Deciding on Siding

I ended the last post on the two-family with this photo and the promise of more pictures as things changed.

But before we get to that, let's take a closer look at what we are dealing with here. Sagging gutters that are allowing water to cascade down the side of the building and accelerate deterioration.

Asphalt siding that needs to removed and replaced with a covering that brings the porch up to date.

Overhang and trim that is rotting and paint that is flaking.

It's hard to see here but there are other issues caused by some settling of the porch.  However, the windows on the porch were replaced without addressing variances in the alignment of the window sills so we are faced with redoing the windows or moving forward.  Because this area will only be used during the milder months of the year and because this is a rental, it seemed like moving forward was the best choice.  Also note the underside of the porch that is sagging in spots and has an abundance of peeling paint.

You thought I was finished with all the bad stuff?  Yah, so did the contractor until he uncovered this section that got the worst of the water damage.  More money, more time!  That is pretty much a given.  The surprise part is, you never know what it will be or when it will show itself.  This was one of those, "keep your fingers crossed that it's not too bad" anticipated problems.

Moving on to happier days:

I thought I had a picture of the tear out and reframed area but, I guess not.  I'm not a fan of siding on brick houses but, short of tearing the porch off and rebuilding, this seemed like the best solution.  Careful consideration was given to the color of the siding to keep it from looking too out of place.  

There were some choice words spoken as the guys tried to make straight lines on cockeyed windows.

To top it off the heat and humidity decided to ratchet it up a notch for the entire week.

 They saved the side next to the electrical wires for last.

Are you thinking the roof sags in the middle?  Part of that is deliberate.  With the downspout in the middle, it was originally constructed that way to cause the water to flow towards the downspout. Note also that the two windows on the first floor have been wrapped in black as were the windows on both sides of the house.

What looks like white on the underside of the porch is actually a silver gray.  It was also used on the overhang.  White can be extremely bright in the sunlight and this is a more mellow look that blends better with the dark siding.  The thin black wrap around the windows adds an accent and matches the black gutters.  Next on the agenda is to paint the back doors and that small window.  Follow that with laying sod and...no, not finished.  There is still the inside of this porch to tackle.  This is the project that goes on and on.