Doh. A correction on this is that it looks like I actually have 3/4 x
8 rather than 1/2 x 8 boards. All the same questions still apply,
though.

thanks,

doug


(Doug) wrote in message om...
I recently bought a house which is sided with 1/2 x 8 beveled cedar
siding. The price was right and theres a ton I like about the house,
but the siding has issues I would like to address:

1. The color is dark brown which I don't like.
2. I don't like the large exposure size of the 1/2 x 8 siding. In
fact, I've discovered that that the overlap they used is about 2 inchs
rather than the recommented 1inch, so the exposure would be even
bigger if I were to do it right with that size.
3. The surfaces are rough due to all the poor paint scraping over the
years.
4. There are areas that appear very weathered and could use replacing.
5. A fullsize dormer was added some time ago and they sided it with
shaker-style shingles.

It would be a bit costly just to rip down all the siding and replace
it with new 1/2 x 6 siding, but if I were to do that, I could attack
all my problems at once.

I was wondering a few things some folks might be able to answer:

1. I noticed in the New England Area where I live, most folks have the
smaller size boards. In fact, its very hard to find the larger 8"
size at lumberyards, although I managed to find one. Is there are
reason why 6" is more popular? Any advantages or disadvantages to
each other than visual appeal?

2. What could I do with the old 1/2x8" siding I remove? Are there
places that buy old lumber?

3. A crazy idea popped into my head in that I might be able to recycle
my own 8" boards and turn them into 6" boards using either a planer or
a jointer. I'm not sure the time and cost to do this would in the end
be worth it, nor am I hugely familar with either tools or the
magnitude of the project I'm proposing, but I'm assuming it would be
more work than just ripping the top two inches of board? I thought if
there was a way to "plane" the beveled side of the board, it would
help me to remove all the layers of paint over the years. Is this a
crazy idea? Of course I would have to buy the tools to do this, so
both time and money are factors, but I suppose it would be possible to
try to resell the tool on ebay when I'm finished with it.

thanks in advance.

Doug

"Doug" wrote in message
m...
I recently bought a house which is sided with 1/2 x 8 beveled cedar
siding. The price was right and theres a ton I like about the house,
but the siding has issues I would like to address:

1. The color is dark brown which I don't like.
2. I don't like the large exposure size of the 1/2 x 8 siding. In
fact, I've discovered that that the overlap they used is about 2 inchs
rather than the recommented 1inch, so the exposure would be even
bigger if I were to do it right with that size.
3. The surfaces are rough due to all the poor paint scraping over the
years.
4. There are areas that appear very weathered and could use replacing.
5. A fullsize dormer was added some time ago and they sided it with
shaker-style shingles.

It would be a bit costly just to rip down all the siding and replace
it with new 1/2 x 6 siding, but if I were to do that, I could attack
all my problems at once.

I was wondering a few things some folks might be able to answer:

1. I noticed in the New England Area where I live, most folks have the
smaller size boards. In fact, its very hard to find the larger 8"
size at lumberyards, although I managed to find one. Is there are
reason why 6" is more popular? Any advantages or disadvantages to
each other than visual appeal?

4" is traditional on the clapboarded capes that defined older New England
homes.



2. What could I do with the old 1/2x8" siding I remove? Are there
places that buy old lumber?
Burn it.


3. A crazy idea popped into my head in that I might be able to recycle
my own 8" boards and turn them into 6" boards using either a planer or
a jointer. I'm not sure the time and cost to do this would in the end
be worth it, nor am I hugely familar with either tools or the
magnitude of the project I'm proposing, but I'm assuming it would be
more work than just ripping the top two inches of board? I thought if
there was a way to "plane" the beveled side of the board, it would
help me to remove all the layers of paint over the years. Is this a
crazy idea? Of course I would have to buy the tools to do this, so
both time and money are factors, but I suppose it would be possible to
try to resell the tool on ebay when I'm finished with it.


If you're lucky, time and moisture have loosened the nails. If you're
really fortunate, the installer nailed into sheathing and not studs. Worst
case, it will come off in damaged, broken pieces.

If it came off easy and you denailed it well, you might have some luck
resurfacing the clean backside on a thickness planed. You'd want to build a
jig to present the surface parallel to the knives. It's going to be a
significant time investment (20 square of siding @ 4" coverage = 6000 lf.
One planer pass, one ripping pass). A fast "suitcase" planer and a sixpack
of replacable knives = $600.00 or so.

I think you'll need a six pack of something beside knives after doing
this task.

Phil

Eric Ryder wrote:
"Doug" wrote in message
m...

I recently bought a house which is sided with 1/2 x 8 beveled cedar
siding. The price was right and theres a ton I like about the house,
but the siding has issues I would like to address:

1. The color is dark brown which I don't like.
2. I don't like the large exposure size of the 1/2 x 8 siding. In
fact, I've discovered that that the overlap they used is about 2 inchs
rather than the recommented 1inch, so the exposure would be even
bigger if I were to do it right with that size.
3. The surfaces are rough due to all the poor paint scraping over the
years.
4. There are areas that appear very weathered and could use replacing.
5. A fullsize dormer was added some time ago and they sided it with
shaker-style shingles.

It would be a bit costly just to rip down all the siding and replace
it with new 1/2 x 6 siding, but if I were to do that, I could attack
all my problems at once.

I was wondering a few things some folks might be able to answer:

1. I noticed in the New England Area where I live, most folks have the
smaller size boards. In fact, its very hard to find the larger 8"
size at lumberyards, although I managed to find one. Is there are
reason why 6" is more popular? Any advantages or disadvantages to
each other than visual appeal?


4" is traditional on the clapboarded capes that defined older New England
homes.



2. What could I do with the old 1/2x8" siding I remove? Are there
places that buy old lumber?

Burn it.


3. A crazy idea popped into my head in that I might be able to recycle
my own 8" boards and turn them into 6" boards using either a planer or
a jointer. I'm not sure the time and cost to do this would in the end
be worth it, nor am I hugely familar with either tools or the
magnitude of the project I'm proposing, but I'm assuming it would be
more work than just ripping the top two inches of board? I thought if
there was a way to "plane" the beveled side of the board, it would
help me to remove all the layers of paint over the years. Is this a
crazy idea? Of course I would have to buy the tools to do this, so
both time and money are factors, but I suppose it would be possible to
try to resell the tool on ebay when I'm finished with it.



If you're lucky, time and moisture have loosened the nails. If you're
really fortunate, the installer nailed into sheathing and not studs. Worst
case, it will come off in damaged, broken pieces.

If it came off easy and you denailed it well, you might have some luck
resurfacing the clean backside on a thickness planed. You'd want to build a
jig to present the surface parallel to the knives. It's going to be a
significant time investment (20 square of siding @ 4" coverage = 6000 lf.
One planer pass, one ripping pass). A fast "suitcase" planer and a sixpack
of replacable knives = $600.00 or so.