Exterior finishes

[Bryan]

I am prepairing to install all new siding, trim, and windows in our 100 year old farm house. The home currently has cheap vinyl siding and even cheaper replacement windows. I will be installing Pella new construction windows, fiber cement siding and vinyl soffit. I am also looking to use cellular core PVC trim around the windows , doors and corners. Is anyone seeing the PVC trim being used out in the field and are you seeing any problems or issues with the material?

Under the vinyl siding is old dutch lap, it is solid; however, not flat or smooth. I am considering using a Rain Screen to smooth out the wall, which will do double duty in the moisture control area.

Does anyone see rain screens on siding jobs anymore? If so what is the ideal material, OSB, plywood, 1x3, or other? Is 1/2 material enough of a gap or is more required.

I know JLC did a small articial on this some time back; however, I can't find it at this time.

[Bill Kibbel]

Under the vinyl siding is old dutch lap, it is solid

Why not restore the original exterior coverings and trim?

..and even cheaper replacement windows. I will be installing Pella new construction windows.

How about some nice reproduction 2-over-2?

[Chad Fabry]

.

[Chad Fabry]

... .. ...

[charlieb]

Deep.

[Marc]

What? I gotta learn morse code now?

Marc

[Erby]

Well gee, Marc. We thought you already knew it!

[John Kogel]

What? I gotta learn Morse code now?

Marc

He says "sis". I think he means "silly internet sucks" as in "the network is down, shall verbalate frustration by Morse code".

Bryan, if you're set on recovering the old siding, this is an opportunity to insulate the exterior before installing a vapor barrier and siding. I see good old building paper used quite a bit in my damp climate. Building paper, thin vertical slats, Hardiplank.

[kurt]

I thought he was trying to say ... --- ..., as in SOS.

As far as the house, I'd have to see how bad the siding was before I'd think of covering it with something else.

How bad is it?

[Tom Raymond]

It's already been covered by something else. In my experience that means pretty bad.

[kurt]

Really? I've never found it to have any bearing. In fact, it often preserves the underlying stuff better as it's not exposed to weather.

I've stripped dozens and seen a few hundred in the city that have been stripped to reveal beveled or clapboard siding in near perfect condition.

Folks didn't put that crap up because the siding was damaged; they put it up because they got tired of painting, or they got enamored of the sales pitch......folks are like that.

Old paint was lousy. New paint is pretty good; it can last a long time and look beautiful.

Shoot, my across the street neighbors just stripped the aluminum off their 100 year old "farmhouse" and revealed perfect condition clapboards of old growth fir.

Lotta scraping and painting and a few board replacements, but the job ended up being about the same cost as wrapping it with vinyl.

But, until someone does some excavation to figure out how bad it is, it's all pie in the sky.

[Chad Fabry]

Deep.

I typed the dot, dot, dot thing as a test when the site was down . Trust me, I'm not deep.

[Tom Raymond]

Around here there are a lot of guys with trucks and ladders that think they are contractors. These guys smash details like wood drip caps, sill horns, water tables, etc. Basically if it doesn't conform to the off the shelf parts it gets whacked with the claw of a hammer until it does. Even the really good crews will resort to these tactics on occasion, there's not enough margin to do the job right.

Fixing that is a far cry from replacing a few clapboards.