Residing a house and window/door trim

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Apr 22, 2018
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MA
My house was built in 1987 and has wood siding and wood trim. There are several areas of rot in the trim around windows and doors and several areas of rot in the wood siding. Additionally, we don't like the color of the house and we'd like a maintenance-free option. We've had several contractors out to get quotes for vinyl siding and I have some questions about the quotes. I'm hoping some of you are more knowledgeable about these issues.

All the quotes include either "Restoration Classic" or "Monogram" Certainteed siding along with 4" "Supercorner Trim", new vented soffits, and some recommend Vytek house wrap and one recommends 3/8" fan fold insulation. I've emailed back and forth with a few contractors and wanted to get BITOGs thoughts. My house is no mansion but it has a market value of around $700K and so I really want to get this project right. I'm really cautious about the "cheap vinyl siding look".

1. A few want to wrap the window trim, door trim, and rakes in aluminum - does this have a cheap appearance? Would all the window trim, door trim, and rakes in painted PVC have a more premium look?

2. Four contractors recommended Vytek and one recommended 3/8" fan fold insulation claiming it was just as good of vapor barrier and it "gives panel cushion". I'm always cautious of the outlier and want to know if anyone has any thoughts on this?

Thanks for any comments or help!
 
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I would think this out carefully especially with the current supply issues and price jumps.

One thing that jumped out at me was your mention of rot. Those portions should be replaced before being covered. If termites are a problem then a treatment might be prudent.

Price a replace/repair and a new coat of paint for the existing siding and compare to the vinyl installation.
 
One thing that jumped out at me was your mention of rot. Those portions should be replaced before being covered. If termites are a problem then a treatment might be prudent.

This.

Just covering rot will cause more rot. Wood rots due to a fungus that attacks damp wood. In later stages of decay wood rot can appear dry.
 
Sorry, I wasn't clear but no one was suggesting covering the rot - everyone recommends replacing any rotten wood trim but then covering it in aluminum. To me, this never looks as good as wood/PVC trim around windows and doors and the more I read about capping the more it looks like it's just covering up the problem and it often leads to further rot of the wood underneath. I really think painted PVC or even wood window and door trim is the way to go.

My problem with keeping the wood siding is it needs to be painted every 5-7 years, I'm constantly finding nails that have backed out over time, and I'm looking for a low-maintenance option.
 
What are the other houses sided with? Premium vinyl siding still looks all about the same. Went with a premium for the siding has molded foam insulation and tyvec wrapped. Wanting more insulation. Cement siding Hardy board looks nicer but done know the price difference its been 20 years since i priced siding. Either way its the installation crew that makes a difference.
 
Vinyl siding can look good if you buy the higher end stuff. My in-laws have at their MA beach home as shakes and I have seen on certain homes. I have the cheap looking stuff on my home and its decent. It does not apparently effect value of my normal home and I live adjacent to high end homes and real mansions.
 
Hardie board ends up being 2x the cost and this is already a $30k job so not thanks. One installer recommended going to the supply house to look at samples and ask them to see options for windows and doors. He said PVC around doors and windows will add some cost but nothing crazy and we'll probably go with the higher-end vinyl as it's only a $2K difference (Certainteed Monogram) and PVS trim but want to see what the supply house says/shows us.
 
I have vinyl siding installed on our house about 20 years ago, could not be happier. We used high end siding and had vinyl windows installed at the same time, it looks like 7” beaded lap siding. Use a company that been in business a long time with a lifetime warranty.
 
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