Siding Woes

I am updating a lot of things in/on my home and one of them is siding. I've had a couple contractors come do estimates. First one was just going to lay the siding over the slate siding that is there now. I had a couple concerns with that, which the second contractor confirmed, stating that was a poor move, giving various reasons that made sense [pieces cracking/breaking and pushing on siding from behind, some spots have been exposed and are rotting and need the base replaced, etc] to me.

The contractor [licensed and insured] that said all these things assured me that my siding was not the one with asbestos and said it would be no issue removing it. But friends insist there is no way it isn't and the contractor is lying, which I don't understand why since he would be the one exposing himself and liable for stating it wasn't and removing it.

I am just confused what the right thing to do is here and I don't know what my solutions are if the siding is asbestos. I can not afford to go through the costly expense of removing it that's for sure.

Do I just leave well enough alone and trust the contractor [who has pointed out a lot of things the other one missed, and would have cost me more in the long run] or listen to friends, and then what?

You could have your own independent test done on the siding to confirm the absence of asbestos.

And welcome to the side. What kind of siding are you considering?

What are my alternatives IF it is asbestos, keeping in mind that I am on a extremely low income?

And thank you for the welcome! I believe he [contractor] suggested vinyl [double panel] siding.

In most cases I like to see the old siding come off as there is usually some things that should be looked at under there. But given the deal with A. I would find a local lab that could test it so you know for sure and then look for options. Vinyl siding isn't water proof and realy need a good house wrap behind it and pretty much anything you want to do will requir firring strips so you would still be somewhat disturbing the old siding anyway.

I read on another site that you can wrap the old siding and that helps a bit with breakage, but I'm concerned about what is under there with mold and rot. On one side of the house, the siding has been popped up for years [10 for sure, as that's how long I've been here] and the contractor said he wouldn't be allowed to let that go and it needs replaced.

Also, I would be concerned I am just covering up a bigger problem that is going to pop up it's ugly head down the road. The people who lived here before me did that with a ceiling and I found out first hand how much that sucks when things are hidden [ceiling completely collapsed because they just laid dry wall over the old to hide it was leaking].

It's just so frustrating...I've waited so long to do this and finally get down to just waiting for the bank to give the go ahead and now it feels it's all falling apart.

Thank you, I really do appreciate the replies...I am told there is a lab in the state above us, just not sure what I'm going to do if I find out that is what it is.

Thanks again, I just talked to contractor and there was a misunderstanding somewhere...he said he figured there was asbestos in it and it's not really that big of a deal to remove [ups the price a little, but all rules and regulations are being followed].

Welcome to the site.

You called it slate but I’m assuming it’s one of the manmade shingles that look like a slate. Do you have a way of posting a photo of the material. Some of the asbestos siding was ribbed on the outside to look like a painted wood shingle and it had a wave to the bottom edge. It was softer and like a pressed together material. The pieces were about 30” and covered about 10” to 12”. There were some tiles that were almost glass hard and had a glossy surface. Those could not be drilled but they would use a punch to add a nail hole. Many houses around here had new vinyl siding added over both of these. They wrapped the whole house first with the fanfold half inch foam. Most of the time the tiles won’t break when you drive a nail thru them and if they did crack the foam kept it in place.

The softer stuff I would worry a bit more about working with as it will crumble at the edges.

Post some photos maybe we can tell you what you have.

I only call it slate out of habit...I was going to sell and move, and the realtor got all funny when I tried to call it asbestos. Said I didn't know absolutely for sure, so I was to call it 'slate.' Yeah, realtors...

Here is a older picture just before I reshingled 2-3 years back. This is the side that has the siding popped up and the contractor said it's rotted. He said they will prepare to replace what's under there, but only what is needed to help with costs. He said he will be wrapping it with something that is water resistant, but will allow the house to breath? I can't recall what he called it....

It's called house wrap and has a bunch of names or brands.
I would be doing windows at the same time and if you do, you want to know how they are installed so you can make sure the installation is correct.

nealtw said:

It's called house wrap and has a bunch of names or brands.
I would be doing windows at the same time and if you do, you want to know how they are installed so you can make sure the installation is correct.

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Yes I am having the windows done too. I'm not sure how to do that process, and admit I'm putting a lot of trust in this contractor.

applebear said:

Yes I am having the windows done too. I'm not sure how to do that process, and admit I'm putting a lot of trust in this contractor.

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Ask to see some of his recent installations in person, not just photos.

Do not except window made to fit your frame. All the old window wants to be removed and the frame around it needs to be checked for rot.
This system is called rainscreening. It looks after the condensation that builds up between the window and framing and gives it way to get out.
The window sits on 1/4" spacers and the bottom flange is spaced out 1/8" with plastic spacers. When installed the top and side flanges are covered with peel and stick, the bottom is not.
On the inside there should be 1/4" gap between the window and frame, sides bottom and top. Close that gap with 1/4" foam cord just past the edge of the window and caulk that.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2VOrk1MuWY[/ame]

In its day those tiles were the wonder product of the day, and a testament to that is how well they held up all these years. Being 58 years old I grew up in the asbestos age many homes had this on them. My grandfather did his whole house with them and then made his own paint out of white lead and linseed oil. So we got a double dose of bad stuff. When my mom would cook on her countertops that had asbestos in them she used a pad of raw asbestos on the stove to block the flame when making things like fudge. So I escaped that house went to the city and went to work in an industry that had me handling and machining asbestos lumber for electrical devices. It’s not something you want to handle all the time but IMO it’s not as bad as all the hype about it.

You have a nice little place and you are doing the right thing becoming informed in selecting your contractor. At some point you have to pull the trigger and trust the guy you hire to do job. Most times I have found that when you are informed and they know you are being watchful even the ones that might try and cut a corner will think twice about it. The video Neal posted is the quality method of sealing in the new windows. Don’t be afraid to show that to the contractor and ask if he does it similar.

Thanks guys for the replies, I am really glad I found this site and only regret is I didn't find it sooner. From what I have read on asbestos, it's not as dramatic as it seems....everything I've found, seems to be more of a prolonged exposure that some contractors may run into if breaking the material into dust. I talked to the contractor a long time about this and my concerns, and I found him repeating a lot of the things being done that I read are topical of removal [has to wear respirator mask thing, wetting down, double bagging, etc etc]. He said it's really not THAT big of a deal anymore and a lot of houses with it are slowly disappearing.

I've been very depressed in this house for years, I was pushed into it [by a family member] after a harsh divorce and I've been battling with it ever since. I wasted a good 1-2k in flooring the people had no clue what they were doing, and it all has to be ripped out and redone. I don't doubt I'll still screw up, but I am trying to educate myself more this time and the contractor has been encouraging me to come forth with any questions/concerns. I like the idea to send video, it did sound like he'd be doing something like that and he did mention he would be assuring there was no mold or rot going on.

My only reservation [which was brought up] with the current contractor I am looking at is that I am not able to see his past jobs [most his work is a hour away], but he is more than willing to supply references. He's very confident, says a lot of the stuff I'm reading and guaratees his work for 5 years...he's even cutting off some labor [though still high] and doing some smaller petty jobs for free because I'm not as well off.

I had this secret hope the jobs NEEDED done weren't going to be so extreme, as I was teasing myself with ideas of a porch or something...but I think I'll have to consider myself lucky just to be able to get the basics done.

Thanks again all of you, I will be digging around some more and you may see some more questions if I find the right category. hehe

I hire so little done I would most likely be the worst one at looking over their shoulder.

I attack every problem as what will it take for me to do this. That is sometimes different than what I would hire someone to do. You have every right to expect perfect work that’s what you are paying for. If doing a job yourself then I can say can I live with doing this or that to weigh cost against outcome.

With a contractor you should get what you agree to ahead of time. The problem comes in when you are uninformed and don’t know what to ask for up front. I personally get things in writing and signed if a quote looks too vague ask for more detail or write your own with the detail you think you need. Only pay when the work is done.

Its true of everything I had a transmission cooler line leak in my truck last month. I got under and found it and needed a lift to work on it and needed it fixed before I would have time to do it. I took it to a local guy I had never used before and told him I wanted both lines replaced as if one was bad the other was just as old. When I went to get it he said the lines were fine except for a bad spot he cut out and replaced with hose. I could have done that myself the easy fix. He told me the price double what he guessed it to be and I told him we have two ways to go here. He could do it over what I wanted or I would pay the bill and tell everyone I meet in town how he does business. He opted for the second one I’m sure thinking I wouldn’t follow thru.

If he gave you out of town references and you have any worries call them up. It is easy to tell when someone is happy for real with someone’s work.

The last job I had done on my floors, I was very unhappy because the carpet started to pop up [I paid a good 4-500 in materials and labor] and wasn't really cut well in one room. When addressing my concern, I basically got "Yeah I'll come look next time I'm in town..." I expressed since I had house on market [at time], it needed to be dealt with sooner...been months and have yet to see him. Most of his work was decent [he did some walls and ceilings as well], but because of that...he's finding out I can hire someone else to do this next big job he would of loved to have.

This current contractor I am feeling real good with, though I admitted previously...I do have a issue being too trusting. He did however surprise me, he came back within a week with pages of the work to be done with details of materials and what exactly he was doing. He broke down prices of labor and materials, etc.. None of the others did that, just tossed me a price and explained nothing.

Though he's pricier, it is his attention to detail and knowledge he has shared so far that has impressed me. But because of bad past experiences [like your pipe guy], I do find myself worried regardless and will probably be doing one last sweep of references. Can I ask what are the best questions to ask references?

The questions are simple.

Did he do what you wanted? Did he do it when you wanted? Was his work done to your satisfaction?

Personalities are great but I will take the guy that does good work on time over the guy that I liked as a person. I don’t care what political party he or she is or what church he or she goes to or the color of his or her skin as long as he does a good job on time.

bud16415 said:

The questions are simple.

Did he do what you wanted? Did he do it when you wanted? Was his work done to your satisfaction?

Personalities are great but I will take the guy that does good work on time over the guy that I liked as a person. I don’t care what political party he or she is or what church he or she goes to or the color of his or her skin as long as he does a good job on time.

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Thanks, that helps.

Wasn't so much personality as he had it all written out in detail, explains in detail, answers questions, etc. Most of them have great personalities because they want you to take their bid.