# Need help on Siding issue ASAP



## f150dash (Feb 16, 2009)

Hey guys new to the site, I am siding a house and have an issue. I have reached the top of the house and my siding is right on the level mark but, at one corner of the house I have 11 inches so more then one piece of siding to do and on the other corner it is 8 inches, I am not sure what will make it look good any help would be greatly appreciated. I can't bring the soffit down or it will mess up the fascia board. So that is where I stand. Thanks for the help in advance.
Jon


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## inspectorD (Feb 16, 2009)

What kind of siding are we dealing with? And pictures help alot with this type of issue. Sounds like you need to remove some siding and cheat stuff around. Looks like you found out what Us professionals already know...you don't always follow level. You really need to follow measurements and what looks right.
We are here to help, we have all done this once in our lifetimes.


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## f150dash (Feb 17, 2009)

It's a D4.5 vinyl. there is no way to cheat on it as the corner that is out is above an addition so you have 30 ft in length to try and cheat o, then u get to a shorter area. best bet seems to be to cut to fit into the undersill and live with it. Anytime the siding is even off by 1/2" it is very noticeable.


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## inspectorD (Feb 17, 2009)

You can always loosen up the vinyl a bit. And in 30 feet, you can make up more than the 3 inch difference you have now. This is where the pic would help. 
The siding is really going to be noticeable with a 3 inch out of level area. You could try putting a freeze board type of thing to break up the eye noticing it.Either way, you will see it. I just hope for your sake the wall siding and the soffit are the same color.
Hope this helps, there just may be no easy solution.


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## jdougn (Feb 18, 2009)

F150,  
Here's a pro tip. A pro would start by measuring vertically at both corners to see if the dimensions were the same. All attempts would be made to resolve any serious errors before installing the starter strip. Then, if there were still a dimensional difference, each row would be "cheated" slightly adding up to a significant amount at the top of the wall. Additionally, in all situations, a pro marks where each row lands and chaulks a horizontal line to make sure that all rows stay straight and that the job is even all the way to the top. If you must, remove all the siding and start over using improved procedures.
hth, Doug


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## tinner666 (Feb 19, 2009)

jdougn said:


> F150,
> Here's a pro tip. A pro would start by measuring vertically at both corners to see if the dimensions were the same. All attempts would be made to resolve any serious errors before installing the starter strip. Then, if there were still a dimensional difference, each row would be "cheated" slightly adding up to a significant amount at the top of the wall. Additionally, in all situations, a pro marks where each row lands and chaulks a horizontal line to make sure that all rows stay straight and that the job is even all the way to the top. If you must, remove all the siding and start over using improved procedures.
> hth, Doug



Well said.


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## f150dash (Feb 19, 2009)

To "cheat" as you guys say is well not a way that is used around here...For one the windows are level you cheat with the siding you mess up the look of the the siding. I came on here for some idea's not to be put down by so called pros. How many of you live in an area that has mine shafts that run the whole town. I doublt to many. Houses here move constantly. and yes it was measured top to bottom and a site level was used. I am not trying to be nasty but the issue has been fixed without taking any siding down or cheating. So thanks for the advice, but I got better advice from non pros....Oh and if any of you are cheating by not locking the vinyl in I feel sorry for your clients plus it voids the warranty on your vinyl and that is straight from Kaykan. Cause that would end up being the last thing I would ever do.......Oh yeah I forgot to mention that I am one of the busiest contractors in my town, with the best referral rate....so I guess you would say in your terms I am a pro.....I had only wanted a different perspective on it and thought that it would come from here but since it got nasty, for me it turned me off to asking questions on here. You guys think you know all but one of the reasons I am as busy as I am is because I am not scared to ask something to fellow contractors, I get lots of ideas and work with the best ones. I don't know everything, if you think that you do in this business you are crazy, I know guys that have been in it for 40 years and say wow didnt know you could do that that way. Next time someone ask you a question don't assume they are not pros because they asked. Maybe they just wanted a second  perspective.


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## tinner666 (Feb 19, 2009)

"Oh and if any of you are cheating by not locking the vinyl in I feel sorry for your clients plus it voids the warranty on your vinyl and that is straight from Kaykan. Cause that would end up being the last thing I would ever do.......Oh yeah I forgot to mention that I am one of the busiest contractors in my town, with the best referral rate....so I guess you would say in your terms I am a pro....."

That was never suggested. By cheating, I'm quite sure he meant the same thing I did. Change the line on that end by 1/16" to 1/8" upwards. There is some 'wiggle-room' with siding, framing, and shingles. The other end could have been lowered the same way.
 Whenever the bottom and/or top plates don't allow us to run 'straight', we call it cheating. Not the same thing as taking short-cuts. 
That's what I meant when i agreed with the other post. So, I'll 'speak' for me at least. 
But, Ill bet that's what he meant.
 Friends?


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## f150dash (Feb 19, 2009)

I felt like the cheating was meant in a different way more of a shortcut and i felt like i was being talked down to.I don't talk to my employees that way so i don't expect to be talked to in that way. I am very professional and try to treat everyone with respect "You get what you give" is my motto. So i do applogize if I was rude. I will give a little more back ground on the job. I am covering a house that has some small shakes and some large ones for siding. It is getting covered with styrofold (leveler) then tyvek then the siding. So the new siding has to be below the old to cover it. and the foundation is only 6 to 8 inches above grade. So there is not alot of room for movement. Friends yes...lol


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## inspectorD (Feb 19, 2009)

Sorry if I was the one you feel was talking down to you. Usually we professionals are here alone to sort out homeowner issues after they get in over their heads. And as a contractor you should have a thicker skin...mine is like leather!! That's a joke..please don't get any inference from it.
But back to your situation, what did you do to remedy the problem? 
And when I make a remark like cheating, it is just a phrase to get it to fit, but always lock it in and do it right. NO shortcuts. 
We are all here to help folks out, not demoralize them. 
And I definitely do not know everything, and never said I did, so please don't put words in my mouth, they get in the way of my foot.


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## f150dash (Feb 19, 2009)

I do have some thick skin....lol....have to it is friggin cold workin here in the winter. To fix the issue we ended up have to take the fascia board off because it was in such bad shape and what we noticed was that it was unlevel by 3 inches and had drop about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 So we put a new one on level and with a small adjustment we were only a difference of abour 3/8 of an inch which in the bigger picture was nothing. You never see it because of the undersill. 
 Inspector D, I wasn't trying to put words in your mouth just venting my frustration. So i do appolgize for that. It's been a long cold snowy winter, and I think that has taken a toll on myself and my guys. we spend every second day shovelling off platforms and around houses. It hasn't been alot of fun, on the other side making lots of extra dough plowing ....lol....


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## inspectorD (Feb 20, 2009)

I'm glad that is another fixed problem, all of it.
And I understand completely about the cold weather, I too have been working outdoors all my life. Some folks just do not know what we deal with as far as the cold. Frozen lumber that weighs 5 times as much and splits if you look at it wrong, then having to shovel snow daily sometimes 2 feet. Walking around in the 2 feet of snow with heavy objects like 50 ft ladders with water soaked boots.(in my younger years)And the worst...the cold wind of the north. Our lowest temps in this part of the northeast is about -20 for CT. But I have done many jobs in NH where it stayed that way for a week.The thing is , we get the hot muggy humid weather here also.And for that you can only remove so many clothes on a job.
Hope you stick around to help out, spring is right at the door waiting to be flung open.


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## jdougn (Feb 20, 2009)

Hello f150dash, I too appologize if you found my words offensive. My intention was to help. 
Doug


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## f150dash (Feb 20, 2009)

I do appreciate the help now that I am having a much better day...lol....we had -30C for almost 3 weeks straight with windchills in the -40C range, so I was able to tidy up some inside work for those weeks in Jan but now I am on a tight and I mean tight deadline for this job so my guys are workin alot of hours and we got another 5-6in of snow last night. So that is 12-15 since sunday and another storm movin in this coming Sun with another 8-10inches So doing the books tonight and it looks like the shovelling is costing more then the labor...lol...Could thing I accounted for that. This job is getting the best of me some days, I've done a lot of renovating in this town and never seen a house out as bad as this one we just measured the opposite side from the last one I asked the question on and it is almost 7 inches out...wow was all I could say...I miss the days of building Custom homes...lol..More money around here in reno's though.
Anyway enough of my ranting, I am going to stick around and offer help where I can but I may need some too....I always like a second opinion.......You can never know to much...
Do any of you guys have any experience with earth energy or geothermal....I am just getting more involved in it and the town that I live in uses the water from the flooded mines to heat industries and I am looking for any info on it I can find. I am part of a town committee trying to advance its' use here. Thanks for the help


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## f150dash (Feb 20, 2009)

Inspector D, where abouts in NH did you do work...I use to spend a couple weeks each March at SundayRiver and we spent alot of time in NH as well...


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## inspectorD (Feb 21, 2009)

I have a cousin who lives up in the Dartmouth area. There is plenty of college and hospital folks who live in the area. I do work where it interests me sometimes. I have spent plenty of time in NH myself, being a snowmobiler. I happen to like the pittsburg area the best. The top of the State just seems to never change, it's like going back in time up there.

As far as geothermal goes, you probably already know the basics of how to do it. Some are wells , and some are just lines buried in the yard 4-5 feet down in a loop or in rows. The best way to learn about it for your area is to talk to one of your HVAC companies already doing it in the area. There are load calculations for temp days that need to be done. Sometimes the cost is also not going to justify installing a system. These systems work well in the top southern areas of the US. Places like Delaware and Kentucky, Ohio. But the further North you go, the more auxillary heat you may end up using. It also depends on how insulated and leaky the home you are working on is. I have seen folks put in a system and not update the homes tightness. They ended up with larger electric bills and did not understand why. 
I like geothermal, but I think if folks did more upgrades to their homes, the money is better spent.And... You could heat it with a candle.
I know Glenn has a system, he should be along soon.


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