Better Get Buttoned Up

Though we’ve had a master plan for completing this humongous project, rain delays have at times thrown us off schedule. In order to keep moving ahead during those delays, we started projects inside that weren’t always completed before we could start work outside again.  In other words, we’ve had to be flexible with our timeline–and that’s a stretch for two people who are driven and goal-oriented.

But with winter approaching we were forced to focus on one very important goal: to be buttoned up before the cold weather gets here. And a major component of that was to complete the new siding. It certainly wasn’t cold when we started the process; in fact, one day when Kevin was working on the second story in the sun, the siding was so hot he could hardly touch it.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s go back to the initial siding party that sort of wasn’t.

We thought we were ready, and we knew we needed help, so we planned a party (of course).  We promised food and a good time. And we got some takers–two of Sue’s brothers (Tom and Jim), our friend Brian, and Tom’s brother-in-law, Glenn. Unfortunately, there were some obstacles that caused a frustratingly and disappointingly slow start. The shipment of siding we had received contained some dirty and damaged pieces, was not packaged well, and did not include everything we thought it would, so we had to make a couple of trips to a couple of different hardware stores. Meanwhile, we had able-bodied helpers sitting around with nothing to do–such a waste of valuable time and precious labor! Some of the trim boards needed to be painted, so some of that got done while we were waiting. Glenn even carried old windows out to the dumpster and scrap metal pile for us, just to keep busy.

When we finally started handling the siding, we found it to be difficult to work with, but that proved to be somewhat of a learning curve. After a great deal of research before starting this project, we had chosen James Hardie cement board siding, for the following reasons (as described on the HomeAdvisor website):

• Longevity: Most hardie board siding comes with a 50-year, limited transferable warranty. This siding is completely rot and insect resistant and can even handle salt spray from the ocean.
• Appearance: Hardie board siding can be made to mimic just about any other siding material, including wood lap boards, cedar shingles, and wood shake siding. Color options are virtually unlimited. These colors are accompanied by a 15 year warranty on the finish.
• Fire Resistance: Hardie board siding is 90 percent sand and cement which makes it fire-resistant. Case in point, a St. Paul Minnesota house fire torched two fire trucks parked 60 feet away, but the cement board siding home next door, 50 feet away, remained unscathed.
• Storm Resistance: Whether you’re looking for a siding material that can withstand the next Katrina, or one that can fend off the next summer hailstorm without sustaining damage, cement board siding is a proven commodity in the weather department.

Over time we became more comfortable working with it, but on that first day we had some damaged pieces.

Even more maddening, though, was the frustration of trying to locate studs to nail the siding to. Often the studs from the original structure were either not 16″ apart or they were lacking completely. After multiple misfires, we had to go inside and add studs–or at least blocks of wood–in key places so we could nail the siding to something besides sheathing. This frustration continued throughout the entire process.

So, that first day, we only managed to get a few pieces of siding and trim installed, and at the end of the day we felt we were where we had hoped to be at the beginning of the day. A very disappointing start.

The “awesome” siding cutting tool we bought was not all we hoped it would be. Brother Tom gives it a try.

The first piece of trim going up. Brother Tom on the baker and Brother Jim with the wrapping assist.

Cutting cement board on a chop saw–a new experience. Glenn looks on while Tom and Brian blaze a new trail.

A dismal start to a huge project.

After that first day,  it was just the two of us–for six weeks. We worked on the siding nearly every day, with several rain delays. At the very end, our awesome neighbor Terry dedicated two and a half days of his life to help us finish the second story peaks.

The best way to show you the process is through pictures and videos. We’ll start with some fast action, so you can see some progress, and then we’ll switch to real time so you can get a better feel for what it was really like.

But first a few details about the process:

First of all, here is how Sue gets tools up to Kevin when he’s on the baker. If it’s a water bottle she just throws it–underhand–usually with amazing accuracy (with a wild pitch thrown in here and there), thanks to all those years of slow pitch softball.

After cutting the siding on the chop saw–which made a terrible noise and spewed a cement dust cloud (especially on days when there was no wind), so we (usually) wore goggles, mask and ear plugs–we painted the cut ends to protect them and for aesthetics.

Next, we placed pieces of flashing adhesive in the spaces wherever two pieces of siding come together. Later, we went back and caulked all those spaces.

Numerous times special cuts had to be made to go around utility structures or special architectural features (slopes of roof, windows, etc.). Here is just one example.

And now for some action. Hang on to your hats; here we go….

In the next video, you may see the soffit and gutter guys scampering around in the background, and at the very end, Sue’s brother Jim stops by to see how things are going and helps with a couple of pieces.

Now for the un-glamorous real-time footage. This will help you understand why we don’t have a reality TV show. This is Realsville every day life around here. Not too exciting, funny, or amazing. Just us, plodding along.

 

 

Here is neighbor Terry (he would have been a great regular on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood) with the last cut for the west side of the house. After this, only the peak on the east side of the house remained.

And now for the other side of the house, here is Sue handing Kevin the last triangle from an upstairs window–the very last piece of cement board siding to go up.

So we finally made it–well, except for a little trim work and caulk here and there. Oh, and we are going to remodel the front center of the house–the original cabin A-Frame–with new thermal pane windows and cedar log cabin siding. Unfortunately, that will have to wait until spring because we are simply out of time and we must move on to other important things–like HVAC and electricity. The days are getting shorter and colder, so we’ll need lights and heat in order to keep working. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, here is a photo montage of the six-week siding process.