Need advice on wood siding - gaps and rot

[Shivan]

Please see pictures at the same location:
Floor height: http://i.imgur.com/byMBy1x.jpg
Above: http://i.imgur.com/NZbEOPv.jpg

This is in central North Carolina. The house is 37 years old and I've owned it for 5. I'm not sure the age of the siding. I know very little about this stuff so feel free to explain like I'm stupid.

1. For the gaps in the siding, like where I have caulked previously, is that a big problem? It's under the roof overhang so it's somewhat sheltered from rain, but I assume it's still bad. Should I just keep caulking wherever I see gaps? Or should I try to add nails? What would I be nailing into?

2. See the spaces where the siding meets the deck? I believe there's a metal sheet under there to connect the deck to the house. That's fine, but it effectively creates little pockets that collect leaves and tree debris that retain moisture and now the siding is soft and crackly in that area. Is that an emergency or simply bad? I suppose it matters less if it's under the living area floor because my crawlspace used to not be enclosed. Could I repair any of this with a bunch of wood filler?

3. Do you know what kind of siding this is? Could I replace some myself? What would that involve? Buying pieces from Lowe's, sawing, and nailing it? Do I need to paint it? Do I need to paint the whole house every few years? With what?

Thank you.

[Spork]

It looks like cedar to me -- but I'm no expert.

What it looks like to me is that it was put up green/wet and it shrunk.  I'm also guessing that the boards weren't put close enough together.  It looks like lap siding where someone has used the tongue of the siding to create sort of a board and batten look.  If thats the case, the overlap is what is supposed to give you the weatherproofing.

I'd pull it off and re-side it.  If you could find the same profile boards you might could re-use much of the wood.  Just space it properly.

[Drifterrider]

From the pictures, I can't tell if it is individual boards or a 4 X 8 sheet.  Can you determine?

One type of coating used a lot on the coast is an oil based stain instead of paint.  Paint sits on the surface but the stain "seeps" in.  Stain seems to last a lot longer too.

Where in NC?

[Shivan]

It looks like individual boards but I could be wrong. Raleigh.

[CATman]

It looks like cedar to me -- but I'm no expert.

What it looks like to me is that it was put up green/wet and it shrunk.  I'm also guessing that the boards weren't put close enough together.  It looks like lap siding where someone has used the tongue of the siding to create sort of a board and batten look.  If thats the case, the overlap is what is supposed to give you the weatherproofing.

I'd pull it off and re-side it.  If you could find the same profile boards you might could re-use much of the wood.  Just space it properly.

I'd agree, looks like cedar that has shrunk due to not having enough drying time. If you caulk everything you're not going to allow the wood the ability to expand and contract as needed. Plus you will end up blocking off all the space for moisture to natually escape and end up with a much bigger rot issue than before. I would re-side that area as well.

[Shivan]

I know this is a DIY board, but I think I would make things much worse if I tried to pull off and redo stuff myself. I also don't understand the "letting moisture escape" thing. I thought I was supposed to cover holes so that rain can't get in to my walls?

[ncornilsen]

Shivan,

It is literally impossible to keep all moisture out of a wall. It soaks through the gaps, wicks up small cracks, runs in through any imperfection in the cladding, or, because fuck you, it soaks directly through the cladding.(depending on type.)

All wall systems should have a drainage plain of some kind to allow the moisture to get out. When I resided my house, for example, the moisture barrier wrap has some thick yarn sewn into it, that creates a small gap to allow water to drain out. In Oregon I believe it's a code requirement.

-Nick

[Goldielocks]

My home was built in 1971.

We resided it a few years ago, this is how the wall system was constructed for us.

Inside room
Painted drywall or cheap panelling nailed on studs
Vapour barrier (torn up tar paper for us-- replaced with spray foam insulation--
Insulation (bats)
Plywood sheathing
--house wrap vapour barrier like that Typar brand--
-- rain screen gap 1/2 inch to let water behind siding drain to ground--
 Occasional metal flashing around openings or transitions to deck to close it off
Siding. Nailed to sheathing. Siding overlaps to hide nails and has small gaps. Those gaps on the underside are not caulked to let water out. Vertical gaps can be caulked or not for appearance.

The --'s indicates what we changed.

Why does this matter?  It shows that you likely have house sheathing under there, protecting your insulation. Your challenge is therefore mostly cosmetic and insect hiding places. If the bottom is clear, water behind your siding will drain out.

You may be able to just nail the worst gaps closed to the sheathing, and then you have nails to look at, which may not bother you. Or you can hide them somehow.

What is behind your siding? Sheathing?

[Shivan]

I don't know what's behind my siding, but I do feel better knowing that houses generally have some sort of drainage or moisture barrier. Thanks.