One of the most important components of a whole-house remodel is the siding selection and installation. Not only is siding the first line of defense against the elements, but it should be visually pleasing and in harmony with the environment and neighborhood. On this remodel, Spillane is stripping the blue, cedar shake siding from the house and replacing it with fiber board cement and trim provided by James Hardie Building Products, Inc.  The new siding will feature the look and feel of real wood but require less maintenance. The siding removal process was labor-intensive and assigned to a three-man demolition crew. They spent three days, roughly 8-9 hours per day, taking down the old siding and fascia. This was done from the top down using pry bars.

Due to impending rain, the old, black insulation was left on to protect the original wood frame. It will be removed later and the house will be rewrapped using HardieWrap® weather barrier. The gutters also remained at the top of the house to stop rainwater from flowing down against the sides. These are effective ways to prevent water damage prior to a new siding installation when the weather doesn’t cooperate.

The window trims also were left intact to safeguard the house against theft until the rainy days pass and the new siding is installed. If the trim were removed beforehand, it would be easy for someone to pop the windows in and out to access the interior. Leaving the trim creates a deterrent for thieves looking for scrap metals such as copper, which is hard to trace if stolen. Depending on the neighborhood, it is not unusual for burglaries to take place at single-family housing construction sites.

Spillane embodies the old adage: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. By thinking through the siding removal process, identifying potential issues, and then making proactive adjustments, he protected the house’s integrity and his investment.