Questions
Below are some common questions we get asked:
Does your company replace siding on existing homes?
Can the siding on my house be replaced during the winter
months?
The nails on my house are rusting. What can you can do to
stop it?
Why must hot dipped galvanized or stainless steel nails be
used on cedar?
Will
you paint the new siding?
Will you work on tract homes?
Will you work on apartments, multi-family or commercial jobs?
Do you install vinyl siding?
Is building paper necessary?
I'm building a new house.Should windows have paper UNDER the
flange?
On my house, the lower piece of siding looks rotten. Why did this happen?
Why is cedar an ideal wood for outdoor use?
Can I leave my new cedar siding a natural color?
Will the knots in the wood fall out?
What kind of corner boards should I use?
Can I tear off the existing siding to save some money?
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Does your company replace siding on existing homes?
- Yes. We perform siding replacements on existing homes as well as installations on some new construction.
Can the siding on my house be replaced during the winter months?
- Yes. We work throughout the year. We remove only enough siding every morning that can safely be replaced that same day. Your house will NOT be left exposed to the weather.
The nails on my house are rusting. Is there anything that you can do to stop the rust?
- Chances are that the nails used were not the proper type. Sometimes the nails can be countersunk and the holes filled. A quality painting contractor should be able to help you with this.
Why must hot dipped galvanized or stainless steel nails be used on cedar?
- Cedar has acids and oils that contribute to it's outdoor durability. Many other metals react poorly to these acids and oils.
Will you paint the new siding?
- No. We specialize in siding installations. Others specialize in painting houses. We feel you get the most for your money when you hire specialists in each field. Our "LINKS" page has several painting contractors for you to call.
Will you work on tract homes?
- Yes, but in limited volume. Due to recent insurance company restrictions, we can install siding on 4 homes or less in any given tract or project.
Will you work on apartments, multi-family or commercial jobs?
- No. Due to recent insurance company restrictions, we will only perform services on single family homes or structures.
Do you install vinyl siding?
-No. Vinyl siding is popular in some communities, but we think that the owner recieves much more value with wood and wood type composite materials.
NOTE: PLEASE KEEP THE FOLLOWING IN MIND:When talking to vinyl siding contractors, please remember this fact :
Water and moisture can easily get behind vinyl siding if not properly installed.
We have performed numerous vinyl siding repairs and replacements due to faulty installation by the original contractor.
CHOOSE CONTRACTOR WISELY !
Is building paper necessary?
-Yes. With the numerous siding replacements that we perform, the
most common and very problematic thing we find is the lack of building
paper under the siding. It is usually missing in areas such as the tops
of windows and at inside and outside corners. These are the most likely
areas for moisture penetration.
Building paper should overlap a minimum of 2" horizontally and 16"
vertically. Inside and outside corners should be completely sealed.
We use 10 minute paper on typical installations and 60 minute paper for
those that wish superior protection from moisture infiltration.
I'm building a new house. Should the windows have paper UNDER the window flange?
-Yes. To completely safe guard against window leaks, the window
flange should be set on a water resistive barrier. The siding paper is
then layered in a manner to direct any moisture away from the wall
cavity.
There are several specialty products for this application or you can
simply use a siding or roofing grade type of asphalt paper.
Unfortunately, many builders of new homes do not properly install
windows and quite often, want to argue this fact.
On my house, the lower most piece of siding looks rotten. Why did this happen?
- The most common reason for this is that dirt or landscaping
materials have been placed against the siding.
You should maintain a minimum of 6" of clearance between organic
materials and the siding.
Missing or leaking gutters and downspouts are also a common reason.
Why is cedar an ideal wood for outdoor use?
-Cedar has excellent resistance to moisture, decay and insect damage. Cedar also takes stain and paint easily.
Can I leave my new cedar siding a natural color?
-Yes. A lightly tinted transparent finish works great. A quality painter can help you with product selection. See our "LINKS" page for a list of painting contractors.
Will the knots in the wood fall out?
-Cedar knots that are "tight" will not fall out. These knots add to
the character of the material. Cedar also has what we call "black ring
knots". If the knot has a black ring around it, front side and back
side, there is a good chance that it will fall out with time. The lower
grades of cedar typically have more black ring knots.
Many siding contractors will use these boards with black ring knots and
smear a layer of caulk over them. In a few years these knots fall out
and the wall looks like it had been blasted with a shotgun.
We use PREMIUM KILN DRIED cedar with minimal defects.
This makes for a quality installation that still looks great, many years
down the road.
What kind of corner boards should I use?
-We think the best corner board to use for wood siding is a single
vertically mounted 2x4.The siding abuts the corner board and a bead
of caulk seals the joint.
This type of corner board resists bugs and moisture the best.
Can I tear off the existing siding to save some money?
-No. The main reason being is that we only like to remove enough
siding that can be replaced that same day in order to protect the wall
cavity from the adverse and un-predictable weather here in the Pacific
NW.
Besides, tear off and disposal is a dirty, dangerous and labor intensive
job.
Our tear off procedure includes clean up of the residue on the ground,
removal of nails from the wall, removal of old caulking at doors,
windows, etc.
We simply prefer to do it ourselves. It helps us stay on schedule and
control the quality of the finished siding job.
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