Vinyl Siding On A Home With Wood Siding?
I get varied opinions when I ask this question. I am looking at a small 1.5 story home built in 1915 that has wood siding that needs some exterior work. I would like to put vinyl siding up. What are the thoughts on removing the wood siding first or putting the vinyl over the wood? What has anyone done in the past? Thank you.
old, rotting wood as the base seem pretty risky. I would tear off, and look (depending where you are), at using tyvek wrap or foam sheet sheathing for insulation.
Many people will tell you to install an insulation board under the siding but many times this is not necessary or practical.
The only real purpose this serves is to allow the siding to lay flatter.....anyone who tells you this helps with insulation does not know what they are talking about or they simply are trying to make an extra buck on the insulation. The R-value on Styrofoam sheathing is minimal.
If you truly want to insulate the home than now is the time to do it from the outside. My insulation contractor will drill holes at the top of the walls (and other locations depending on age of the home due to possible purlins / fireblocking in the middle of the wall) and insert loose fill insulation.
This is also the time (before siding) you may want to consider upgrading your windows if needed.
The other considerations is how it will effect the projections of the surrounding window trim. Adding an 1" thick styrofoam board plus the siding will typically hold you about 1 1/2 inches away from the current exterior veneer.
House wrap is often used on newer homes for the purpose of getting the house in a dry stage while waiting for the final installation of an exterior veneer. If you do not have an issue with moisture or draft issues then why spend an extra 200 - 300 on house wrap.
I personally would use a 1/4 foam board for the purpose of allowing the siding to lay flat.
And of course I would reiterate what other have said; remove and replace any rot or damaged wood, carefully check your baseline ensuring that siding matches up around the perimeter.
If its in your budget, have the siding contractor wrap all exterior trim including facia, doors and windows.
Pay particular attention to your soffit panels...... I have seen many homes with ridge vent at the peak of the home yet solid soffit panels at the eaves.....this is not correct.......same with gable vents and vented soffit panels........I can not tell you the number of improper attic ventilation and siding installation I catch on older homes.
Make sure your siding contractor does not skimp on the small details...........I recently did an inspection where the siding contractor opted not to use drip cap over projected trim nor did he properly caulk in needed locations........as a result the home owner is looking at $20,000.00 worth of structural damage to the subfloor system..................this all could have been avoided for less than $20.00.
good luck
NC_Yank
(contractor / home inspector)
I was thinking water infiltration for the stucco separation..
Your mold issue would be consistent. You can culture the mold if you really want to make it an issue and have it remediated or get a credit in escrow, the you can decide if bleach is good enough.
good Stucco men can blend and match the patch.
Without looking at it......it sounds like you have a moisture problem or better put, improper installation or flashing of the product in question.
There are hundreds of thousands of types of mold........not all are dangerous.......simply calling something black mold does not validate the type of mold it is.....proper testing is necessary.
Also, putting bleach on mold is not a remedy.......mold exist because their is a moisture problem. Find the problem, correct it and you will be fine.
Contact a licensed contractor / inspector who specializes in ICF / Stucco applications.........you need to get a realistic estimate of repairs otherwise you may end up with a house of horrors.
NC_Yank
How would I go about checking to see what type "mold " it could be?
Can I do it myself?