Roofing and Siding Notes

Just a little bit about the finishing process for fiber cement boards. The factory finish applied by the manufacturer offers two major advantages. First, your purchasing a product that is ready to install. The boards come painted, the caulking is color coded to the paint and even the nails match. This relieves homeowners of the headache that is known as “We’re painting the house”. I’m sure the painters out there won’t be happy to hear it but for the most part, planning a painting project around the weather, having to spread drop sheets over the greenhouse and watching 3-4 people milling around the home isn’t always a sought after experience. It really is nice to be able to finish the job with a few less steps. Granted there will be some touch up necessary after the product is installed but a factory finish is a world away from bringing in the paint squad.

Secondly, the finish that the factory applies is better quality. Applied in a controlled environment, the two coats are evenly distributed over the boards. The first coat is applied and then baked on. The second coat is applied and also baked on. No bugs, streaks or moisture problems. After paint, the boards are coated with a plastic to protect them through transportation. At the end of the day your siding is installed, painted. Some two coat applications can even give you a25 yr. warranty against peeling, blistering etc.

So having said all this, and by way I have friends who paint homes for a living, I would invite a painters perspective on the factory finish versus the field application. I mean what is the argument against this process, it seems too good? Did I mention it’s usually cheaper…..

Tyler Fox

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Hi all,

Here is something that seems to be so basic that no one ever asks it until they get into the situation.

“Where do I start my stone? Top down or bottom up?

Well what I can say is there really isn’t a right or wrong way to do it as long as they stick. The trouble with installing in a fashion that is unconventional is that you will have too many variables to look after. If you are doing the entire wall it may be a little easier, reason being is that you can hide some mistakes either near the ground or near the eves. If you are installing stone veneer as a wainscoting then it would make sense to start top down.

Let me explain, most times if you are only doing the first 3 to 4 feet up the wall you are going to use a ledge to separate the 2 types of siding. Well you want to make sure that your stones are parallel with the ledge. If you install your ledge and then start on the bottom and work your way up, you will likely have a disaster if you don’t snap a chalk line to keep you straight. If you use the foundation as your check to keep the stones straight the results will be disappointing. Take a read on this site it has some opinions on where to start.

The only one that made sense to me and I think everyone was missing it. Start with the corners first. Then decide where you want to go from there. Bottom line there is no wrong way as long as the walls don’t leak and the stone look good.

Dave T.

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Hi All,

A lot of you are asking if there are any short cuts you can take when installing manufactured stone inside the home. i.e. using construction adhesive instead of a mortar. Inside or out, its best to stick to” Best Practices”, use the products the manufacturers recommend in there warranty guidelines. In short, use a mortar.

If you haven’t used any cement type products before, don’t be scared of them. If you follow the directions, it can be very easy to use and clean up depending on the scale of your project. Anyone’s that’s made a mess up with construction adhesives or had a tube explode in your gun, knows that not the case here.

I recently found a web site called “Contractors Talk“. It’s a forum of Pro installers talking to other Pros’. There’s vast array of construction topics just like this. What I like about it, at least in the topics that I’ve visited, there seem to be more than just two guys discussing one topic so you get more than one opinion.

Check it out.

Build it well

Stevo

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Recently I had mentioned the importance of matching the renovation to the income bracket and interests of your potential market. So continuing with this thread we can talk a little bit about a couple of projects that offer high returns.

In general kitchens, bathrooms and exteriors offer the highest percentage returns, or in other words these projects tend to recoup 80-90% of the money you spend on them. There is a website www.bankrate.com that will provide accurate numbers on which renovations show the best returns in different American markets.

Kitchens, in the modern home tend to be the focal point of the interior. It is an area to which people naturally gravitate and prospective buyers are going to pay close attention to the layout and appliances. The function and aesthetics of a kitchen seem to leave solid impressions on people.

Bathrooms seem to have the ability to recoup a fair amount of their costs as well. I have no idea why bathrooms recoup costs.

Siding however, we can talk about. Would you leave your child out in the rain for ten years with an ugly coat? A coat that comes apart at the seams and funnels water into their socks? Probably not.

Siding is the same. It is a renovation that, coupled with the roof, protects the rest of your investment from the elements. It has the ability to draw some curb appeal or attention to your exterior while protecting your home from leaks and eventually mildew and rot. At the end of the day it is the renovation that will put the most money back in your pocket.

Good Day.

Tyler Fox

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I live in Vancouver where the conversation about real estate is quite literally as common as a conversation about the weather. People are intrigued with the potential of earning money through home renovation projects and DIY additions. In order to tap in to this potential it is important to know what exactly to renovate. It is different with your first starter home than it is with your retirement home. For example in a low income starter home it’s a bad idea to invest in marble arches if your sole purpose is to increase the re-sale value. A better option here might be the roof, driveway, yard, front door or entrance way. Something that creates an up lifted home for a potential customer who fits your neighborhoods financial bracket.

For example I moved into a house with my family when I was younger. The previous owner had installed a large marine style propeller in the upstairs ceiling. The propeller sucked the hot air out of the house and into the attic where it dissipated. It was very efficient and I think in the summer everyone in our family appreciated it. As a young kid I was quite fond of having a powerful red propeller in our house. At bargaining time however, Mom and Dad seemed more concerned about purchasing a house with a high powered boat prop spinning above there children’s heads, than they did with potential cooling system. You can imagine the bargaining that went on between this boat enthusiast and my mother in terms of what this propeller offered the prospective party. Needless to say his project added very little to the house in terms of value for the seller. The message here being that this fellow may have been better off, financially, adding some plants and a new garage door.

When it comes to return on your renovation the most recent information I’ve come across is that siding and kitchen renovations are the most cost efficient. Siding provides curb appeal, offering onlookers some color and fresh lines. It provides a basis for your landscaping, windows, roofing and so on. It is a good central place to start. The kitchen is the busiest room in the house, providing a meeting spot for the family and guests as well as providing the space for your appliances. So in the world of limited income these are important choices. Consult with people locally or trust your instincts, but in either case try and compliment your home and your neighborhood.

Tyler Fox

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