Our siding project is almost over. I'll post pictures once I get everything painted, promise.
In the end, I opted to have someone install the siding. Yes, I could have done it, but lack of time, and dubious skill with a circular saw, combined with $100/sheet raw materials, made this the right choice.
Plus I still had inside work to do, beams to repair and refinish, etc.
Are you familiar with "scope creep"? Ah yes, plan for the unplanned.
Three related projects that I wasn't planning (or budgeting) for crept their way in.
First, there was some minor rot behind the siding, in a few places. I scraped out the damaged wood, and repaired with products from the Rot Doctor.
Second, the electrical panel, which I had upgraded in the last few months, was sitting on top of the old siding. It made sense to instead recess it into the wall, essentially another whole service upgrade, though this time recycling the panel.
Before:
After:
Worth the effort, I think.
The last unplanned project was the garage doors. We pulled the old doors, intending to replace the siding, and discovered that one of the rollers was completely missing. I did some searching, and found a place in South San Francisco called Crown Hardware, who sells an almost perfect replacement. At $100/pair (you need two pairs for two doors) it wasn't cheap, but I was thrilled that someone still makes it, and this version has modern bearings too.
Old hardware (notice the missing roller!):
New hardware:
This is the actual product. Crown Industrial's part number is 4Z2R, #4 hanger. Link
Oh, we also ended up rebuilding the door frames out of PT 2x4s because the old redwood had rotted out.
The other big fix was the center post. Ever notice how on many Eichler E11 models, the center of the garage seems to sag? The center 4x4 post sits on a piece of redwood, which in many cases rots out. The post then sinks, causing the garage doors to sag and drag, and it also impacts the roofline.
The fix was to jack up the center main beam support with a floor jack, supported with 2x4s on each side, and replace both the rotted redwood floor plate with a new piece of 2x6, and a new redwood 4x4 post. I put the post into a metal cup, so it wouldn't be in direct contact with the 2x4 under it (and also to give it some additional support).
Old frame:
New floor plate:
In the end, I opted to have someone install the siding. Yes, I could have done it, but lack of time, and dubious skill with a circular saw, combined with $100/sheet raw materials, made this the right choice.
Plus I still had inside work to do, beams to repair and refinish, etc.
Are you familiar with "scope creep"? Ah yes, plan for the unplanned.
Three related projects that I wasn't planning (or budgeting) for crept their way in.
First, there was some minor rot behind the siding, in a few places. I scraped out the damaged wood, and repaired with products from the Rot Doctor.
Second, the electrical panel, which I had upgraded in the last few months, was sitting on top of the old siding. It made sense to instead recess it into the wall, essentially another whole service upgrade, though this time recycling the panel.
Before:
After:
Worth the effort, I think.
The last unplanned project was the garage doors. We pulled the old doors, intending to replace the siding, and discovered that one of the rollers was completely missing. I did some searching, and found a place in South San Francisco called Crown Hardware, who sells an almost perfect replacement. At $100/pair (you need two pairs for two doors) it wasn't cheap, but I was thrilled that someone still makes it, and this version has modern bearings too.
Old hardware (notice the missing roller!):
New hardware:
This is the actual product. Crown Industrial's part number is 4Z2R, #4 hanger. Link
Oh, we also ended up rebuilding the door frames out of PT 2x4s because the old redwood had rotted out.
The other big fix was the center post. Ever notice how on many Eichler E11 models, the center of the garage seems to sag? The center 4x4 post sits on a piece of redwood, which in many cases rots out. The post then sinks, causing the garage doors to sag and drag, and it also impacts the roofline.
The fix was to jack up the center main beam support with a floor jack, supported with 2x4s on each side, and replace both the rotted redwood floor plate with a new piece of 2x6, and a new redwood 4x4 post. I put the post into a metal cup, so it wouldn't be in direct contact with the 2x4 under it (and also to give it some additional support).
Old frame:
New floor plate:
New frames:
Last word of advice - when you are replacing siding, it's a great time to:
- install seismic retrofits, such as oversized floor plate bolts
- run wiring for additional outdoor lighting or outlets
- install R13 insulation
If you've already done the above from the inside, well, great. Even though I had done so, I still found cases where I realized I needed/wanted additional lights and outlets for example.
That's it for now. I think this is one of those posts that will become very helpful to someone in the future. I hope it is!
