how to repair old wood siding

How to Repair Wood Siding.

• Evaluate the Boards. Decide which boards need replacing and where to make your cuts. Stagger butt joints if you’re replacing multiple courses. Use a ...
• Cut the Nails.
• Make the First Cut With a Circular Saw.
• Finish the Cut With a Sharp Utility Knife.
• Pry Off the Rotted Boards.

Full Answer

How do you remove and replace wood siding?

• Take Cedar Boards Off of the Home.
• Remove Damaged Window and Door Trim.
• Take Rotted Insulation out of Walls.
• Cut Away Rotted Drywall Inside the Home.
• Replace Wood Frame and Beams.
• Replace Insulation.
• Install New Drywall.

What is the average cost of replacing siding?

There are a few important cost considerations to keep in mind before diving into your siding project. The cost to remove old siding on your home can range anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000, but installing new siding can range from $6,000 to $23,000 depending on the material you choose and who you hire.

What to know when replacing siding?

Signs You Need New Siding

• Discoloration
• Cracking
• Peeling
• Wood Rotting
• Blistering
• Chipping
• Animal Infestation

How to restain wood siding on a home?

Step 2: Refinishing Tips and Tricks

• Scrap off large and loose paint chips with a hand scraper
• Use the hammer and nail punch to set all of the nails below the surface of the wood. ...
• Connect the paint shaver pro to the vac and turn both tools on. ...
• Attach the sander to the vac, turn both on and sand the wood to the desired smoothness. ...

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How do you repair damaged wood siding?

To patch a hole in wood siding, scrape away any loose paint around the area and dig out the rot inside the hole before you begin. Then sand the area to smooth away any splinters, and mix and apply the wood filler with gloved fingers or a putty knife. Once the filler hardens, you can sand it down so it's smooth.

How do you fix deteriorating siding?

0:503:26How To Patch and Repair Siding - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt's quick and it's easy all it is is taking a piece of vinyl siding trimming off a couple of partsMoreIt's quick and it's easy all it is is taking a piece of vinyl siding trimming off a couple of parts on it. So that it slides up under a joint and then pop rivets on the bottom.

Can you use wood filler on wood siding?

1:023:30Applying Wood Putty to Wood Siding - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo you want to use the wood filler. It's stuff here and a putty knife. You want to use this to fillMoreSo you want to use the wood filler. It's stuff here and a putty knife. You want to use this to fill in all of these imperfections. So that you have a nice smooth.

How much does it cost to replace wood siding on a house?

Average cost: $9,000 - $18,750 Natural wood siding installations cost $6 to $12 per square foot on average. The national average to install wood siding on a 1,500 square foot home would fall just above $13,500 at about $9 per square foot.

How do you know when siding needs to be replaced?

7 Signs That it's Time to Replace Your Home SidingCracked, Warped or rotting siding. ... Blisters or bubbles on your siding. ... Fungus, mold or mildew on your siding. ... Severly faded siding. ... Siding in need of frequent painting. ... Higher energy bills. ... Paint peeling inside your home.

What is the best wood filler for exterior use?

10 Best Exterior Wood FillersKwikWood Wood Repair Epoxy Putty Stick (Best for Small Fixes) ... PC Products PC-Woody Wood Repair Epoxy Paste. ... DAP Plastic Wood Filler. ... FamoWood Latex Wood Filler. ... Donald Durhams Rockhard Water Putty. ... Minwax Stainable Wood Filler. ... Crawford's Natural Blend Painters Putty. ... Elmer's Probond Wood Filler.More items...•

How do you fill gaps in wood siding?

Epoxies work well for rotted wood or wood with larger holes, but not for cracked or split wood siding. As the wood siding contracts and expands from moisture give-and-take, the hardened filler will pop out. Flexible caulk is the best product to use on cracked or split siding, but not just any caulk will work.

What can I use to patch exterior wood?

Epoxy is the perfect material to make permanent repairs of rotting window sills, door jambs and exterior molding that are difficult to remove and expensive to replace. Epoxy is easy to handle too. You mix it like cookie dough, mold it like modeling clay and, when it hardens, you carve and sand it just like wood.

How do you fix vinyl siding without replacing it?

2:256:20How to Replace Damaged Vinyl Siding | Ask This Old HouseYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipActually cuts away the nailing strip on the top about two inches and they also remove a section ofMoreActually cuts away the nailing strip on the top about two inches and they also remove a section of the snap-in. Piece on the bottom.

How much does it cost to replace one piece of siding?

The average national cost to repair siding sits at about $500. This number will vary among siding types. Repairs on low-cost materials, like vinyl, may only cost $50. Meanwhile, more costly siding repair, like stone siding repair, can cost up to $5,000.

How do you redo siding on a house?

1:393:32How to Replace Damaged Siding | This Old House - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBelow but it's also important that this nail doesn't go through this piece of siding right here.MoreBelow but it's also important that this nail doesn't go through this piece of siding right here. Because as the wood expands. And contracts. You want this piece to slide on this rabbet right here. Now

Why is my vinyl siding peeling?

Weather is the primary culprit when it comes to damaged and peeling siding. Years of sunlight, rain, temperature fluctuations, and hail can all cause your siding to dent or peel. Depending on where you live, certain types of siding perform better in different climates.

What is the best way to repair wood siding?

The most important step of any wood siding repair is the final process of weatherproofing the repair area with paint (or another type of sealant) and caulk. This essential for protecting not just the wood siding but also the building materials and structural elements behind the siding.

How to repair a broken board?

With your utility knife, slice away the paint and caulking that connects the damaged board to its neighbors. Push the knife all the way through to ensure that the connection is fully broken. You may need to make multiple cuts. Change blades frequently. Extend the cuts a few inches past your vertical pencil marks.

How long does wood clapboard last?

Like any organic building product, wood is subject to decomposition. As long as the exterior paint is stable, wood clapboard siding can last for decades. But even a hairline crack in the paint can introduce water, and water leads to rot and mold. Though wood siding is very strong, a sufficient physical impact can split and crack it.

What is the best tool for plunge cutting?

An electric multi-tool is the best tool for making this type of plunge cut. Since multi-tools are so versatile in home improvement work, it may be worth it to you to purchase one. Fit the wood blade onto the multi-tool. With your safety glasses and dust mask on, turn on the multi-tool and cut on the vertical lines.

Can you excise siding board?

But this is usually unnecessary since it is possible to excise just the damaged portion of a siding board while leaving the other portions of that same board intact.

Can nails pierce board?

Nails pierce both of top and bottom adjacent boards, plus the damaged board itself. These connections make your job trickier because you need to remove the damaged board without disturbing surrounding boards. After the damaged board has been removed, you will cut a new board to size and slip it into place.

Can clapboard be painted?

Your damaged wood clapboard siding board will be firmly rooted in place. All wood clapboard siding is coated in paint, often multiple layers that have been applied over decades. Compounding that, caulking may have been injected into seams at any of the four edges.

What happens if you have a cracked strip of siding?

Whether it's cracked, rotted, or the victim of a woodpecker's bill, a damaged strip of wood siding is an open invitation for water to leak in and wreak havoc on a house. So when a piece needs fixing, it's a task that merits a big red flag on the "To do" list.

Why is Tom siding graded vertical?

Grade: Tom pays extra for clear (knot-free), vertical-grain (quartersawn) siding because it's easier to paint and is more stable than cheaper, flat-sawn boards. It's also easier to maintain because paint sticks to it longer, and the end joints remain sealed.

How to prevent a nail from popping out of a stainless steel stud?

For the best guarantee against pop-out, use 7d or 8d (2¼ or 2½ inches long) nails and drive them into the studs.

How thick is 5D sheathing?

You can get away with hammering 5d (1¾-inch) nails just into the sheathing as long as it's ⅝-inch (or thicker) and made of plywood, OSB, or solid wood. To find out how thick your sheathing is, remove a piece of siding and poke a drill bit into a vertical seam between two sheathing pieces.

How to break loose a butt?

To break loose the lower half of the damaged piece, start at one end and gently tap a small pry bar underneath the butt edge, next to a nail. Pull the bar toward you, don't push it, so you don't mar or crack the neighboring clapboards. Step 4.

Is clapboard smooth or rough?

If you're not sure what size you need, ask the store to translate your measurements. Texture: A rustic, rough-faced clapboard will look out of place in a field of smooth siding, or vice versa. Fortunately, most boards are smooth on one side and rough on the other.

Why is Tom siding graded vertical?

Grade: Tom pays extra for clear (knot-free), vertical-grain (quartersawn) siding because it's easier to paint and is more stable than cheaper, flat-sawn boards. It's also easier to maintain because paint sticks to it longer, and the end joints remain sealed.

How to tell how thick a sheathing is?

To find out how thick your sheathing is, remove a piece of siding and poke a drill bit into a vertical seam between two sheathing pieces. Because these seams always land at a stud, measuring how far the bit goes in will tell you the sheathing's thickness.

How to break loose a butt?

To break loose the lower half of the damaged piece, start at one end and gently tap a small pry bar underneath the butt edge, next to a nail. Pull the bar toward you, don’t push it, so you don’t mar or crack the neighboring clapboards.

What is the first step in wood restoration?

The first step is to prime the new wood you’ll be using for the repair on the front, back and end grain. This process, called “back priming,” will seal all sides of the wood to prevent moisture from causing the wood to deteriorate prematurely.

Do you need to cut nails in a row for lap siding?

Because the nails in wood lap siding sometimes go through two rows at once you may need cut the nails in a row above the one you’re working on. When you’re ready to install the new material, creating a gauge block will help ensure that the reveal of each board is identical.

Introduction

Use a polyester filler to rebuild rotted or damaged wood. You can mold and shape it to match the original wood profile. It takes paint well and won't rot.

Smooth out the repair

Also, unlike WoodEpox, polyester tends to sag when you're doing vertical repairs. One trick is to build a form and line it with plastic sheeting. Press the form against the filler and attach it with screws. Then pull it off after the filler hardens.

How To Prepare For New Siding

Get all the materials needed to replace your old damaged wood siding and ensure all the width, thickness, and profile of the board matches perfectly. Next, prime all four sides of the new siding before installing it; this protects it from any moisture penetration.

Remove and Replace Wood Siding

There are several steps to removing old wood siding. These steps include:

Contact Mountain States Windows & Siding for Help

If you need help with repairing your siding from a professional, give us a call. Our roof experts know their stuff and can do the job efficiently and professionally, so you don’t worry whether it’s done right. Contact us today for more information.