Condo Media - February 2010 - 46

MAINTENANCE by Fred Schernecker Siding Replacement Do It Right or Do It Over t a time when everyone is still feeling contractions from the recession, it’s only natural to look for ways to control costs. But when it comes to maintaining your association’s siding and trim, controlling costs by taking a “patch and pray” approach is an expensive mistake. Yes, the upfront cost savings of spot replacement is much more appealing than guiding an association through a full siding replacement project. But over time, those short-term savings will pale in comparison to the creeping long-term costs of getting caught in an endless spot replacement cycle. In the 22 years I’ve been helping associations make informed decisions about property maintenance, I’ve found that they fall into one of two camps: associations that do it right, and those who do it over. Here are some tips to make sure your association does your next siding replacement right the first time. Spot or Full Replacement? The common misperception about full replacement is that it only makes sense if you need to replace more than 50 percent of a building’s siding. But when you run the numbers, the actual tipping point for full replacement is much lower. In fact, the threshold is just 10 percent. If you’re replacing less than 10 percent of the total amount of siding, spot replacement may be justified. More than 10 percent, the long-term cost savings of full replacement exceed the shortterm savings of spot replacement. Why just 10 percent? There are three reasons: First, the higher cost of labor for spot replacement makes that option more expensive than full replacement on a per piece basis. Second, spot replacement only treats the symptoms of a failing siding system — rotting, cracked and warped clapboard or shingles. Spot replacement rarely does anything to correct the underlying causes — water penetration, poor flashing, inferior grade siding, moisture transfer, etc. In other words, spot replacement is just a temporary bandage, not a cure. And it’s only a matter of time before more siding will need to be replaced. Associations that start down this slippery slope keep throwing good money at a bad situation that only gets worse. Finally, as your associations’ original wood siding reaches the end of its natural lifecycle, full replacement becomes the only viable option. At this point, all existing siding will be stripped down to the sheathing and trashed — along with every dollar spent on temporary spot replacement work. Most trustees find it hard to believe that full replacement makes more economic sense than spot replacement even if you’re replacing just 10 percent of your siding. Until we show them a detailed lifecycle analysis and cost comparison for their property. The numbers don’t lie. Choosing spot replacement vs. full replacement isn’t a guessing game. Hire an engineer or an experienced contractor to perform a lifecycle analysis of long-term costs for each option greater than 15 and 30 years. See the numbers for yourself and make an educated decision. Choose the Right Siding and Trim Material Today’s most popular siding replacement materials are vinyl, cement fiber and cedar. All three look great, but a comparison of material, installation and maintenance costs show that vinyl siding and PVC trim deliver the greatest long-term value by far. Some trustees still flinch when they hear that vinyl siding is their best long-term, low-maintenance option. “Do It Right” Vinyl Installation Tips • No layovers! Remove existing siding down to the substrate and replace any rotted sheathing and framing. Vinyl siding is speciﬁed to be installed over ﬂat, even surfaces. Problems with the existing substrate that are not corrected before the vinyl is installed will be there after the vinyl is installed. • Make sure the substrate is properly flashed and sealed. Vinyl siding by itself is not waterproof. A water-tight ﬂashing system (housewrap, waterprooﬁng membrane and metal ﬂashing) is a crucial part of an effective siding system. • If possible, install replacement windows with the new siding. Installing new windows at the same time costs less for labor and allows crews to ﬂash the windows as an integral part of the siding system. CONDO MEDIA • FEBRUARY 2010

Condo Media - February 2010

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