No Maintenance. These two words scare the heck out of me when it comes to home improvement products, especially when it pertains to historic homes. So, let’s dispel a myth…
There is no such thing as a “No Maintenance” product for your historic home. Not a single one! No car will last very long without an oil change, your lawn needs water to stay green, and your house needs painting to stay healthy. But many people search for products to sheath their house that will last decade upon decade with no upkeep. The unfortunate news is that these products don’t exist and many of the ones that claim to be such, are actually wolves in sheep’s clothing. To find the right siding for a historic house, I often turn to schlüsseldienst berlin lichtenberg for help.
The Problem With Siding
The problem with siding is simple. It’s outside! It gets rained on, snowed on, tortured by hail and sleet, and the sun is constantly beating down on it and baking its protective layer of paint off day by day. It’s no wonder that folks look to “solutions” like vinyl or aluminum siding to “protect” their home’s exterior. The problem is that they cause more problems than they solve.
Vinyl siding is touted as a no maintenance product. It is rot proof, insect proof and comes in a variety of colors so it doesn’t need painting. But the problems begin almost immediately. First, vinyl siding doesn’t allow the house to breathe.
Most of the time when I remove vinyl siding from a historic house, I find wet, spongy, and rotted wood siding. Inevitably, the vinyl siding got some moisture behind it sometimes from rain seeping in and sometimes just from water vapor trying to escape the house. Since water vapor can’t get through the vinyl, it just sits on the wood siding and turns it into a mushy mess that termites love.
But don’t worry, you’ll never know that you have termites because while they munch away at your home, the evidence will be completely hidden behind your perfect vinyl siding. Vinyl siding hides all kinds of ills which, along with its inexpensive price, is what makes it so popular. Unfortunately, you and your inspector will never be able to know there is a problem lurking beneath until it’s far too late.
Aluminum siding is another enemy of old houses. Not so much because of the damage it can cause but because it’s just plain inferior to historic materials. We actually came upon an aluminum sided house once that was built with brick! After a little show and tell, the homeowner was thrilled to have us remove the siding and reveal their beautiful brick home. More often than not, aluminum siding gets dented by any number of things like hail, strong storms, and the occasional baseball. The bottom 3 ft. of aluminum siding is usually covered in dents after only a couple years from its biggest enemies…Mr. lawn mower and Mrs. weed eater.
There is one product that I don’t mind, and actually use occasionally on our projects, that is not historically accurate. James Hardi siding products are top quality, long lasting products that, in my mind, can be a good fit for historic homes. If you’re not going to use the original materials they are a fine substitute. You see, I’m not a blind purist! I simply appreciate quality products and they do a good job.
The Solution
Cedar siding and shingles, especially if they are old growth, are extremely long lasting and resistant to rot and insects. When properly installed and cared for they will protect your house for well over a century. Problems arise when they are installed poorly or neglected. So, here are some helpful hints when it comes to repairing your real wood siding. Follow this advice and your siding won’t need to be replaced until your great grandchildren can swing a hammer. And remember, there is no such thing as no maintenance. Just like any relationship needs quality time and attention to remain healthy, so do our homes.
- Always leave at least a 3/4″ gap (though we leave 1″) between siding and roofing materials to prevent rot.
- Always prime the ends of boards with an oil-based primer before installing.
- Follow the very specific nailing processes using only the approved nail types for your type of siding.
- Always caulk siding/trim joints.
- Inspect your siding at least once a year and touch up any chipped or missing paint.
- Repaint your house as needed to maintain your siding.
- (Optional) I always prefer to prime the back of any siding with oil-based primer prior to installing them just for added security. That way if there is a leak or moisture build-up behind the siding, you’re still protected.
And one last parting thought about historic materials…”They’re not good because they’re old, they’re old because they’re good!”
Read the rest of the 5 Worst Mistakes of Historic Homeowners:
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I love old houses, working with my hands, and teaching others the excitment of doing it yourself! Everything is teachable if you only give it the chance.
My siding is exactly 7/8″ thick shiplap. It seems all the siding out there measures 3/4″, 11/16″ etc. I’ve even seen a paltry 23/32″ billed nominally as 1″. But no place I can find stocks 7/8ths under any nominal dimension. Do I have to get it milled, or as several contractors have suggested to my horror, just get some 3/4″ from the depot and fur it out? I’m not the only person with this siding. I live in an area where these thicker old sidings abound. There are places where you can get any molding ever made, but where can I get this siding of a thickness that used to be utterly standard?
It’s 7.5″ wide from rebate to rebate, and the rebates are 3/8″ thick. It’s “V” sometimes called “rustic” siding with those 45 degree cuts at the joints.
Angelo, when I come across siding like this the only option is to have it milled by a local mill shop or carpentry shop that had a molder/shaper. It’s not always cheap but it’s the only way to find the right fit.
I am replacing the deteriorating Board and Batten siding on my small home and I want to give it a small, quaint “cottage” look. I think that the wider HardiBoard siding (7 inch face instead of 6 or 4 inch face after overlap) would give it a more quaint, old- fashioned look, but I am not sure if that is correct. Is the wider board more for faster installation or is there a particular look that the wider board gives?
Mark, the wider board does make for a little faster installation, but it’s mainly about style preferences.
We plan to remove the aluminum siding on our 1924 bungalow. We live in the Pacific NW…will we lose some insulation benefits if we do this?
You’ll likely lose about 1/2″ of styrofoam underneath the aluminum. Not a ton but it adds a little insulation.
Thanks, Scott…appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Hi,
I recently purchased a house that was built in 1882. I am looking to restore the front of the house, which has slate shingles on the top half of the house and cedar shingles on the bottom half of the house for siding. I have no idea how old the siding is, but my guess is that it is probably pretty old.
The slate was painted a grey colour, and the paint is currently chipping. The cedar shingles were stained with a blue solid stain, which is faded and flaking off in some spots. The cedar shingles themselves are dry and have began to curl. I am wondering what is the best way to restore these two surfaces without damaging the shingles.
I am thinking the cedar shouldn’t be too hard, I will just sand it lightly and re-stain, but the slate I am worried about. I don’t want to dislodge any of the slate shingles in the process of getting the chipped paint off. I was considering using a power washer, but not sure if that’s better or worse. I am also not sure if I want to repaint the slate, I think I would rather just get the old and chipping paint off the shingles and leave the natural slate as is.
Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!
Vinyl siding when installed with an air gap is not going to cause the rot to the underlying structure. Simple 1-by strips running vertical every 16″ will allow any moisture (from internal or external source) to drop to the bottom and drain through a special bottom channel specifically for this.
That being said, I still wouldn’t put vinyl on an older home unless it had no discernible style.
You’re right that anything with a rain screen and proper ventilation will breathe properly, but in my years of removing vinyl siding I have yet to come across a house with vented vinyl siding done properly. It may be out there but it’s as rare as a unicorn in my experience.
Hi,
How was the brick under the aluminium siding? My house (1946) has been covered with aluminium and I am afraid the bricks are damaged.
Thank you
The brick had nails all throughout. Luckily most nails were in the mortar which could be repointed. It wasn’t great, but we were able to fix everything.
Wind blew some aluminum siding off of my house in feb. Can’t be replaced. So entire front of house must be replaced by something
any ideas? Or contractor interested
Covered by insurance. Having hard time getting someone.
Hi there!
I’m hoping you can help me….I cannot find the answer to this anywhere online and no one has really been able to answer me that isn’t biased..I purchased a home with asbestos siding. The asbestos is in good shape, but was covered with insulation and then vinyl siding. I’m not fond of vinyl siding, and I’m wondering if it can be taken off safely?? The asbestos had to be messed with to attach the vinyl, I’m assuming, so it worries me to remove it. I also know that vinyl siding may destroy wood underneath it….but will it destroy asbestos underneath it? Asthetically I would prefer to just have the asbestos and paint it as needed…however, is it worth it to mess with and disturb the asbestos? I can rest easier with the vinyl on top if I know at least the asbestos will stay in tact. Would love to hear your opinion! Thanks for your time.
Tammy, the vinyl won’t harm asbestos underneath which is immune to rot or insects. It’s a gamble taking the vinyl off because there is a good chance that you’ll damage the asbestos. I’d probably leave it all alone unless you have the funds and time to properly remove the asbestos.
Thanks so much!
That makes me rest a little easier 🙂
I own 1900 brick house. The very top of the house is tin with a flat roof. It’s been painted several times over the years. Can I cover it with aluminum or another product instead of painting it every 7 years? Thank you, Mary Jo
Mary, you’ll have to have a local roofer come take a look at your situation.
We moved into a 1880s house 3 years ago- The paint hasnt chipped but its faded badly. I really dont want to paint a house every 3-5 years and I dont want to put siding on an old house. Is there any benefit to painting cedar shingles? Id much rather the weathered natural look and am considering residing it with new shingles.
We are in the middle of removing aluminum siding from our 1920 home. The nails used to attach the aluminum go into the sheathing. How deep do we need to fill the holes to ensure that moisture won’t get into the walls? Is it enough to just fill the holes in the shingles?
I have a 1937 Craftsman home. We’re adding a small addition to the back, but I’m having trouble finding materials that match. We have split faced block (which I can actually find but it’s grey) that has taken on a worn sandy color. The dutch lap siding is 4-1/2″ and I can only find 7-1/2″ without a special order, which is a noticeable difference. Do you suggest trying to match the existing structure or finding a way to compliment it? Any suggestions on what materials you would use to compliment? Thanks!
Jeannie, I would try to find materials that are as close as possible to the original. See if you can find a local woodworking or mill shop to make you the siding. We do that often and it’s not that much more expensive. Matching materials always blend in better and fit the style.
We have a century old 2-1/2 story American Foursquare with nice plaster walls and vinyl siding.Would like to insulate but are afraid of moisture issues. How do we do this? What kind of insulation should we use? Does Tyvek go between insulation and lath or between insulation and siding? We’re also replacing steam heat and radiators with a modern HVAC system. Should we just get rid of the plaster walls where we put in ducts, or just cut out where we need to run them?
Do you have a recommendation for a supplier of Victorian style lap siding? We are renovating a 1884 Queen Anne and want her to be pretty!
Geri, it’s usually best to find a local source if you can, but I dont have a specific supplier I can recommend.
Question on painting a 1920s.. you mention caulking the siding/trim JOINTS. I am assuming you would NOT caulk in between each board ( as it needs to breath) correct ? I ask because this house has its existing siding and only 10% we had to replace – but I see a lot of areas where in between the siding overlap there is a gap… if this were a traditional newer house with newer siding I would tell my painter to caulk ever seam – cranny and crack. but here it seems wise to only do the joined edges and around windows ??
Britanie, old or new wood siding should NOT be caulked on the horizontal joints for just the reason you stated. The siding design naturally sheds trapped water. The vertical seams at windows and doors are all that should be caulked along with any penetrations like plumbing lines.
Re leaving the bottom edge of siding open: I wrote a while back on this thread about what to do with my 1930s badly-painted cedar shingle siding. Painters in past have painted the bottom edges of the shingles. Most of it’s not connected to shingle below at the moment, and it’s not like a caulk seal. Should there be paint on bottom edge of siding, shingle or lap? New contractor doing estimate suggests spraying on the paint and then back rolling. I wish it had never been painted. The wood is overall in good shape.
We recently purchased a small 5acre track which was from the Georgia Land Lottery in 1805 from the family of the original owner. It had a one room log cabin built on the land in 1806. Over the years the family added onto the cabin and it is now a 3bed/1ba farmhouse. The original cabin is the home’s current living room with the orginal wood floors and fireplace. It really is a hodgepodge house of many different eras. The first addition was done in 1879 added a kitchen area. In 1902 they added two bedrooms and got water pumped into the kitchen. In 1947 they finally got a closet(bathroom)added in the home. And in 1960 they enclosed their wash room (laundry)into the home and added another bedroom. Somewhere around 1950 or so the fireplaces were closed up due to them not being safe. In 2000 they repaired the original fireplace on the outside but not inside. 2006 he sided the entire home, new roof of shingles and metal and got insulated windows placed outside the existing windows which are still there.
With so much done to this home over time, would it be best to leave the siding in place as it is in good condition or try to see what is underneath and restore? He says he had a weather barrier placed between the home and the siding. I really want to restore the home as much as possible but with it encompassing so many eras I don’t know where to start.
Melissa, it’s hard to say what to do. With so many additions and changes you’ll have to decide to what state you’d like to restore the house. I’d say look at your budget and let that make your decision for how far to go.
We are restoring an 1890 Victorian in upstate NY. The upper part of the house has 6″ wide white cedar scallops. We can’t find replacements anywhere. They are all either 5″ wide or a bundle of mixed sizes. Lumber mills will not call us back or don’t do small custom work. We are willing to round them ourselves if we could find the right width. We need about 400 shingles…. HELP!!
Maybe you could ask a good carpenter to make them for you. If they are a long scalloped board.
I just bought an hisitoric cottage which has aluminum siding. It must be 50 years old or so. A little dented, and faded. I’m conflicted about remmoving the siding, as, of course, i don’t know what the condition of the clapboard will be. I’ve gotten an estimate to paint for 8,000. I cou
D have the siding removed fairly cheaply, but if the clapboard had to be redone, i think it would bring the pirce of the paining up too high for me. So I might just have the siding painted. Any advice? I live in the North East, BTW
I have an addition at the back of my 1895 home. This addition was covered with barn board. Part of it is rotting. What is the best thing to do about this problem? I purchased a wood filler and I was going to paint it. After reading the issues with siding, I don’t think I should cover it with that. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Hello Scott,
I have come upon twice homes that asbestos siding that has been covered over with wood cedar shingles. One home had weathered cedar shingles that were at the end of their life. The other home near the ocean and built in 1948 has the cedar shingles stained, were installed about 20 years ago and are in good condition. What are your thoughts on using a wood material over asbestos siding? In addition, would you purchase a home that has this combination of materials? The garage was sided in a high quality vinyl that matches the look of the cedar shingles. I am concerned that this 1000 sq. ft. home is going to be a ticking time bomb in terms of when the time comes that all siding will need to be removed.
We have removed most of the vinyl siding and rigid foam insulation from our house built in 1940 in Maryland. I was thrilled to discover that underneath the siding on the main part of the house were cedar shingles. However, not being skilled in this kind of thing, I’m at a bit of a loss what to do next, since a) the sunroom and back part of the house were added later and the walls are about 1/2″ proud of the rest of the house b) most of the windows were redone when the house was re-sided (with asbestos siding, in 1950, which was replaced with vinyl), so their frames are also not even with the original walls and 3) underneath the cedar shingles is construction paper, like what you used in kindergarten. I assume now I have to remove all the shingles as well and install tarpaper/felt underneath, since there is no real barrier between the old shingles and the outside walls? Also, how to deal with the junctures between the old and new walls to make an even surface, or should I just let it be uneven?