50's house siding ID.
- Thread starter Cbozz
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Looks more like cypress to me. Is it mostly or all clear with similar grain pattern?
Can I ask a dumb question? Does it really matter what it is? If youre replacing it? Are you going to paint it?.
+1 to cypress siding too. Is it vertical T&G or ship lap? That weathered pewter appearance is typical for many untreated exterior wood species. The plus side is that if it's structurally sound it's the ultimate in no maintenance exteriors.
http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/index.htm#letterC
You might learn to like it just as is.
http://www.houzz.com/Weathered-wood-siding
http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/index.htm#letterC
You might learn to like it just as is.
http://www.houzz.com/Weathered-wood-siding
it's vertical T&G, various widths (~3"-9") Almost entirely clear.
There are a couple problems - the photo of is one of the better areas under an overhang. The way it was installed it was not able to dry properly, so ~40% of it is almost entirely black with mold and continually soggy. It runs right down to grade at patios/steps/drive (no flashing). Some of the nails have rusted out (not sure if galvanized where the head chipped, or not galvanized at all) and let the siding start to separate, as well as staining the wood (all areas). Woodpeckers and DIY handymen have done a number in a few places as well.
The stuff that's in good shape looks great, though. What are my options for cleaning it up? I figure I can pull it all off, power wash / treat it (with?) and put it back up with SS nails in a true rainscreen. Not sure how much would have to be thrown out doing that, and the rest would still have the stained nail holes. Then there's getting the new stuff to match - stain (not paint) may be an option if it could help even out to a silvery brown color.
Option 2 would be totally replacing, and re-purpose the existing for something else or sell it off. What's cypress run? google is giving my wildly varying numbers.
There are a couple problems - the photo of is one of the better areas under an overhang. The way it was installed it was not able to dry properly, so ~40% of it is almost entirely black with mold and continually soggy. It runs right down to grade at patios/steps/drive (no flashing). Some of the nails have rusted out (not sure if galvanized where the head chipped, or not galvanized at all) and let the siding start to separate, as well as staining the wood (all areas). Woodpeckers and DIY handymen have done a number in a few places as well.
The stuff that's in good shape looks great, though. What are my options for cleaning it up? I figure I can pull it all off, power wash / treat it (with?) and put it back up with SS nails in a true rainscreen. Not sure how much would have to be thrown out doing that, and the rest would still have the stained nail holes. Then there's getting the new stuff to match - stain (not paint) may be an option if it could help even out to a silvery brown color.
Option 2 would be totally replacing, and re-purpose the existing for something else or sell it off. What's cypress run? google is giving my wildly varying numbers.
You can use a 10-20% bleach formula to clean it or use one of the oxidizers for cleaning decks if you want to spend more money. Just be careful where the stuff goes as you wash it off the wood. CWF-UV is a good coating for this kind of siding. I use it on my log house as well as the cedar T&G siding that covers the area where the garage doors used to be.
You can get CWF (Clear Wood Finish - a Flood Product) at Lowes in clear, cedar tint (what I used) and redwood I think.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_124669-71-F...in&pl=1¤tURL=?Ntt=deck+stain&facetInfo=
- Ken.
You can get CWF (Clear Wood Finish - a Flood Product) at Lowes in clear, cedar tint (what I used) and redwood I think.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_124669-71-F...in&pl=1¤tURL=?Ntt=deck+stain&facetInfo=
- Ken.
Other members will chime in, but here's my opinion for +/- $0.02.
For starters pressure wash it with a little bleach without being too aggressive and skinning it. Cypress is pretty rot resistant so "soggy or squishy" is a relative term so maybe it's just damp and wet which may give that feel.
Replace those T&G boards that are beyond salvaging in your opinion (it's a b..ch). Use 308 or 316 SS screws or spiral siding nails for replacement where you can and that'll negate the galvanized nail bleeding/marking etc. in those areas.
You can't replace all of the siding and recoup your investment at today's costs/pricing. So it'd be a limited warranty on your part or "buy as is with no implied or specific warranty" in the legal contract.
Cypress is about $3/bf for rough cut 4/4 and you can make your own T&G on the table saw.
http://hardwoodstore.com/lumber-prices
For starters pressure wash it with a little bleach without being too aggressive and skinning it. Cypress is pretty rot resistant so "soggy or squishy" is a relative term so maybe it's just damp and wet which may give that feel.
Replace those T&G boards that are beyond salvaging in your opinion (it's a b..ch). Use 308 or 316 SS screws or spiral siding nails for replacement where you can and that'll negate the galvanized nail bleeding/marking etc. in those areas.
You can't replace all of the siding and recoup your investment at today's costs/pricing. So it'd be a limited warranty on your part or "buy as is with no implied or specific warranty" in the legal contract.
Cypress is about $3/bf for rough cut 4/4 and you can make your own T&G on the table saw.
http://hardwoodstore.com/lumber-prices
"The way it was installed it was not able to dry properly, so ~40% of it is almost entirely black with mold and continually soggy"
"Soggy" ? I dont think that sounds like an installation or drying issue but a big water problem, hard to say from what , but you mention an overhang? And of course the other area running down to grade ? who does that?
"Soggy" ? I dont think that sounds like an installation or drying issue but a big water problem, hard to say from what , but you mention an overhang? And of course the other area running down to grade ? who does that?
+1 to Chris's observation. I've never heard of running lumber right down to grade. The end grain of any wood is like a bundle of straws so they'll wick up water if placed in a constantly wet area. I don't know today's best practice but I'd think that it should be at least 6-8" above grade.
Sikkens Cetol products have an excellent reputation for exterior applications. There's also a large selection of colors to choose from.
http://www.paintsource.net/pages/products/sikkens/sikkens_MAIN.htm
Sikkens Cetol products have an excellent reputation for exterior applications. There's also a large selection of colors to choose from.
http://www.paintsource.net/pages/products/sikkens/sikkens_MAIN.htm
more photos:
In the areas where it more or less meets the dirt, I'm not certain whether it was built that way or if leaves and weeds built up over time to make it that way. But regardless, I have yet to see flashing or a drip edge anywhere on this house.
Where it comes down on the patio, that was obviously intentional. Despite the shaky photo, you can see that at some point someone tried to caulk the joint, and that obviously worked about as well as one might expect it to (not much).
These days, many siding manufacturers will refuse to honor their warranty if installed within 12" of grade. Most of the building tech guys I know say 8" is probably OK in most areas, but do 12" just to be safe.
I'm still trying to think through the best way to raise up that lower datum. Most of what I come up with either involves matching a brick and grout that probably don't exist anymore, or adding something else that would just look far too busy.
In the areas where it more or less meets the dirt, I'm not certain whether it was built that way or if leaves and weeds built up over time to make it that way. But regardless, I have yet to see flashing or a drip edge anywhere on this house.
Where it comes down on the patio, that was obviously intentional. Despite the shaky photo, you can see that at some point someone tried to caulk the joint, and that obviously worked about as well as one might expect it to (not much).
These days, many siding manufacturers will refuse to honor their warranty if installed within 12" of grade. Most of the building tech guys I know say 8" is probably OK in most areas, but do 12" just to be safe.
I'm still trying to think through the best way to raise up that lower datum. Most of what I come up with either involves matching a brick and grout that probably don't exist anymore, or adding something else that would just look far too busy.
You probably need to figure out a way to raise it 18" or so above grade.
For replacement boards, one of our NCWW members - Ivey Pridgen - operates a sawmill in Burgaw NC and specializes in cypress. Ivey recently added a kiln to his operation, so he now offers kiln dried cypress in addition to green and air dried. His prices are great too.
Here is a link to a NCWW post about him:
http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/showthread.php?t=10152
For replacement boards, one of our NCWW members - Ivey Pridgen - operates a sawmill in Burgaw NC and specializes in cypress. Ivey recently added a kiln to his operation, so he now offers kiln dried cypress in addition to green and air dried. His prices are great too.
Here is a link to a NCWW post about him:
http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/showthread.php?t=10152
This is getting complicated to my untrained eye, but I find it interesting. Here are a few off-the-wall thoughts, but maybe food for thought.
Pic 1. Is the house on a concrete slab or a crawl space? The door sill looks close to grade, but maybe the stone patio was installed later which gives that appearance. How about a few pics of the entire house and foundation from a distance to give a better perspective of what you're looking at?
Pic 2. Is that an end view section with the flower bed right up next to the foundation and siding? That needs to be pulled back in order to see how much vertical clearance is available.
Maybe the original backfill was overdone. Is there any room to play with there like pulling it back away from the foundation to get a better grade?
Any gutters, downspouts, and drainage pipe to get water away from the house?
A perspective with soggy/rotting boards on the bottom.
Pic 1. Is the house on a concrete slab or a crawl space? The door sill looks close to grade, but maybe the stone patio was installed later which gives that appearance. How about a few pics of the entire house and foundation from a distance to give a better perspective of what you're looking at?
Pic 2. Is that an end view section with the flower bed right up next to the foundation and siding? That needs to be pulled back in order to see how much vertical clearance is available.
Maybe the original backfill was overdone. Is there any room to play with there like pulling it back away from the foundation to get a better grade?
Any gutters, downspouts, and drainage pipe to get water away from the house?
A perspective with soggy/rotting boards on the bottom.
The good news is it's actually on a walk out basement, which is clad in brick. The photos are of the upper level where it's built into the hillside. The trouble is I'm not sure how far down the brick goes on that side of the house, but yes, I plan to find out. I somewhat suspect that runoff may be piling up dirt and debris on that side of the house, so best case there's some regrading to do to excavate the extra stuff and re-establish proper storm drainage, not to mention finding and cleaning out the original weep holes in the brick.
If that is the case and the brick does go down far enough, that just leaves the areas at patios, steps, basement window wells, and the like. There, it's clear that the top of the foundation/basement brick is at the same level as the patio (the nails attaching the cypress to the sill plate are visible in one of the pics, about 3/8"-1/2" above the patio stone). That's tricky to detail. Best case is to build up a stone/tile curb to match the patio, and find some matching brick for the stairs. That's unpleasant since the extra thickness means messing with the framing, but certainly doable if you're gutting it anyway.
If that is the case and the brick does go down far enough, that just leaves the areas at patios, steps, basement window wells, and the like. There, it's clear that the top of the foundation/basement brick is at the same level as the patio (the nails attaching the cypress to the sill plate are visible in one of the pics, about 3/8"-1/2" above the patio stone). That's tricky to detail. Best case is to build up a stone/tile curb to match the patio, and find some matching brick for the stairs. That's unpleasant since the extra thickness means messing with the framing, but certainly doable if you're gutting it anyway.
As wet as that siding is at ground level, Id hate to see the sill plate. Is this your place? Or a customer of some sort?. Do you see any carpenter ants? Thats a HAVEN for ants!.
It's an abandoned house that is sorta-kinda for sale (owner wants way too much money). Haven't seen any evidence of ants yet, but I do expect that some portions of the sill plate would need replacing.
I'm off-and-on trying to put together a schematic rehab budget. But the more and more I get into it the worse and worse it looks.
I'm off-and-on trying to put together a schematic rehab budget. But the more and more I get into it the worse and worse it looks.
RUN! dont walk away! RUN!!!
that was my gut reaction from first post. I would think that repairs will be at least 50% the value or more. Reasons to me: Siding is toast,taking it off will most likely destroy it, t&g doesnt take kindly to safe removal; sheathing probably damaged,framing damaged, sill plates rotted. Basically it is a strip to the frame,inspect ALL,repair,replace ALL damaged components. May have to jack or at the least underpinn it to remove and replace sills. Depending on age of the structure, I would expect an electrical redo, plumbing? maybe. NOTE this will require PERMITS ONCE permitted and started you are obligated to bring that house UP TO CURRENT CODES
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