Progress Report:: Trim and Siding

Nothing is ever quite as simple as we anticipate. The trim and siding project was no exception.*

Foggy dawn.

Installing the siding isn't just nailing boards up to the side of the house. You have to calculate just the right amount to order so you don't run out and also so you don't have too much leftover. You have to figure out where you want all of your outdoor outlets, light fixtures, and future deck add-ons. Most challenging was determining what vents we would need and their locations for the bedrooms, bathrooms, wood stoves, range hood, dryer, and the propane heater. Before any siding goes up you have to put the vapor barrier on first; We used Blue Skin and one of Warren's childhood friends helped stick it on.

Pre-siding...

Warren got it all figured out though. He installed all the necessary holes, the trim, and started on the siding before an opportunity presented itself to hire the last step out to a couple of really nice and efficient siders for a really good deal. It took these two guys only four or five days to put up all of the siding. That saved Warren a month or more of busting butt every day after work and consuming several weekends. Worth it!

Post siding!

We used Hardie Plank siding in evening blue with arctic white trim. I love love love the color! The metal roofing we chose was slate gray, and it ended up more blue than I expected, but all in all I am very happy with the outcome! It looks fantastic in the sunshine, it looks gorgeous on a gray day. It looks natural among our forest landscape.

Can't you envision a grand deck outside that door!

All that is left on the outside is to put up the gutters and install the railings. We have hired a local artist to do the rails and are considering contracting the gutters out as well because Warren is rearing to go on indoor projects. We've got to pick and choose our battles, and gutters just don't sound like all that much fun.

*A recurring theme of our project.