The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Do it Yourself Discussion! => Topic started by: JessicaRed on February 22, 2015, 05:47:38 PM
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I'm looking at buying my first house. Hoping to sell it again fairly soon.
There is a lot of work to be done, and I am trying to be realistic about my budget. One of the biggest possible expenses is the external vinyl siding. I'm not sure how old it is, but it is AWFUL. Etched beyond the powers of cleaning, two-tone (dirty white and dirty lemon yellow, I'll try to attach pictures), and a little wonky looking at the join between the two colours.
I'm going to be replacing all the windows in the house, and hopefully adding a new one, which will fuck up the siding even more.
I'm having a hard time figuring out a number for changing the vinyl siding to NEW vinyl siding. I'm pretty damn certain that hiring it out in its entirety is completely out of my budget range. I'm hoping to spend no more than $5000, all in, figuring in siding, house wrap, fascia etc. I don't know what's under the siding yet. The house originally would have been wood sheathing. It was built in 1950, and it's a wartime house, so it's really just a box. There is no overhang whatsoever, and no inside corners.
I'm 27, female, not massively experienced in DIY but expect i'll be a bit better by the time I did this project, and will likely be able to co-opt the charity of one carpenter, my cousin, at least for a bit of it.
So - has anyone DIYed this? Is it within the realm of possibility, particularly factoring in my desire to spend no more than $5000 and hopefully less?
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There are some pretty detailed videos on you tube showing how to install vinyl siding. You can probably do it if you assemble the proper equipment and have a helper. That being said, the material is probably half the cost of the siding job and if you have to buy or rent all the equipment you may not save much. Price the materials and equipment before making a decision.
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Ok, replacing vinyl siding CAN BE a DIY thing for certain people. However, it's the first thing EVERYBODY will see when they go by your house. Make even the slightest mistake anywhere, (not straight, wavy or drooping panels, etc) and it's seriously noticeable, and can really hurt any resale value tremendously. People will figure the entire house has been cobbled by a handyman, if the siding was botched.
Ways to cut down the cost: Maybe you have a co-worker who has done this on a few houses, and needs some extra money. You can work alongside him, and get it done at a lower cost then hiring a company. If you go this way, do NOT pay him before it's done! I can't stress that enough. NO MONEY until the job is complete. YOU pay for, and have the materials delivered to the house. Do NOT have them left laying outside without being secured. They'll come up missing pretty quickly due to thieves that watch job sites.
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Yes it is DIYable.. in fact EVERYthing on a house can be DIY'd.
One question to think on is "Why vinyl siding?" Its considered to be a bit low end. One option would be to take the opportunity to upgrade to Hardiplank or similar.. Definately more expensive but is an upgrade and while your doing it anyway, why not use better materials.. Of course you have to paint it to so its more work.
Like others have said, make sure you get it absolutely level and the joints match on the corners!!! Nothing says crap workmanship louder than when the joints don't match.
To do this I used a self levelling laser level (you should be able to rent then one). This way you can project a perfectly level beam at two sides of the house simultaneously.. and use that as you starting line.. Thus your joints will match on the corners and it it will look perfect!
Frank
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Because it's so visible, it's not something I would personally DIY. But it would be pretty badass if you pulled it off.
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I wouldn't consider DIYing without a helper who you TRUST and has done it a few times. Granted I haven't sided myself (my house is aluminum siding and not worth much, so I will probably repaint instead of replacing) but I imagine it's hard enough to do solo even if you are experienced.
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- Pick an architectural style ("cottage style", "Craftsman", etc.) and design the trim profiles to match it. Read Get Your House Right (http://www.amazon.com/Get-Your-House-Right-Architectural/dp/1402791038), among other things, to figure out what to do. (Get it from the library, not Amazon, of course.)
- Replace with concrete board (e.g. Hardiplank), not vinyl
- Keep the two-tone look for the gable, but make the trim dividing the two colors much wider (maybe 12"?). For the upper portion, consider using Hardishingle instead of -plank. The trim should be a different color than either the lower or upper portions of siding. (Using the same siding all the way up and removing the middle trim might work too, depending on architectural style, but IMO your house needs all the additional detail it can get.)
- When you replace the windows, increase the width of the trim. Ideally, increase the size of the windows while you're at it by doubling them up.
- When you replace the roof, add overhanging eaves. Don't do it until the roof needs to be replaced, but plan for it now so it'll work right architecturally.
- By the way, beware that the house might not have originally been wood siding. It might have been asbestos siding, and the asbestos might still be on it, under the vinyl.
Incidentally, my house is of a similar vintage and has similar issues. The only difference is mine already has hardiplank (which I want to remove and re-attach, in order to accomplish the other stuff I put in the bullet points above). I look forward to seeing how it works out for you, so maybe it'll give me the confidence to do it myself.
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I have stripped and installed vinyl siding on 2 houses, one of which was a giant 2-story, 100+ year old house. The actual work is VERY simple and straightforward. Like every project the most important thing is to educate yourself before starting, and spend twice as much time on preparation as you think you should. Once you have the bottom strip in place everything goes VERY quickly.
Another poster mentioned special tools, but I used simple hand snips, hacksaws and a hammer. I did not, however, do the facia and soffit wraps. I hired a contractor to do the aluminum cladding around my windows and doors.
If you are detail oriented, patient and want to save a TON of money on the siding project, I say go for it.
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First siding job I ever did was my whole house..
Not difficult at all.
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I never done this however I would suggest that you make sure the first piece of siding you attach is absolutely level because every other piece is based upon the first one.