Posted by Lin (NC) on May 13, 2007 at 14:43:57:
I thought so. There are those who would disagree.
Question about Wood Siding - Posted by rachel
Posted by rachel on May 04, 2007 at 22:33:17:
Hi Everyone,
I’ve got a question about a mobile home with wood siding. Some of the
panels are cracking around the house. It’s only a few spots around the house.
Also, some spots on the bottom near the trim are very soft and rotted.
In any case, does anyone know what causes the cracks? It’s weird because it’s
only in a few spots around the outside of the home.
I had a few people look at it. One handyman told me it looked pretty bad and
told me to replace the paneling all the way around b/c of the possible mold
issue. However, not all the panels are cracking and not all of them are soft.
Another handyman suggested I just replace and recaulk the ones that are
rotting.
Anyone here had experience replacing rotted wood siding? Any insight you
have would help.
Thanks!
-Rachel
Re: Question about Wood Siding - Posted by Lin (NC)
Posted by Lin (NC) on May 06, 2007 at 17:50:28:
It sounds like masonite siding to me, too.
I had a home that needed this type of repair. My handiman found T1-11 siding that matched the pattern of the masonite on the home. He cut out and replaced the bad sections of masonite (not necessarily entire panels) with the T1-11. There was a lot of damage at the bottom of the masonite above the skirting, and he nailed painted 1X8’s on top of the masonite the entire length of one side where the damage was particularly bad. I had planned to vinyl side the home eventually, but these fixes allowed me to make it reasonably attractive and rentable pretty quickly and inexpensively.
Lin
Re: Question about Wood Siding - Posted by Ryan (NC)
Posted by Ryan (NC) on May 05, 2007 at 08:18:35:
You are dealing with a masonite sided home, this unfortunately is a fairly common thing if the home is not properly taken care of. It’s caused by water getting into the wood in worn spots in the paint normally around nail heads or dings in the wood.
Look up wood siding in the archives and you’ll find detailed steps, but basically you cut out or overlay bad places and then paint the house.
Best wishes,
Ryan Needler
Re: Question about Wood Siding - Posted by rachel
Posted by rachel on May 06, 2007 at 19:04:21:
Thanks for your input, Lin. That really helps. The damage you
mentioned at the bottom near the skirting sounds exactly like the
home I’m talking about.
Do you have any guidelines on how much to pay a handyman to
replace the siding? Do you buy your own materials and just pay the
labor? Or, do you pay for materials and labor?
Thanks for your help!
-Rachel
Re: Question about Wood Siding - Posted by rachel
Posted by rachel on May 06, 2007 at 19:05:05:
Will do. Thanks, Ryan!
Re: Question about Wood Siding - Posted by Lin (NC)
Posted by Lin (NC) on May 07, 2007 at 06:41:52:
I paid my handyman about $15/hr. That’s on the high side. I bought materials. He was a retired carpenter and extremely knowledgeable, worked quickly, took few breaks, and showed up when he said he would. He also went back and fixed stuff he goofed on without charge. (He installed a window upside-down.) I’d rather pay a little more and know I was getting good quality work and reliable help. You also don’t waste as much in materials or time.
It’s been discussed here before, but Chris Reuman’s approach is to place an ad in the local paper. "Retired handyman wanted for misc plumbing and carpentry work. Own tools own truck required. Flexible hours, part time work. "
Others probably word it better, but you get the idea. Interview them over the phone, then when you’ve weeded out the ones who don’t have tools or trucks or seem very competent, interview the others in person at a McDonalds or some place public.
Good luck.