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Tongue & Grove Redwood exterior...

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Kingston, OH
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[#1] Posted: 02/17/2007 - 06:11:25 AM
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Did any manufacture ever make 'tongue and grove' exterior redwood siding? ...more specifically during the mid 1950's, when this home was built (southern Ohio). The buyer must have found a special on T'n'G redwood boards, because it's everywhere, both inside and out. Is it possible the redwood was not designed for the exterior?

Apparently it worked as exterior siding for ~50 years, but the attached #41 illustrates the existing condition. The new buyers are asking if it should be replaced.

I'm not knowledgable on this siding to answer with confidence. Can they salavage the existing wood or should it be replaced? ...or where should they turn for advice.

Thanks in advance,
Jeff

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Rochester, New York
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Tongue & Grove Redwood exterior...
[#2] Posted: 02/17/2007 - 06:22:03 AM
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If they clean it well and apply a high quality finish it may last only another 100 years or so.

I'd use trisodium phosphate (tsp substitute just doesn't work as well) and the best solid color stain I could find.

You were there. Is there rot? Are any areas punky? Were the walls inside dry? What were the window and door flashings?

Chad Fabry
StructureSmart Home Inspection Rochester, NY
www.structuresmart.com
Kingston, OH
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Tongue & Grove Redwood exterior...
[#3] Posted: 02/17/2007 - 07:12:21 AM
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Okay, maybe it's just fine...but I don't see how.

This is the biggest one-off home ever...with too many do-it-yourself'er additions to mention; some of which should not work, but have for ~50 years. Check out the plumbing below the sink. ...and all the sinks/showers/tubs/washers drain down over the hill and not into the septic tank.

- Haubeil


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DeWitt, Mi
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Tongue & Grove Redwood exterior...
[#4] Posted: 02/17/2007 - 07:27:33 AM
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Jeff,
Everyone produced this product for exterior and interior. If it is indeed redwood and not red wood, I would kill for the salvage rights! Never met a piece of redwood I didn't like.

Chad is right. Maybe they are confusing the plumbing with the siding; siding is great and the plumbing is a work of "ART".

Les
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Rochester, New York
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Tongue & Grove Redwood exterior...
[#5] Posted: 02/17/2007 - 07:45:05 AM
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The plumbing is oddly evocative of musical instruments
Chad Fabry
StructureSmart Home Inspection Rochester, NY
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Staten Island, New York
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Tongue & Grove Redwood exterior...
[#6] Posted: 02/17/2007 - 07:50:16 AM
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Yeah, It reminds me of my youth. I played the flugalhorn in the marching band.
Steven Turetsky, UID#16000002314
Comprehensive Home & Building Inspections
www.homeinspectionsnewyork.com
www.eifsinspectionsnewyork.com
Staten Island, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Long Island, Westchester

"The great aim of education is not knowledge, but action".
Herbert Spencer 1830-1903
Kingston, OH
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Tongue & Grove Redwood exterior...
[#7] Posted: 02/17/2007 - 07:52:31 AM
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...and the size of the bathrooms!!! I could not get to the sink area, in photo 153.

This will be a most interesting report!!!

- Haubeil

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Lexington, KY
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Tongue & Grove Redwood exterior...
[#8] Posted: 02/17/2007 - 09:58:08 AM
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The plumber's son must have relocated to KY. I saw very similar work just a couple of days ago.

Check out the second photo; don't ya just love a job that brings you so close to raw sewage?

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Gaston, Oregon
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Tongue & Grove Redwood exterior...
[#9] Posted: 02/17/2007 - 10:26:36 AM
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Quote:Originally posted by Haubeil

Did any manufacture ever make 'tongue and grove' exterior redwood siding? ...more specifically during the mid 1950's, when this home was built (southern Ohio). The buyer must have found a special on T'n'G redwood boards, because it's everywhere, both inside and out. Is it possible the redwood was not designed for the exterior?

Apparently it worked as exterior siding for ~50 years, but the attached #41 illustrates the existing condition. The new buyers are asking if it should be replaced.

I'm not knowledgable on this siding to answer with confidence. Can they salavage the existing wood or should it be replaced? ...or where should they turn for advice.

Thanks in advance,
Jeff


T&G siding, like the stuff in your photo, was a very popular, very high-end product in my area from the 1050s-1970s. Around here it was mostly cedar. Occasionally it was redwood. It was most certainly intended to be used for the exterior.

The stuff in your picture #41 looks fine to me. As Chad said, it could stand to be cleaned, but I don't see any splitting or warping and the joints look tight. What do you perceive the problem to be?

Frankly, I think it would be a crime to replace it. Nothing that put on now is going to come close to the quality that's there now.

The rest of the house looks like a mess.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

Jim Katen, Oregon
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Kenmore, WA
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Tongue & Grove Redwood exterior...
[#10] Posted: 02/17/2007 - 10:50:24 AM
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Hi,

I had a house last summer completely sided with redwood that looked like that. It was built in the 50's and most areas were doing fine, except where some dildo had allowed planting beds to lie against the bottom edges for decades, where the siding, and framing was rotting.

The biggest complaint the client had was the dark color. It had turned almost black after more than half a century and they wanted to paint it. As oxidized as it was, I told them that I didn't think it would take paint well at all. My guess - they'll strip all of it off and re-side it with something that they can paint, rather than live with that deep brown to black color.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

   
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