Mountain Sage Hardie Plank Renovation

The client hired us to remove their existing vinyl siding and install new HardiePlank. Sounds simple, right? It turned out that this house had a few surprises in store.

Similar to another home we worked on in the same neighbourhood, this home had at one time had a second level added to the original structure. There was a partial layer of original stucco under the vinyl that covered about 70% of the walls. Most of the walls included a layer of 1.5” XPS insulation that had lost between 35% and 50% of its R value due to the natural aging process of the product. Worst of all, the whole assembly was installed with wood strapping that was nailed into exterior drywall sheathing and not into studs. There was no way we could install Hardie without making some significant changes to our plan of attack!

We quickly put together two options for the client to review. Option 1 was to shore up the assembly by adding new strapping boards properly fastened to the studs with structural screws. We offered this option free of charge to the client, as we knew they were on a relatively fixed budget. Option 2 was to remove the old foam, strapping, and stucco, seal everything, and install new insulation and strapping. Option 2 came with a 40% discount as well, as we worked to keep the unexpected costs low for our client. At this point, we shifted our focus to the garage while we waited for a decision.

Once the client made the call to proceed with option 2, we jumped right in. Off came the stucco, wood, and foam. We were able to get the walls to a “better than new” condition by installing Tyvek DrainWrap over the sheathing and peel & stick membranes to seal the openings. 1.5” EnerSpan GPS insulation adds R7.05 of thermal insulation value to the exterior walls (and that R7 won’t go down in cold weather, or over time - unlike the old XPS insulation that we removed). Finally, we installed Mountain Sage HardiePlank along with Arctic White HardieTrim boards to finish everything off.

When selecting a contractor for your exterior renovation, experience matters. And not just “siding experience”. Our extensive portfolio of completed siding renovation projects prepared us for everything that this home could throw at us. We were able to quickly assess the issues, and prepare accurate, practical, and cost effective solutions for the client, while explaining everything patiently and clearly. At the end of the job, the home is better than new - and ready to stand tall for the coming decades.

Interested in your own siding renovation? Contact us today!