then measure and mark the finished height line. In our
example, using a starter course with a 5-1/2" visible height,
the finished height is 9-3/8".
With your ruler inserted into the pocket of the lower
J-channel, mark a line on the substrate equal to the finished
height (remember to allow 1/4" for expansion). Repeat at
several points along the gable base. Use these marks to
strike a horizontal level line that will guide the nailing of the
starter course.
The point where the plumb line and the horizontal level line
intersect marks the starting point for hanging the first starter
course panel (if the first starter panel intersects the plumb line).
Determine whether you will center a “scallop” or a “V” at the
starting point. This decision is based on the number of
courses required to complete the gable.
The rule of thumb is:
Center an upper scallop if the initial calculations had less than
0.5 courses remaining (0.44 in our example).
Center the gap or “V” of the upper course if more than 0.5
courses remained.
(In our example we require 5.44 courses, so we would center
on a scallop.)
More than one panel will probably be required to reach the
plumb line. Measure from the plumb line into the pocket
receiving channel (leaving 1/4" for expansion) as illustrated at
left.
30…F
65…F
100…F
9-3/8"
9-3/8"
gap or “v”
remainder of
“scallop”
5-1/2"
plumb
line
plumb
line
finished
height line
89
Wolverine Fit and Finish Installation Guide
