at least two of which where while I focussed on other things like my upcoming divorce )
So this year, after the shock I got when examining the clapboards on the rear of the house a month or two ago, I decided I needed to take this on this year. The back of the house does not see any direct sun, it backs against a steep hillside that is wooded and does not have a great deal of topsoil. As such it is prone to dampness both in terms of not getting much natural drying and also from water that makes it's way down the hill and keeps the ground moist for much of the year. There will be attempts to better drain it in the future, thou due to the very thin topsoil a drain may not be possible.
Due to the location and moisture exposure the rear claps were in no where near the wonderfully preserved state of those on the front and sides. Multiple poor repairs had happened over the years, windows and doorways had been patched without interleaving the new boards with the old and the majority of old claps had the 1/16" - 1/8" of lead paint that the front and sides have. So after consideration of location, amount of repairs, the environment, and the time consuming nature of stripping the old clapboards, I have made the tough decision to remove all the boards and replace with new.
I hate to remove old (and particularly original) wood, but as this is the back of the house and that original wood is spread between lots of bad repairs I don't feel quite so bad this time. Removing all the clapboard gives some opportunity that I would not otherwise have:
- I can wrap the sheathing with Tyvek
- I can tighten the rear of the house by refastening the sheathing
- I can swap to a new engineered product that will better withstand / repel the damp environment (this stuff is not available in the 5" width of the original claps. Swapping to 6" boards on the back will not matter aesthetically if I do the whole back of the house. I have chosen Boral http://www.boralamerica.com/TruExterior on recommendation from my lumber yard. It is more expensive than Fir, but less than Cedar
- I can find the locations of previous doors and windows, as I may choose to restore some more of them as I rework the interior of the house
So Monday, the pry bars and hammers came out! Wish me luck, I have never sided a complete wall before!