100+ y/o siding repair. to run or not to run. - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

VALCOR · 02-23-2009, 12:45 PM

Did a drive by yesterday and it looks like the ho removed a perfectly good vinyl siding and new aluminum fascia to expose this old clapboard

. Wants me to estimate what its going to take to repair the siding fascia and soffit back to wood. Im thinking an estimate of time plus mat. and taking draws as i go along. How else would you know how to bid this job in man hours ???

My questions are if you have any suggestions for handeling the split down the side of the house??? Or all of the holes in the siding from the vinyl install (some kind of filler, paint, water tight)?, or replacing the broken/rotten siding (matching it up shrikage, sizing issues, lots of shims) ? I usually install vinyl siding, roofing and windows but this looks like a real challenge.

I called another contractor from the area to bounce some ideas off of and he referred me to talk to a specialist that works with restoring these old wood siding homes out in chicago. Im going to meet with the ho later today to feel em out and measure up. Id love to get this one in the ol portfolio.

Looking for some advise on how to approach this albatross. Thanks in advance for your help

Steve

neolitic · 02-23-2009, 12:54 PM

Not an albatross, she's a Queen.

Take a piece of siding to a mill,
find how much to duplicate it.
Find a good painter.
Figure how much replacement,
and how much repair.
Prepare the customer for a large bill.

**Cole** · 02-23-2009, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neolitic

Prepare the customer for a large bill.

SLSTech · 02-23-2009, 09:07 PM

I agree with Neo - or price out removing the siding, sheathing it & using Fiber Cement

**loneframer** · 02-23-2009, 09:22 PM

Quite a project for sure, don't think I would get involved with a contract price. It's only a trophy house if you don't get buried by it.

JBMagi · 02-23-2009, 10:33 PM

I like the drive to repair the old. But that is me and I am a Green Hippie. I would give an estimate a bit on the high side of 3/4 the price of tearing off and replacing. Then let them know this is on the high side as you want them to be prepared for the worst and receive the best. Also you can talk up how "Green" and responsible it is of them to want to save more trees from being cut down and filling the landfill with the old debris. That allways helps me close a job.

tomstruble · 02-23-2009, 10:37 PM

looks similar to a project i finished last year but that was a reside full trim replacement with azek

**loneframer** · 02-23-2009, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomstruble

looks similar to a project i finished last year but that was a reside full trim replacement with azek

Hot pics. Must have been interesting dealing with the flared walls on the turret.

Very clean work, nice job.

tomstruble · 02-23-2009, 10:47 PM

few more

tomstruble · 02-23-2009, 10:51 PM

what i started with

tomstruble · 02-24-2009, 12:01 AM

picture of the house from 1909

WarnerConstInc. · 02-24-2009, 12:09 AM

Was this place cut in half and moved to this location?

I bet that siding is just 1/2"-5/8" straight board siding.

Any Mill shop will be able to re-saw some material whatever it is, for fixing and replacing.

Be useful with Freize boards, add a little bit of trim if you need to.

I used fast-n-final to fill all the nail holes on my old siding that was covered with 2 layers of other siding.

I sanded from 36 to 120, set nails, primed, filled holes, caulked, primed, trim paint, 3 coats house paint. It takes forever....FOREVER....

Make them prove they have the money for something like that.

By the way, she still is pretty!

yes i said pretty

tomstruble · 02-24-2009, 12:13 AM

maybe the siding guys channeled it to get a wire buried?

Patrick · 02-24-2009, 12:53 AM

based on the foundation id say it was moved. That saw cut goes right through the soffit

tomstruble · 02-24-2009, 01:50 PM

yes it does look like it was Patrick

Out-Sider · 02-25-2009, 11:47 AM

Definately looks like a T&M job to me. If I were doing it, I'd tear off the worst sections (like the part with the big cut) and replace those with new cedar that matches. Then try to fix up and restore the rest as much as possible. That way they are keeping the historic part if that's what they're going for, but the end result will look nice.

If for some reason they decide to go with Hardie, the smooth finish looks the most like that old siding.

tomstruble · 02-25-2009, 01:44 PM

thats a good idea

outsider

Out-Sider · 02-25-2009, 05:57 PM

Thanks...cool house you worked on, by the way.

silvertree · 02-25-2009, 06:02 PM

I did a house that had been cut in 2 pieces when I lived in Connecticut. It had been moved by horse teams (at the turn of the century) from one site to where I worked on it. Looked just like your picture.

ScipioAfricanus · 02-25-2009, 06:22 PM

A wonderful old house, please don't put vinyl on it.

From the pictures it looks like you will have to get rid of all the siding between the windows then re-use some of the longer pieces there. Have some new siding milled to fill in the longer areas and on those longer areas cut back randomly to the centers of the studs at lest 3 bays and fill with new siding and some of the older siding.
This will keep from having one long seam that will be easily seen.
God I would love to do this one.
I have done a couple projects here in the Old Towne district and moving older homes, building new foundations and replacing old siding and milling new. This one is definitely a T&M job.
Andy.