Seems like you have your mind made up. I would agree with SQLit, Edwin and
Ricod - Take off both old siding systems.

you probably could have saved $$$ on your replacement window project if you
had done this. Additionally, you could have used new construction windows
versus replacements or inserts. These could have then been properly flashed
from the outside. You will not need to worry about wind, even after
stripping old stucco and wood siding, if you sheath, insulate and use tyvec.

Given the extent of your renovation though, it may also have been cheaper to
tear down and start over! Seems it much too late for that though.

Anyway - two biggest reasons, for me, to strip, in your situation, would
be - one, aesthetic, your windows will look weird having been built out
multiple times. two, better window flashing and insulation integrity.


wrote in message
ups.com...
I appreciate the advice. Some things we have already considered,
others we had not. The bees will be an issue in our area, most likely
in our house also . Its wasp season right now and the little
critters are everywhere!. So good to know.

We are actually doing a very large renovation. We have stripped all
interior walls down to the studs. We wanted to reinsulate and
soundbarrier all the walls, so gutting the house was a must. We have
replaced the windows (just had the upper level done today actually),
and the exterior layers of the house are all fine. No rot, no
termites, nothing like that. We ripped out the carpets (even though
they were fairly new) and are going to put down hardwood flooring. My
husband is an electrician so all the electrical is being rewired, and
to code, done right. We are having a foundation specialist in to
double check any hairline cracks in the foundation, and repair any as
necessary. The mudroom at the back is being torn down and rebuilt as
we want a larger room, and it needs new almost everything, so easier
just to rebuild it than try and fix everything. We just finished
totally gutting and re-doing the main bath (I love clawfoot tubs!). I
don't like seeing people doing half hearted renovations because they go
cheap on everything - they end up paying in the end. This is an old
house and I love the architecture and charm it has.

For the area we live in, it has been highly recommended to keep the
stucco on. We live on the prairies where the winds are high, cold and
extremely bitter in the winter. The stucco is one of the best
materials to keep the wind out of the house.

If the stucco was the original stucco on that 75 yr old house you
worked on Ricod, then its not the same stucco that on the house we
have. The stucco we have is not the original exterior, it is over top
the original wood siding. I know about the stucco you had to deal
with, and have heard a lot of problems with the old stuff. Thank
goodness it's not what we have, or I would insist it be torn down.

Thanks everyone and hope the tips keep coming.

Katherine