I can’t believe how far Joe’s house has progressed. I remember just a week ago it looked like a mass of concrete and sticks (I realize this post is a bit late, but I am referring to a time several weeks before Christmas in 2009)! I would like to take a moment to thank Wachovia’s Ben and Carolyn for staying with us until the (very bitter) cold end of the day – your dedication to this cause is admirable, and I am glad that we got a chance to meet this December. Unbelievably, Ben and Carolyn stuck around nearly 2 hours over the time specified in their arrangement as the “Half-day” crew. Of course, a big thank you to all the Wachovians that came out to help so close to the holidays (just under 10 people were able to make it)!

No matter what type you use, ultimately, siding is a highly visible product (no surprise here), and it has a tendency to fail regularly. All siding products have inherent weaknesses, and if the materials haven’t been installed and maintained properly, Habitat homeowners can expect trouble very soon. Please take a moment to review the information below so that you can avoid making some of the common mistakes if you decide to come out to help us during a similar event this year:

1. Start from the bottom and work your way up. This rule is not always obvious to everyone, but you will soon realize that it is the only way to install siding, as there is no other way to snap the individual pieces together. Fortunately, resident AmeriCorps and Habitat For Humanity staff prepare the site on build day so that all the volunteers will have to worry about are windows, doors, and, in some cases, corners (that is you will work strictly with vinyl siding and your top priority is to cut around the afore-mentioned obstacles in the correct way). This leaves the J-channel, utility trim, soffit panels, and fascia in the hands of experienced professionals (on many days, you will find that you will finish just short of the roof, and then will be asked to stop).
2. Leave room for siding to expand in the heat and contract in the cold (Quarter Inch Rule). Not many people know that when measuring siding pieces it is imperative to leave enough room for them to be able to move somewhat towards the edges of the home and around the nails. You will notice that each siding piece has oblong holes for nails for this reason. When you nail each piece in, you have to make sure that the nail DOES NOT go all the way into the blueboard below, as this will cause premature cracking and warping for the vinyl.
3. The last siding row should be trimmed to fit. If the nailing hem is removed, a special tool called a “snap lock punch” is used to create locking lugs along the trimmed edge. Spaced six inches apart, these lugs will lock into the lip of the previously installed utility trim.

Happy Volunteering!

Links to Articles about Joseph’s house (in progress):
Building Homes Building Hope – Framing
Building Homes Building Hope – Sheathing
Building Homes Building Hope – Siding
Building Homes Building Hope – Drywall
Building Homes Building Hope – Baseboard
Building Homes Building Hope – Dedication

PledgeForMoms.org participated in many other Habitat for Humanity events:
Critical Home Repair
Habitat for Humanity July Build Event
Painting
Habitat for Humanity June Build Event
Drywall
Habitat for Humanity May Build Event
Sheathing
Habitat for Humanity April Build Even
Shingling
Helping Habitat for Humanity

Please donate to Habitat for Humanity on this page