Question no. 1
Robert,
We live in Canyon Country and are nearing retirement.
When we bought the home, it had a wood siding. We installed a plastic-type siding approximately 12-15 years ago, and it’s starting to fade.
We’re thinking of tearing everything off and putting up stucco but we’d like your take on this first. We don’t have an abundance of money, but we can afford to upgrade the home some while still working, so that it is nice for the long term.
There is also a deck on the property that is in terrible condition, and there is a sliding glass door at this deck which I think you’re going to say needs to go at that same time. The door itself works, but it’s old, and we’d like to possibly put the double-paned type in for efficiency.
Please let us know your thoughts on all of this.
Linda P.
Answer no. 1
Linda,
It looks like you have siding that is in overall good condition, it just needs a good coat of paint to bring it back to life aesthetically.
If it’s sound and there are no leaks from failures of this siding, you can get it painted and save a ton of money. There are now additives for paint that will allow it to bond to the plastic, and this route will be much less expensive for you than redoing the whole home in stucco.
The big box stores have computers that can show you your home with a new color, which helps with choices. Be sure to put color samples on your home and look at them at different times of the day, I know several instances one in particular, where a salmon color was bright pink at certain times of the day.
For the sliding door, if this is just a heat issue and the door is fine otherwise, you can tint the window with the clear reflective tinting, and this will reduce the heat by a great amount. Your deck is another issue, this needs to come all the way down to the sub-floor, I wouldn’t even try to save the sheeting.
The scuppers (the holes at the base of the deck that allow water to flow out) should be replaced at the same time. I recommend you use AVM Industries and have a Fiber Crete System installed. If you go this route and then follow all manufacturer’s instructions for care and maintenance, you’ll get a long life out of this deck.
Be sure that the finish is textured for slip resistance, and that your contractor puts two good top coats over it.
Good luck,
Robert
