OT--Siding & Windows

[Joe Suelter]

Have any of you done any vinyl siding & replacement windows? SWMBO wants to update the house but the quotes we got seem awful high...LOML says I should put the windows and siding on with all the tools I got in the shop...Like I got time for this! But, after pricing siding & windows (11 total) at the borg, I'm thinking this might be the best way to go. It would save us approx. $4000 doing the work myself. This is not a huge house, just your run of the mill 2 story house (1300 sq. ft.). This house was built in 1937, and the windows are that old. Anybody have any tips or suggestions for me before I commit to this task???? I've never replaced windows before, only roughed them into new construction. I'm nervous mostly about tearing up the plaster taking the old ones out. The siding I don't think will be that difficult..seems pretty straight forward after the initial measuring is done. Should I nail or staple the siding on? Alcoa suggests both..this could mean a new tool! They also say to cut the siding with a plywood blade mounted backwards on a miter saw, why backwards? To keep from shattering the plastic? I hate to batter you all with questions, but the guys at the borg have no idea either...didn't even ask! As usual, thanks in advance.

[Dave Crabbs]

Hi Joe,
I have installed replacement windows. The units were measured by the salesman. It's not a bad as you think. The replacement window unit (frame and sash) screws into the old window frame. The only thing that you have to remove is the casing and if you are careful you should not need to fix the plaster. I'm not sure how you measure for them though. As far as the vinyl siding I would sub that out. They have all the equipment to install it like ladders, ladder jacks, a break to bend the coil stock for your fascia. But, if you are going to install it yourself you hang the siding. Meaning that you nail it loose so you are able to move the panel from side to side. Vinyl moves with the heat and cold so you need to let it move. Next time you see a house when it is hot out that has vinyl siding and it is all rippled that is because it was nailed to tight.
Dave

[John Miliunas]

Joe, can't give you all the answers, but I have done window replacements. They really are NOT that bad to do, as long as someone who really knows their trade measures them up properly for you. You need to be sure that whatever you get from the manufacturer fits nicely in the openings left after taking out the old ones. If not, especially if the new ones are a smidge too large, it becomes a royal pain in the rumpus!(DAMHIKT!) Also, you have an ideal opportunity for new tool. If you don't already have one, I consider a reciprocating saw to be the #1 tool for any person having any intent on doing any house remodeling. In the case of windows, it's indespensible.

Don't know much about the vinyl, except for what Dave said about not ramming the nails completely home. Also, I can see the thing about inverting the saw blade. Yeah, it won't tend to grab and tear at the material. I've used that method on a table saw to cut aluminum and thin gauge steel, quite successfully.:cool:

[Bruce Walton]

I sided a small house once using vinyl. It was actually very fun to do. Yes, you're right about the reason for putting the blade on backwards. Even backwards the siding would chip a bit if you cut too fast or the blade got dull. The prevous post about installing loose is a fact. You want to be sure the siding can slide back and forth on the nails. That means you want to always have the nail in the same realitive position of the slot when you nail it. I.e. Don't put the nail far left in one slot and then far right in the next. If you do that the siding will bind up on the nails as it expands and contracts. The hardest part is getting the starter strip exactly level all the way around the house. Once that is done, the rest goes pretty fast.

I didn't do the sofitt trim since I didn't have a brake to do the bending. Just did the siding. It doesn't really require any expensive special tools. The two special tools required are a tool to put in the locking cut and a tool to remove the siding. I don't believe they cost even twenty dollars total. Otherwise, since you are probably a woodworker and home owner, you probably have the rest of what you need.

As for the windows, I replaced them with stock Anderson double hung windows. That was a mess and I did have to learn to repair plaster since the Andersons were slighty smaller than the existing windows so there wasn't a need to do any alterations to the existing wall framing. Didn't go the replacement window route since the existing jambs of the existing windows required replacement. The normal replacement windows use the existing frame of your current windows. The one I saw was kind of a neat setup. They take out the windows with the sash. They removed the tracks or what ever added pieces inside the frame so just the jamb remains. That leaves the inside millwork and exterior where it meets the siding all intact. The new replacement window had a vinyl channel with a spounsy foam on the channel inside. THis fit on the outside of the replacement window frame. Since the channel had give in it due to the foam, it would compress as the window is installed in the opening as they put it in. That allowed the channel to conform to whatever variations in the existing jamb. They caulked and put quarter round around that channel on the inside of the jamb and they were done. There are probably other ways to do it, but that is the one I saw.

Watch someone do the replacement window work, and you'll wonder why they charge so much money for it.

Also, I know someone that said no to the $8,000 dollar price of replacement windows from one company. This company must have been hungry because they made a few attempts to get the job. They ended up doing the work for $4000. I was surprised they had that much room in their negotiations. Pays to shop around.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Tom Sweeney]

The siding goes very easy. As stated get the starter strip on the bottom level & it goes very quickly from there. Cut with the plywood blade backwards or big tin snips work also. Watch the drip edges above windows & doors - make sure the J channel on top of the window extends a little past the ones on the side DAMHIKT. As others said don't drive the nails home - I think I used either roofing or siding nails. Also at the corner beads leave a little room for expansion. Also it's a good opportunity to put some house wrap & ridgid foam insulation on the house.

I had a devil of a time doing the last window replacement I did. It was on my old block & stucco house & the sills & all were rotted so I had to cut out all the wood & put full windows in. If you have a wood frame house & you're ripping off the old siding anyway you might want to look into the new construction type replacement(?) windows. These have metal nailers that you just pop the window into the hole from the outside, level & Plumb then nail the nailers right to the sheathing.

Of course it seems to me lately that any home remodel job I do takes about 4 times longer & is twice as expensive as I estimated. :(

Hope this helps - Good Luck

[Jason Roehl]

BUT!!!

You should drive home two nails at the very center of each piece of siding. This forces the expansion/contraction to be split between the two ends and can prevent warping. This comes from either Fine Homebuilding or The Journal of Light Construction (I don't remember which and it's late--I'm not looking). And, if you install on one of the hottest days, install tightly measured. If you install on a cold day, install loosely measured.

Also, make sure you orient the overlaps so that you can't see the seams from major points-of-view.

Jason