Saturday, October 16, 2010

The Before and The After

Newfoundland:

All the talk about what we did on the house this summer warrants a few pictures. If you've ever clapboarded a house, you will appreciate the amount of work it took to get from the Before to the After pictures.

Before: Northwest side After: Northwest side

Before: East Corner view After: Northeast side

How it was done:
Step 1 - They removed the old clapboard and replaced any rotted sheathing boards, and there were some.
Step 2 - Old windows were removed and replaced by new. (In some case, this step had to wait because the new windows hadn't arrived)
Step 3 - A house wrap of breathable foam insulation was nailed on, and the seams taped with Tucktape (I have a real loathing for this stuff!).
Step 4 - John ripped 2x4's into 3/8" strips to make strapping which would support the clapboard. We borrowed a neighbour's table saw for this which helped some, but still a time-consuming job. On the 2nd side of the house, John gave in and purchased strapping in order to eliminate this step.
Step 5 - The strapping was nailed vertically over the house wrap 16" on centre.
Step 6 - At the base of the wall, a narrow (15") and continuous length of metal screening was placed in back of the strapping and then folded under and over the front of the strapping and stapled in place. The bottom of the strapping was then secured. This screening will keep buggies out except for those who are small enough to squeeze through the wee spaces.
Step 7 - Window facing boards (not sure if this the right word), sills and drip caps are installed. They had all been made beforehand. Big job in itself. In most cases we had also pre-painted them.
Step 8 - Clapboard went on. One board at a time. I try to keep up with supplying the stained boards while two men (John and Terry, a fellow we hired for the summer) nailed them on. (See previous entry for my clapboard factory!) I put two coats of stain on the front of each board, and one on the back. Wore out many rollers, but beats using a paint brush.



Terry and John look down, way down After: East corner view



 
And so next summer, 2011, we will complete the clapboard on the southeast and southwest sides. I will have to get out my wrist support because my right wrist took a beating this summer. One step away from carpal tunnel syndrome, I'd say.
Hope Terry will be available for work again, because sure as shooting, I won't be getting up on that scaffolding any time soon.

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