Conference 7.286::home_work

    There was a short article on siding in last weeks Sunday Globe (Aug
    23).  In it they 'briefly' mentioned the different sidings and indeed
    mention the need to paint aluminum siding.  I think it was on the
    home 'fix-it' page.  
    
    I'm not sure if it applies but when I worked on a maintenance crew
    painting aluminum casings on roof mounted air conditioning units
    we used to prime the aluminum casings with vinegar.
    
    good luck -Stan

    Yes, you can paint aluminum siding. I was in SL over the weekend
    getting some trim paint and I noticed paint that is for Aluminum
    siding. I am sure as with any other surface if it is prepared
    correctly it will come out fine. I would checkout your local
    paint retailer and they will give the necessary info.
    
    ..........Tony
    

I've been thinking the same thing. I have aluminum siding (white) 
and aluminum trim (light red). The problem is that over the years the 
trim has faded and left light reddish streaks over some of the white 
siding. I thought "no problem, I'll just paint the siding." I later 
noticed that with spic'n'span and hot water the siding cleans right up.

Now IO assume that in order to prepare the siding for paint I would 
need to clean it first. This of course would negate the need to paint. 
One way or the other I have to clean the siding. I don't look forward 
to going over the house inch by inch, up and down a ladder. Anyone know 
of an easier way to clean up the siding.

Note that when using a rag I have to rinse it quite a bit as a lot of 
white residue comes off with it.

Chuck

    Get one of thiose roto-brushes that you can buy for cleaning your
    car/2nd story windows they have a long handle and soap container.
    I use one to clean my al siding and it works fine.
    
    -j
    

I am looking around to buy my first house. A lot of the houses I have
been shown have aluminum siding. Note 113 of this conference is helpful
in understanding vinyl siding, but there are only scattered references to
aluminum siding. 

How good is aluminum siding? Does it last longer than vinyl? Is it more
expensive?

thanks for any help

John

    
    One of the advantages of aluminum siding is that if you don't like the
    color it can be painted.  Another advantage of the aluminum is that it
    is somewhat fire-resistant.  One of its disadvantages is that it can be
    dented.  I'm sure either aluminum or vinyl will last a long time. 
    
    -tm
    

>    One of the advantages of aluminum siding is that if you don't like the
>    color it can be painted.  

You sure?  Our condo development had aluminun siding - and the paint 
was quite faded in some places.  But we (I was on the board) were told 
by out building/maintenance people that it couldn't be (re-?) 
painted..    

    	RE .1 
    
    	One DISadvantage of aluminum siding is that it is fire resistant.
    If your house catches on fire it holds the heat in, raising the
    temperature inside.  It is sort of like wrapping a baked potato
    in aluminum foil.  The biggest problems I have with vinyl or aluminum
    siding is that it is usually put up over wood siding, and you are
    never quite sure what is going on inside.  My neighbors house is
    vinyl sided and was not properly vented and the old siding is rotting
    away.
        I realize that wood vs aluminum or vinyl is a 'religious' issue
    that usually leads to heated discussions.
    
    					=Ralph=
    

    A lot of people just plain don't like it.  I would consider that
    food for thought if I were buying a house that I might sell in the
    future.

    
    Re: .2
    
    Yes, I'm quite sure it can be painted, but I'm sure you must have
    to use the correct type of paint.  I will see if one of my home 
    maintenance books tells what type of paint should be used.
    
    Re: .3
    
    I admit that I am not a fire expert, so you could be right.
    However, as far as ventilation goes, I guess that depends on 
    how it was done.  A friend of mine had his house re-sided with
    vinyl (over the old clapboard), and the siding is well vented.
    By the way, the walls of his house are uninsulated, and he noticed
    that his house keeps the heat better with the new siding.
    
    Re: .4
    
    I am not crazy about vinyl and aluminum siding either, but I
    doubt that it will be a financial disadvantage, since maintaining
    paint or stain costs money.  Anyway, even if you want to redo
    the siding later, you can leave the other stuff up until you 
    have the money to redo it.  I certainly don't have that advantage
    in my house (the paint will peel as that job bubbles to the top
    of my "to do" list).  At any rate, I bet that sided houses sell
    better than the ones with the paint peeling.
    
    -tm-

    RE: .2, .5
    
    Yes, siding can be painted.  I have some paint at home which says
    right on the label "Great for Aluminum Siding".  Of course, who
    believes labels on paint cans!  (:>
    
    RE: .3, .5
    
    Siding does indeed create problems if your house ever catches on
    fire.  I remember working at one house fire where 5 firefighters
    even up being transported to the hospital for heat exhaustion. 
    It was about 90� out that day, and even though all the windows were
    broken out of the house, the siding still retained most of the heat
    from the fire.  It reallys does turn the house into an oven!
    
    Jim

    from the replies, i gather that you have to decide if you want a
    wood siding, or other.
    the disadvantages of aluminum are it dents, you probably can't 
    repair it, need a contractor, it fades, can be painted??, what 
    was the purpose for its installation, when originally sold 
    "maintenance free" B.S., vinyl in todays market, is well vented,
    the color is all the way thru, can be easily washed.
    i guess you have to decide, if the building is a one floor type
    it may not be difficult to paint or stain, but when you begin
    to deal with multi-levels 2-3, the paint and stain b.s. are 
    major projects. i have a 3+ building, and i just installed
    vinyl. it seems that no matter what you try to do there aree
    the trade-offs, in my case the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
    
    jim (w/nospacesorshiftkey)

The fire containment effect of aluminum siding is not always a bad 
thing.  When I was living in the city, the house next to me caught fire. 
The Fire Marshal said that because the houses were so close together the 
whole block would have gone up if it weren't that the house that caught 
fire had aluminum siding.  It may have made things worse for the house 
that burned, but it saved the rest of us.
					>>>==>PStJTT

I recall that my folks' house, which was sided in white aluminum looked terrible
after a few years.  All the dust that normally builds up on the exterior of a
house got baked by the sun.  The solution is to wash the house and theirs was
bad enough to have to get in the pros with high pressure hoses...

-mark

    Aluminum siding is nearly twice as expensive as vinyl siding.
    Also, aluminum dents and scratches on aluminum expose aluminum,
    it's a fire hazard, and makes noises as it contracts/expands.
    Sure you can paint aluminum, but you'll paint it again in three
    years, starting the paint cycle all over again.
    
    Vinyl Siding is colored throughout on most better brands,
    nicks don't expose a different color.  It resists dents better.
    Vinyl melts in the event of fire.  Its also much easier to
    install because it is pliable.  Vinyl is great for investment
    property and for people who hate painting.  If you have a good
    installer do the work, then there should be no path for water
    to get under the vinyl siding.  The areas you want to be careful of
    are underneath the window sills and right under your rake boards.

Yes in the event of fire vinyl siding melts...

My neighbor bought a new gas grill last summer.  Put it on his deck
about two feet from the side of the house.  On the very first use
the vinyl siding very noticeably melted and warped.  Does not look
pretty.  On another durability note;  I got to close to the side
of my house with the lawn mower and caught the edge of the siding
with the mower housing -- put a nasty tear in the siding. 

Just some more food for thought.

-JFK-

    Most vinyl siding that I've seen has a "glossy", "shiny" looking
    surface, where most aluminun siding I've seen has a flat finish on it. 

    I have an aluminum siding with 4 inch "exposure", a wood grained
    textured surface and a flat finish. From the street, my siding looks
    identical to my neighbor's who has cedar siding stained the same
    blue-gray color as my siding. 

    Charly

    I believe the reasoning that Al siding is a disadvantage in the
    event of a fire to be questionable. I'm a former firefighter and
    have fought fires in houses of all types. They were all very hot
    inside. What difference does that make? The firefighter expects
    it to be hot not to mention that full bunkers are hot anytime fire
    or not. The hottest fire you can deal with is one in a basement.
    Also for what its worth I recieved a cut on my fire insurance 
    because of my home having AL siding(breaks are also given for stucco,
    brick and other "fire proof" materials.
    
    I do see a disadvantage in Al in the fact that it does dent very
    easy the north side on mine looks like someone had a heyday with
    a ballpeen from a hail storm last year.
    Mine has been on since 1977 and dosent show any signs of fading
    when compared with scraps kept in the garage. It does get some oxide
    buildup now and then but it washes off with the garden hose in no
    time.
    
    I have noticed a small amount of expansion/contraction noise but
    it is unnoticible inside.
    
    Over all I still dont like it but it was on the house and the house
    was a deal I couldent refuse.
    
    -j
    

    
    
    	Re: .-.begin
    
    
    	I had my house vinyl sided about 8 years ago and will be ripping
    it off this spring and doing the house in cedar/stain. It was nice
    for a while but really doesn't compare to real siding. Some of my
    reasons are:
    
    	. Siding tends to sag alittle which becomes very visible and
          makes your house look alittle wierd. And no its not just my
    	  house but every 5+ year old sided house I have seen.
    
    	. Alot of trim work and detail gets covered up and you loose
    	  alot of character.
    
    	. It fades very fast and if you replace some windows or doors
     	  or anything that requires siding replacement you loose when
    	  you try to get matching siding. If you have your house sided
    	  then buy a bunch extra and nail it to your roof so it can
    	  fade like the rest of the house (only kidding).
    
    	. It gets dirty, ever wash a house !
    
    	. And the biggest pain is this. 
    	  When they install siding they do not remove your old wood
    	  siding. Over that wood they put 1/2" insulation then 1/2"
    	  siding which totals 1 whole inch ! This means that most of
    	  your windows and doors will now be recessed. This looks
    	  really strange unless your house is brand new in which case
    	  it will be normal !
    
    	. All the aluminum that they use to cover the odd trim and facia
    	  boards tend to warp after a few years due to expansion and
    	  contraction. On siding there are elongatged channels so that
   	  the siding can give alittle but the trim is nailed down with
    	  no place to go but buckle.
    
    	. Lawn mowers, snowblowers, wheelbarows and everthing else tend
    	  to damage the siding very easy if you bump into it.
    
	. I used to wonder why one house looked so much nicer that another
    	  one which was exactly the same until I realized that it was
    	  the siding !
    
    
    	So in closing,
    	If anyone out there wants some free siding ...
    		YOU CAN HAVE MINE !!!!!!
    
    	-Steve-
    

re: .-a couple

        About  fires...someone I know has said that homeowner's insurance
        is  significantly  higher  for  a  house  that's  been  sided  w/
        aluminum.  He says that the reason is the 'chimney' effect the Al
        has when the guts of the house are  burning.   Seems to me that a
        house  fire  will  certainly  get  hot  enough to melt  thru  the
        aluminum thereby reducing the effect of the 'chimney'.

        Anyone out there hear such a thing?  Somehow if  that  were true,
        the  aluminum siding business would have raised some stink to the
        appropriate officials...no?
        
Chris

    re.15
    My insurance rate are lower for having Al siding. A house fire can
    at times develop temps above 2500 degrees more than hot enough to
    burn through. By that time the windows would have broken out or
    melted. In venting a fire I havent ever heard of going through a
    wall (for structural reasons) windows and venting thru the roof 
    were the methods I was taught. The al siding would be gone long
    before a brick sided house so the chimney effect would be more
    pronounced in a brick home where al would burn through.
    I will check my NFPA manuals on Aluminum siding for fire exposure
    and hazard rating and try to post later what I find.
    
    -j
    

    
    Is there a perfect siding??? Every house covering that I've ever
    seen requires some maintenance. I think that It just matters what
    time in it's life cycle you come into it.
    
    My house has vinyl siding. I love it!! In fact when I did a major
    addition last year I had that vinyl coated as well. At the same
    time I had all the cracked corners, dented aluminum casings etc.
    replaced as well. This if by far the simplest siding I've ever had
    to maintain.
    
    My previous house was painted. The house was 25 or so years old
    and had 3 or 4 coats. There was ALWAYS at least one spot that was
    peeling. When I sold the house I painted it to give it a fresh look.
    I'm sure the new owner thought paint was the cat's meow. The house
    has since been painted twice. I wonder what they think now.
    
    We have a summer home in Maine that has cedar shingles. They are
    very nice, second to vinyl in my book. The only problem is that
    they weather unevenly and some parts look pretty bad. (Compare under
    eaves, to near foundation where snow piles up) Also they tend to
    dry out and split,so every year we buy a bundle and replace the
    bad ones. Staining doesn't seem to affect them much. It changes
    the top color, but the colors fade the same way the shingles would
    and they crack anyway.
    
    My mothers house has asbestos shingles. These are practically
    indestructible. The Key work is practically. They are real tough
    to cut, and you have to punch the nail holes prior to nailing. These
    shingles NEVER need painting. These have been on the house over
    20 years and have only faded slightly. replacement in infrequent,
    but very tedious.
    
Bricks are real nice too, but you have to repoint the mortar when it
    loosens. For me repointing is real low on the list of fun things
    to do. The biggest disadvantage I've found with bricks is matching
    them if they need replacement or you move a door or something.
    
    I could go on, but If someone finds the perfect, maintenance free
    house covering, let me know.
    
    JMB
    

    Go subterranean and let nature do the maintenance.  The best part 
    of all, is that there are no windows to wash! ;^)

    We recently had a contractor renovate a back porch.  Luckily, I
    had held back about 15%, to be paid when everything was done.  It
    has been months since he showed up and there is about 1 day's worth
    of work to do.  About a month ago I ran into him and told him I
    had no intention of paying him the remainder (about $4k) and haven't
    heard from him since.
    
    The renovation required some removal of siding and flashing.  The
    siding is almost all back but there are two pieces of aluminum flashing
    that weren't replaced.
    
    My problem is this: how can I finish this without the brake that
    they use to bend the aluminum?  I have mentioned to a couple of
    siders that I have about an hour's worth of work but get no response
    (and I'm not surprised ... I probably wouldn't bother with a hour's
    worth, either).
    
    These two pieces of flashing are in real visible places so I need
    a good bend.  I monkeyed with fabricating a brake out of wood but
    can't duplicate the fine straight lines on the original.
    
    Can anyone point me to a way to borrow a brake or hire someone for
    this small job in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts?
    
    Thanks,
    Pete

    If I remember correctly I think I've seen an add for Taylor Rental
    advertising the equipment needed to put up siding.  This was at the
    Taylor Rental on Franklin St. in Framingham - might be worth a call.
    
    Kathy

    MAKE ONE!
    
    
    Get a couple of 1x10's or so.  Saw the edges to make sure they're
    straight and get a couple of hinges.  C-Clamps hold the mess together
    and you're off.  (if you need wider stuff, you may have to use
    different clamps, like wood clamps or something like that)
    
    
    Anyway, with a piece of flashing, not much is seen anyway so the
    bend is not all that critical.  You can also put it in as a couple
    of pieces so 8'lengths isn't all that unreasonable.
    
    
    -bill

    A couple of thoughts:
    Depending on the shape you need, you may be able to buy it ready-made,
    or buy something that will do the job.  Go to a good lumberyard
    and see what they have for preformed flashing.
    
    If you've got the the dimensions, any sheetmetal shop ought to be 
    able to bend it for you.  They may charge you an outrageous
    amount (e.g. 1 hour minimum charge for 10 minutes of work) but it
    would still probably be cheaper than hiring somebody, or renting
    the equipment.

    I don't know where you are, but D.B. Cotton, Inc. in Southbridge,
    Mass. sells steel and aluminum, and they have a bending brake that
    will bend damn near anything.  They are also friendly people to
    do business with, and don't mind us small fry coming in.
    

    re-reading the base note:  you're in Shrewsbury, not too far from
    Southbridge.  If you can't find anybody more local, take a run
    down to D.B. Cotton's.  They're even open on Saturday morning.
    I'm just about certain that they'd do the job for you, and not
    charge you an outrageous amount.
    They are on Guelphwood St., or something like that.  When you see
    the chain link fence and the mountain of scrap steel, you've found
    it.

    Who was the person/company that did not finish the job?
    
    I think we all would be interested in that information.  Also, would
    suggest posting it under the NOTE for the type of work they do.
                                                                 
    /am

Before you do anything you better find out, if he placed a lein against your 
house, and talk to a lawyer.  You have a fairly hefty sum of money involved 
here plus you probably have a warranty to be concered with.

Brian

    re: -.1
    
    I have been dealing with my lawyer right along.  Don't know about
    a lien (wouldn't I be told?) but (on my lawyer's advice) I'm kissing
    off warranty work so as not to rattle the builder's cage.
    
    Thanks for the pointers - I'll check Taylor and then drive to
    Southbridge with dimensions.
    
    Pete

    
    
    I would like to know what is available on the market for cleaning
    aluminum siding.  I would like to get a cleaner that could be attached
    to the hose.  Any recomendations?
    
    I would also like to know what I can do about the tank on the back
    of the toilets sweating!  There is a puddle of water behind both
    toilets in the morning.  Could someone also give me some kind
    of solution for my water tank in the basement?  It is sweating so
    bad that half the basement floor is flooded!!  What can I do to
    stop the pipes and tank from sweating so much?
    
     						Thanks,
    
    						John

    John,
      Sell a couple fishing rods and buy dehumidifier.
    
    Jeff

    The water tank 'dehumidifier' that you have is cheaper to run than the
    electric kind.  Can you take advantage of it by putting a pan or bucket
    under it to catch water?  To save yourself the bother of emptying
    the pan, see if you can rig a hose or tube to a floor or other drain.
                                                                               
    If you don't care to use the water tank as a dehumidifier, I think
    you'd have to insulate it in some way, to prevent the humid air
    from touching the cool tank.  If the tank is steel, I'd be a little
    worried that insulation might start or accelerate rusting. 
    
    good luck,
    Joe (who spends $40/month in summer for electric dehumidifier.)
        
                                                   
    

    There are other notes in here someplace about stopping toilet
    tanks from sweating, but in brief, there are a couple of options.
    
    You can get a little mixing valve gizzie that you put in the
    input water line to the tank, that mixes hot and cold water.
    If the water in the tank is basically at room temperature, the
    tank won't sweat.
    
    You can get a foam insulating insert to go inside the tank.  It
    will keep the outside of the tank from getting as cold when the
    cold water enters the tank, so it will sweat less.
    
    Run a dehumidifier (or an air conditioner) to reduce the humidity
    level in the air; however, taking a shower will overwhelm any
    dehumidifier for a while.
    
    Put towels or a pan on the floor to catch the drips.

Please, no more discussion of sweating toilets here.  Besides the fact that 
there is already a note that discusses that problem (note 253), no one will 
ever find a discussion of sweating toilets in a note titled "Cleaning aluminum 
siding".

This note is still open for discussion of cleaning aluminum siding.

Paul

    Re. 1   
    
    WHAT!!!  The LEGEND OF THE LAKES give up his fishing equipment?!!!!!
    
    Thats like telling Dirty Harry to sell his MAGNUM...
    
    I'll try the bucket trick for the water tank....
    
    What about cleaning the aluminum siding?  There has to be something
    out there!
    
    I just don't think my wife is going to like it when I say to her
    (while I'm going off to work) " When your done cleaning the inside
    of the house....get started on the outside with your FANTASTIC bottle!"
    
    							Thanks,
    
    							John

    re: cleanning aluminum siding.
    
    You can have it done professionally and the cost isn't that bad.
    A friend of mine had his mobile home (14x80) done a while back
    and it looked brand new.  He was charged $50. for the work and the
    guy offers a guarantee that says "if you aren't satisfied, then
    you don't have to pay".  If you're interested, I'll ask him for
    the guy's name and phone number.
    
    Dave Vedder

    
       My house is a very large duplex.  If you can get the number I'll
    give him a call.
    
    							John

    There has been a great report of a product called House Wash. (a house
    painter who also washes houses). It mixes with TSP and Clorox and water.
    Was unable to confirm this report, tho it sounds reasonable. 
    
    I called a paint store in Maynard Ma. run by a former house painter. He
    suggested Spic & Span mixed with Clorox. 
    
    				herb 

    As a victim of chemical pneumonia caused by accidently mixing cleaning
    materials I suggest that you avoid mixing unless you know what results
    the mix could give. Mine was bleach and toilet bowl cleaner which
    produced clorine gas,a hell of a headache and lungs that were almost
    wasted.
    
    -j
    

>< Note 2525.9 by NEXUS::GORTMAKER "Gort Manufacturing" >
>                         -< Not wise to mix cleaners >-
>
>    As a victim of chemical pneumonia caused by accidently mixing cleaning
>    materials I suggest that you avoid mixing unless you know what results
>    the mix could give. Mine was bleach and toilet bowl cleaner which
>    produced clorine gas,a hell of a headache and lungs that were almost
>    wasted.
      
      Your toilet bowl cleaner almost certainly contained amonia. I once
      dumped Chlorox bleach and sudsy amonia into the same sink  at  the
      same  time.   Fortunately  I  had the luck to react by immediately
      running like hell.
      
      We're both lucky -- Clorine is deadly poison.
      
      Never  mix  chemicals  such  as  houshold  cleaners, paints, paint
      thinners, garden chemicals  etc.   unless  the  instructions  very
      clearly say to do so.
      
      There  are  many readily available chemicals that can become very,
      very dangerous if missused.
      
      And  don't foget to keep ALL such cleaners, etc.  out of the reach
      of children.

    Re: last two
    
      Lucky is putting it mildly.  Most people that have mixed bleach
    and ammonia don't live to tell the story.  
    
    -Jim
    

    re: .8 and following
    
    I spent two and a half days hand scrubbing my siding from mildew
    before painting.  Buy a good sized box of TSP and read the directions
    for mixing with bleach and warm water.  Be sure to wear gloves.
    It smells mighty powerful, and it does the job right.
    
    Elaine

    When I was about 11 yrs. old my friend (who was 14) mixed I believe
    bleach and ammonia in a plastic bucket in her cellar.  Boy was that
    scary!  I'd never seen a chemical reaction before.  My friend somehow
    managed to carry it outside.  It burned a hole right through the
    bottom of the bucket.  We laughed about it then.
    
    15 years later I find out we could have died from that.
    
    Kathy  

    My alumimum siding is 11 years old and had never been cleaned. 
    I tried cleaning a small area and decided the job was too much for
    me to handle.  I have a large garrison, very high roof, all trim
    is aluminum also.  A friend recommended an outfit in Holliston,
    Mass.  Their name is " Sparkle".  Don't have the phone number but
    I'm sure you can get it from information. Their service wasn't cheap
    ( $300) but it was worth it.  They were extremely thorough, did
    all the trim, did the gutters, and removed mildew from my roof..  They 
    also know how to apply chemicals without damaging your landscaping.
    I wouldn't have this done on a yearly basis, but if you let it go
    too long as I did, this may be worth considering.

Could you perhaps post this recommendation as a reply to note 2027?

Thanks,
Paul

    Our house is sided with tan color aluminum.  For about 12 years, there
    were aluminum shutters until we removed them in a fit of
    beautification. ;-)
    
    The siding under the shutters is a darker color than the rest of the
    house.
    
    I scrubbed the shutter areas (and the rest of the siding) this weekend
    and took off lots of dirt.  The color difference is less pronounced but
    still noticeable.  The difference may be due to sun bleaching of the
    non-shutter areas.  I'm not certain.  The siding is about as clean as
    it's going to get.
    
    Does anyone have suggestions on how to lighten up the shutter areas? 
    Is it worth the bother of using bleach?  I thought I might dilute it in
    a spray bottle. . .
    
    Thanks,
    L

    So - can anyone vouch to the permanency of painted aluminum siding?
    
    If my efforts fail  to lighten up the areas previously covered by
    shutters, I will consider a paint job.
    
    This note was written some years ago.  What's the word on today's
    generation of aluminum siding paints?
    
    L
    

	I washed my house and then had a friend (who is a painter) spray it.
	We used Sherwen Williams best. It has been about five years, no 
	problems.

					Jim

    Thanks for the advice, Jim.
    
    I was wondering if anybody here uses "next unseen" ;-)
    
    L
    

                <<< Note 1445.7 by TNPUBS::STEINHART "Laura" >>>
>    
>    I was wondering if anybody here uses "next unseen" ;-)
    
    Laura,

    TRUST ME!!! We have done several surveys over the years and nearly 
EVERYONE uses "next unseen".....those who don't are very scarce indeed. It 
is the reason I have to write lock and move so many notes in this file, no 
one seems to believe that your reply here will get the same response as a 
new note! 

    Thanks,

    	Vic, moderator

    
     I've got some Al siding that has oxidized in places.
     I can't afford to reside the house and I'd like to consider painting
     it.
    
     I live in Shrewsbury.  I'm interested in finding a contractor
     experienced with painting Al siding (Spray), or any advice anyone has.
    
     Someone mentioned acetic acid (vinegar) as a prep...  why?
    
     Also someone mentioned a top-of-the-line paint, but it wasn't
     anything unique to Al (not a 'rust' inhibitor)...
     I would think that (since the Al is old and has oxidized in places)
     that I'd need some type of treatment....
    
     Pointers/Advice welcome.
    
     /peter
    
            

    I don't think you'd need to wash with vinegar on aluminum.  You do need
    to do that on galvanized surfaces, but I've never heard of doing that
    on aluminum.  You wouldn't be washing the aluminum anyway, just the old
    coating on it, so what's the point?  
    
    Better, I think, to scrub or pressure wash with something like TSP, to
    get the dirt and worn surface off, then paint.

    I will be meeting with several siding contractors over the next few weeks to
    get an estimate for putting Aluminum/vynal over all of the trim on a
    small Cape Cod that is a rental property. 
    
    What kinds of things should I be aware of and ask for. 
    
       Are there different grades of Aluminum ?
       What kinds of warranties should I expect.
    
       During installation are there techniques that make for a better job,
        like --- special joints, caulk around windows at joints, etc.   
    
       Any advice or things I should ask for will greatly be appreciated.
    
       
       
    
     

    size of "boards"
    graining
    colour
    insulating backer board or just straight install overtop of whats
    there.
    will they be getting into the soffet and facia (sp?).
    
    
    
    Brian V
    

    Yes, insulating backer board.  Fiberglass and retrofit blown insulation 
    tend to have holes -- areas with no insulation.  Plus the studs cover
    about 10% of the area.  Insulating backer board can significantly
    improve the effective R value of the house.  
    
    	Enjoy,
    	Larry

    .0:
    
    Ask what kind of aluminum siding won't be marred by hail, flying rocks
    and the like.
    
    Dick

	What are the odds that the original (or at least prior as it is
	a 130+ year old house :-) siding is still intact and in good
	shape under the Aluminum siding which has been up for at least
	15 years, but probably much longer?

	The only indication I have as to the original siding is that
	the part of the house enclosed by the back porch has painted
	wood lap siding that appears to be in good condition (even
	though the color paint is orange!).

	This is the same house where some rooms have a hardwood floor
	layed over a previous hard wood floor.  Could that indicate that
	whatever past owner had Aluminum siding put on did it not because
	the original siding was in bad shape, but because it was either
	the in thing at the time, or they were looking for low maint.??

	Assuming I decide to rip off the Aluminum and try to restore the
	original siding, how likely is it I will be able to find siding
	to match the original in the likely event I need to replace some
	boards?

    
    	I used to install siding part time in the late 70's early 80's and
    most of the jobs we did where for lower maintenance.  If anything was
    rotted it was usually boards that touched the ground or fascia trim boards
    where their was a water problem.
    	I don't know if you'll be able to find replacement boards or not
    but once you rip off the aluminum siding the original siding will be
    full of nail holes.

    Joe

> I don't know if you'll be able to find replacement boards or not
> but once you rip off the aluminum siding the original siding will be
> full of nail holes.

	Thanks.  I over looked the obvious :-(  There's probably
	a good chance those nails also caused splitting of the original
	siding :-(

	Assuming (being optimistic :-) the nails didn't cause splitting,
	the [ton of] nail holes can be filled?

  Hi,

  Is this normal for Viding siding ?

  I purchased a house with aluminum siding ... I noticed the other night
  a 1/2 inch gap ALL along the house which exposes, looking up from the ground
  level, some plywood and insulation.  Is this normal ?  I would think this
  gap would invite unwanted elements into my house and possibly invite
  capenter ants, etc to enter or eat away my property!


  Here is a picture to help illustrate the concern ...
            
             insulation------\     
                             |
             plywood ------\ ||
     Vinyl Siding   -----\ | ||
                         v v v|   
                         || | |                   |      
                         || | | cement foundation |
                         || | |                   |
                         || | |                   |  <-----    House   -----> 
                         || | |                   |
                         ||_|_|                   |
                            ^ |                   |   
                            | |                   |
  ____<-ground level ->____ |_|___________________|_____<-ground level->________
                            |
                            |
           looking up from ground you can see a Exposed gap from the siding
           nailed to plywood to cement foundation!!!
           Is this normal and or should I be concerned ?


 Thanks in advance!!!!

>   a 1/2 inch gap ALL along the house which exposes, 

    Perfectly normal! 

    You might even find sections where the gap is wider or narrower.
    Foundations frequently aren't perfectly square. The framer will
    usually try to "square-up" the framing on the out-of square
    foundation.