Need An Expert On Cedar Siding

Any Season

I have a house that had 80-90% paint failure on it that had been sitting with open, and in some spots water filled bubbles. We scraped all loose paint off, then applied an all natural paint stripper by brush and hot powerwashed it off. At the outset of the project I told the homeowner that the siding would not look perfect when we were finished bc of the amount of weathering and damage that had taken place as a result of moisture problems, weathering, and poor maintenance that had left the visible cedar siding's wood fibers weak and loose.

So, we then sanded the entire home with random orbital sanders and installed siding vents all over the place for ventilation. After that we sprayed and backbrushed 2 coats of XIM Peel Bond and then caulked all gaps and seams. There was still something of the 'courduroy' effect that I had explained initially and we sprayed and backbrushed the first finish coat.

At this point, the homeowner decided the home looks awful and fired us ad is refusing to pay for services rendered. I offered the epoxy patching product from conserveepoxy.com and she has contacted my insurance company saying she needs all new siding.

So she supposedly has had two painters tell her that is the 'only' solution, where I have two, one of them she called who told her that we did an awesome job and she had agreed with (this was in between the peel bond and first finish coat), and she agreed that aside from a couple of damaged spots caused by my pressure washing sub, which I took responsibility for, the house and the prep we had done was great.

Now all of a sudden she needs new siding???? I also heard, after the fact of course, from neighbors and other contractors who had stopped by and spoken to my guys, that this woman does this to EVERY contractor she deals with. Her own neighbor suggested I get a mechanic's lien bc he believes that has also happened before.

My question is this, with everything I know, I believe that with a house with 80-90% paint failure of some kind that had been left to the elements one block from the ocean for nearly 4 years, that the lignin in the cedar (wood's natural glue) had been weakend by exposure to moisture, snow, and UV rays, and the 'courduroy' look was as inevitable as I first explained it was (which she also denies/can't remember us discussing). Thoughts are very much welcomed...Thanks

forsmant

I would think that water is getting behind the siding and the siding is not primed on the back side. Something about tannins in cedar causes the paint to peel if all sides are not primed. Many articles I have read about this siggest building a rain screen wall that allows air flow behind the siding.

Any Season

yes, but I'm talking about the weathering and its damage to the cedar, not interior moisture issues

forsmant

Whoops, better read the whole post next time, sorry.

jhark123

It might help to post pics. Is your paint bubbling? Did you take pictures before you started? If not you should try to obtain some from the neighbors. I can't see how you could have damaged the siding, but I've been wrong before.

Tom Struble

its that moisture under the cedar that probably blew off the paint in the first place,the rainscreen detail is probably necessary in that environment to help keep the finish on,your trying to do this with the vents your putting in but they are probably not going to be effective

sounds like a reside,but your not responsible for it imo

what was in the contract?

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Tom

Winchester

Paint would peel if moisture is getting behind and can't dry out from behind (rainscreen), especially if it's not back primed.

Is the "cordura look" you're talking about the grain raising?

I'm not sure what you mean, and someone who knows more than me may be able to tell you what's what if you elaborate on that or show some photos.

Does it look similar to this?

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Ryan

Any Season

yes, but we sanded all siding as smooth as we could without compromising the wood. It was smoother than that to begin with and the siding in the picture you posted looks like some pretty old or low quality stuff judging by the knotholes, etc. More or less though we ended up with what looks pretty groovy and grainy like that but my argument, again, was that the exposure by all of the siding, especially where bubbling and peeling, is what caused wood fibers to be weak and fall away as we sanded and scraped and washed the house.

Tom Struble

well if you sanded and powerwashed wouldnt that have taken care of the loose fbers?Wouldnt that bonding primer have bonded the loose fibers?

do you know if these shingles were primed front and back before they were installed?are they white cedar,red?what kind of underlayment?

where and why did you caulk the shingles?

pics would help i think you should have investigated why the bubbles were full of water

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Tom

punchlist

She sounds like a scammer. Don't get mad get even, set an appointment to look at the "damage" find a crack in the sidewalk and ....let the lawyers sort it out

oldfrt

Just a thought,

Maybe on one of the previous repaints,someone sandblasted the smithereens uot of that house,hence the 'courduroy' look ?

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JohnLINY

Sounds like she maybe a scam artist. If she already contacted your insurance company and her neighbor gave you a heads up. Sounds like you guys did a ton of work and didn't get paid for it. I would suggest a lien and a 'friendly' letter from an attorney. At this point it is pretty obvious that there is no way you are going to make this lady happy. Her own neighbors know she is a PIA with questionable morals.

Tom Struble

it really sucks seeing all the post about scamming homeowners

im glad i haven't run in to one yet...only a matter of time i guess

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Tom