Exterior rehab - Posted by Keith (East TX)

Posted by Mike in KC on July 23, 2005 at 17:14:08:

I did this on my first home. You have the right idea. I cut off the bottom 24" of the siding and replaced it with new siding. I had Lowes cut the siding in 24" pieces since they can make a nice straight cut on their big saw in the store. I used Hardi plank on the splice and along the bottom by the skirting. I also used it for trim around the windows and doors. You will need to rip the planks in half to make it look right. I used caulk between the bottom of the old siding and the top of the new because the cut was not straight. Make sure you set your blade 1/8 deeper than the wood, You do not want to cut any wires or pipes. I primed and painted the wood and Hardie plank in my basement before I installed it.

Exterior rehab - Posted by Keith (East TX)

Posted by Keith (East TX) on July 23, 2005 at 10:53:07:

I had an idea to approach a problem exterior and was wondering how it sounded to the experts. This '83 14x80 has the wafer board siding that is in pretty bad shape but 90% of the problem is within 24" of the bottom. Could I cut off the lower 24"+ or - (up to the bottom of the windows), screw or nail a 2x3 horizontally around the entire perimeter just below the windows, and then fill in the bottom with Hardi lap siding or other ?? I will also have to do a 12" board around the entire perimeter just below the roof line. With a good painting will the remainder of the wafer board have a reasonable life expectancy? I figure this approach to be half of residing the whole thing.

Thanks again to all experienced people who post on this board. All the advice I have received has been spot on and saved me making costly mistakes.

Keith (Working hard in East TX)

Re: Exterior rehab - Posted by Ryan(NC)

Posted by Ryan(NC) on July 23, 2005 at 21:23:24:

Keith,

You?re right on the money with ripping the panels to replace the damaged parts if the upper parts are still in good condition. Try not to alter the roofline though, because it can be a real pain in the tail to reseal! And make sure you use aluminum flashing hidden under the trim as Joe suggested to keep water from running into the walls should the caulking ever fail.

Don’t get carried away spending your repair money on the 12? or 1x3 hardwood trim boards, buy an extra sheet or two of siding and a cheap rip guide to cut the extra panels for your trim. (and shutters if needed)

We did this on a home that was completely rundown on the outside and for a couple hundred bucks we turned an eyesore into a very nice home (and a very handsome profit), but best of all the park owner now calls us every time a home comes up for sale in his park.

Best wishes,
Ryan Needler

Re: Exterior rehab - Posted by Joe C. (AR)

Posted by Joe C. (AR) on July 23, 2005 at 20:11:10:

I agree with Mike. I’ve done it too. One thing I add is a piece of “Z” aluminum flashing. I slip it under the upper section and overlap the top of the new pieces. It’s covered by the moulding. This prevents water fom entering at the seam. I don’t think just caulking is as effective and the flashing is a very cheap add-on.
Joe C. (AR)