Hello guys, this is how the corners of my parents' house looks. The left, right, and back of the house is old aluminum siding. The front of the house is vinyl. Where the left and right front corners of the home meet (vinyl to aluminum) there are large gaps that have been open for a while. I want to fix it for them, but not sure how to go about it. The ends of both the vinyl and aluminum siding EACH have an aluminum strip covering them, but even when it was intact, it still would not have been a complete seal because they are end pieces but not actual corner pieces. If both the aluminum and vinyl was open, I could do corner vinyl pieces, but I dont think they would fit with aluminum ends that are on there now. If someone has a good idea for the corners I'd like to hear it? If we had enough money at the moment, the entire house could probably use new siding and new sheathing at those corners... but that's not feasible at this time. I suppose we may be able to afford to do just the front of the house if we had too, but for now just looking for some ideas. Thank you, Chris
Corner house siding gap, How to...
- Thread starter FishinDVM
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Dj2
In the Trades
Your corners are deficient.
Trouble is they go on first, before the siding, so now you cant fit new L shape corners to get a good seal.
Whoever installed this didn't follow the steps 1-2-3-4-5, but instead did something like 3-1-2-4-5.
You need to remove the sidings and re-do it correctly.
Can you save the sidings? depends on how careful you are and their condition. You will also need new house wrap.
Good luck.
Trouble is they go on first, before the siding, so now you cant fit new L shape corners to get a good seal.
Whoever installed this didn't follow the steps 1-2-3-4-5, but instead did something like 3-1-2-4-5.
You need to remove the sidings and re-do it correctly.
Can you save the sidings? depends on how careful you are and their condition. You will also need new house wrap.
Good luck.
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introzz2010wt
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I think you're right on that one. And after all, it will even make huge problems for cleaning it. I mean, that when we've had almost the same situations, and some vinyl sidings had some curvatures we thought it would ok, but finally when I've started cleaning it by special brushes, which have got from here ( url: https://www.homelization.com/best-brush-for-cleaning-vinyl-siding/ ), it's become clear for me that I needed to place those vinyls more accurate.
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If you end up re-siding it's an opporunity moment for tightening up the house and bringing the energy performance up to current code. If it's a 2x4/R11-R13 type of wall, blowing cellulose into the cavities (compressing the batts) the drilling from the exterior gets you part way there. Blown fiber will stuff/plug a lot of the air leakage points, and the higher density increases the air-retardency to reduce air flow rates even if the wall leaks a bit of air. Using a fully adhered weather resistant barrier (eg Henry Blueskin, Vycor enV-S, etc) rather than a stapled-on housewrap will tighten it up even further. The adhered housewrap is more important if the wall is sheathed with ship-lap or other planking. If it's sheathed with plywood that's still in good shape, sealing the seams with purpose-made tapes is almost as good.
To further bring the R-value up to current IRC or NY code (=R20/2x6, or R13 2x4 + R5 continuous insulation) with the thinnest possible increase in profile would be to add a layer of 3/4 " rigid foil-faced polyisocyanurate foam board, taping the seams with the appropriate aluminium tapes. An aluminum facer adjacent to the air gap behind vinyl or aluminum siding adds another R1 of net performance (even though that R1 doesn't count toward code prescriptives). A layer of 3/4" foam board is usually d0-able without major reworking of the window installation, but pay attention to how the window flashing is lapped with the house wrap, or if it can be extended to the exterior side of the foam board. If the flashing can't be lapped to the exterior of the housewrap it may be better to use tapes for air sealing the structural sheathing (only if plywood or OSB, not plank), and use a crinkle-type drainable housewrap (eg Tyvek Drain wrap), or even a mesh type drainable underlayment so that any bulk water directed to the housewrap can drain. Foam-board tight to a flat housewrap on plywood isn't going to cut it if the window flashing directs water between the housewrap & foam board (especially in coastal areas subject to wind-driven rain). But it's fine if the flashing directs bulk water between the foam board and vinyl or aluminum siding, where it drains & dries very easily.
To further bring the R-value up to current IRC or NY code (=R20/2x6, or R13 2x4 + R5 continuous insulation) with the thinnest possible increase in profile would be to add a layer of 3/4 " rigid foil-faced polyisocyanurate foam board, taping the seams with the appropriate aluminium tapes. An aluminum facer adjacent to the air gap behind vinyl or aluminum siding adds another R1 of net performance (even though that R1 doesn't count toward code prescriptives). A layer of 3/4" foam board is usually d0-able without major reworking of the window installation, but pay attention to how the window flashing is lapped with the house wrap, or if it can be extended to the exterior side of the foam board. If the flashing can't be lapped to the exterior of the housewrap it may be better to use tapes for air sealing the structural sheathing (only if plywood or OSB, not plank), and use a crinkle-type drainable housewrap (eg Tyvek Drain wrap), or even a mesh type drainable underlayment so that any bulk water directed to the housewrap can drain. Foam-board tight to a flat housewrap on plywood isn't going to cut it if the window flashing directs water between the housewrap & foam board (especially in coastal areas subject to wind-driven rain). But it's fine if the flashing directs bulk water between the foam board and vinyl or aluminum siding, where it drains & dries very easily.
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