Being a local siding contractor for  the past 2 decades we at Superior Siding Solutions have installed  pre-painted & stained  Hardie Plank & Certanteed Weatherboards siding in the Portland metro & southwest washington areas. As customers have chosen that siding, and we are unbiased, I thought it would be good to give you an objective practical look at those  options.  To help you in the decision process, I would like to point out a few concerns that have come up over the years. 1. Manufacture product reps will imply that you dont have to paint after the siding is installed BUT they wont tell you that you will still need to paint your overhangs, doors and any trim. Think about that - its ALOT for a homeowner to take on!   2. Another problem is that if cuts are made on the siding boards and those cut ends arent touching a corner or window trim and then sealed with caulking that area will need to be touched up with paint.  Generally  a small amount of touch up paint is supplied by the manufacture you choose.  Remember those cut pieces won’t have primer under them since they will have been cut on the field.   3. The cost of the pre-painted siding is very high. Sometimes more than cost of a quality painter  EXCEPT that a painter would also be painting ALL your trim, doors, overhangs etc. so the cost isn’t worth it since you will have more to do yourself.  4. Another problem is efflorescence, a chalking white powdery substance that sometimes comes thru the paint itself on cement based products.  You will often see efflorescence on large concrete walls where highways are or on old brick.  It simply looks like a white powder but doesn’t come off that easily. If you try to clean it off the actual fiber cement siding you will obviously be rubbing off the paint or stain too.  The pre-stained siding looks really good especially in the right setting like the woods but the coating seems to be somewhat thin so it rubs off fairly easy if efflorescence starts showing up.   Summary: I would suggest hiring  a quality painter instead of paying so much extra for pre-painted siding since you will have to hire one anyways to paint  all the trim.  Remember the problem with Lp siding was that to save manufacturing costs, Lp put less glue in the siding particles which was needed  to actually hold the osb siding particles together. This was to save on rising costs in the 80’s.  Lp siding then had severe problems and went into a national class action lawsuit in the mid 90’s.  Because of the struggling economy I have seen manufactures often cutting back on production expenses.  I have seen some fiber cement manufactures put less primer to the point that I have insisted on sending the siding back and getting another batch which I then personally inspect the boards to make sure there is enough primer. I sincerely hope this gives you an objective view. As consumers we should all be open to the pros & cons of things we consume.  For even more information  feel free to click on    http://superiorsidingsolutions.com/ and thanks for listening.

Many siding contractors simply use bleach and water when dealing with the Lp siding problem in the portland vancouver metro area.  Although that may help with some of the mold or fungus, quite simply this just isnt enough.  Superior Siding Solutions has been using Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate for almost 19 years with great success in that we have had ZERO callbacks and that mold has never grown back.  Often times the subwall behind the house wrap of horizontal Lp siding can have traces of  mold spores growing on them so they must be killed even though the actual siding is removed.  Because mold grows in wet dark areas we have always felt a strong conviction that all the mold remidiation is done professionally and thoroughly.  Although this sounds a bit corny, the product we have used for the past 2 decades is found in the salt mines of California and then shipped to us.  Becasue it is so close to the northwest it doesnt cost much to get it here.  It is then mixed and sprayed on all outside walls successfully killing any mold spores on the subwall or panel siding.  This should always be thoroughly completed before installing any new siding including Hardie Plank, Certanteed Weatherboards, vinyl or stone.  For more information on this problem  and to see detailed pictures log into http://superiorsidingsolutions.com/ or feel free to call us at (800)790-2181 for a free no obligation inspection of your siding.  We service the entire portland oregon and southwest washington areas along with the outskirt cities.We hope this helps & thanks for listening.

If you live in portland oregon or southwest washington we at http://superiorsidingsolutions.com/ would highly appreciate your opinion on the 1 minute video we just added to our web site. Just click on the link and the video on siding  will automatically load. It’s only 1 minute so it wont take long. As siding contractors with almost 20 years experience  serving the portland metro and southern washington areas we appreciate and  value your opinion. If you work for any siding manufactures like Hardy Plank, Certanteed Weatherboards or any Vinyl siding or cedar siding manufacture please state so when you comment.  Thank you very much.

I have been asked  what helps most for value & curb appeal when selling a home.  Absolutely no question about it - Stone accents along the bottom 3 feet or on pillars and cedar shake in gables give extremely strong eye and curb appeal. Brick is a bit more dated but alot of people still want it. Need proof? Drive by any high end area in portland or southwest washington and you’ll see many if not most homes with some form of it. Batten board has also become more popular the last 5 years. English style tudor is good but also very personalized so some may not want it since tudor is generally done all over the home as opposed to just accenting specific areas but can also only be done in the gables. A tudor look can also get expensive to paint because of the labor aspect. Whats the downside of getting this real estate resale value?  Stone is expensive as is cedar shake which also takes more maintenance if you want it to continue looking new. If stone, brick or shake is not for you another way to help with resale value is replacing your Lp siding if you still have it since most buyers wont make the big decision to purchase your home if it still has Lp siding. Think about it. Would you buy a home with Lp siding and pay anything close to the sellers asking price?  If you have already fixed that problem, good for you! Be patient and your home will sell. If you need ideas for curb appeal, we may be able to help. Visit http://superiorsidingsolutions.com/ and click on design ideas for lots of pics. Thanks for listening.

Lp siding also known as Louisiana Pacific siding is a wafer board style siding also call osb which stands for oriented strand board. It is particle chips of wood glued together. Lp was formerly located in the Sherwood- Tualatin area which is one reason why there is so much in the northwest. Over the last few decades, siding contractors would use it because back then Lp had a decent reputation and it was always in stock so general contractors could most likely meet  scheduling needs. The problem occurs when it gets wet with rain it starts to swell and often will start molding & growing fungus underneath where the moisture doesn’t dry out. How can I tell if I have Lp?  It  has a specific trademark knot which is about as big as a silver dollar and hidden in the knot are the letters Lp. If you haven’t seen it before it is very hard to see the first time. You need to look very closely as some are more defined and others are more blurry. Another problem is that Lp panel style 4 x 8 sheets, also called t1-11, are nailed directly up to the studs with no moisture barrier to protect the studs. Many homeowners don’t believe this but its true.  The mold then gets on your studs and starts to rot them because no light gets under your siding and mold likes dark. This will generally happen in specific areas where rain is slowly trickling in over time but wont be on all all the studs of your home. Over the last 2 decades we have also found that some siders don’t put building house wrap under the horizontal siding either. This is CRAZY and illegal!

If your house is built AFTER 1985 you may have Lp siding. If any your neighbors have replaced their siding chances are even greater that you have it too  as siding contractors often use the same products when developing a neighborhood. Typical products homeowners use when replacing their siding is fiber cement commonly called  Hardi Plank & Certanteed  Weatherboards. Others pick cedar or vinyl siding. Superior Siding Solutions  has almost 20 years of experience & give free inspections. We can immediately verify if indeed you do have Lp. For even more info & pictures of what to look for visit us at http://superiorsidingsolutions.com/ or simply call us at (503)253-2300 or (360)882-9376. Thanks  for listening.

Many people have asked how to pick the right siding contractor. Thats a loaded question. You should have a good gut feeling after they’ve worked a few days but should

know if you did indeed choose the right siding company by the time they are done with your home. If you haven’t decided on a siding contractor yet, its a good idea to NOT  just look at the price.

Why?  In this economy, with companies closing down and companies struggling to stay alive, many  siding companies are paying their  applicators considerably less so it stands to reason that those

siding contractors will end up doing less details in the prep work.  Remember this: It is absolutely impossible to pay a little and get alot- it cant be done! The prep work is CRITICAL!

And you wont know IF the work was done well since you dont inspect siding for a living since thats not your expertise.  Another good idea is to ask the siding company you are

considering for referrals.  Are there any homes done in your area by them or somebody else?  Drive around and look  for job signs in your area. It absolutely baffles me that companies dont put yard signs

up to show off their work.  Are they not proud of their work, not licensed or just dumb?  If you see a project going up & dont see a sign I can almost guarantee they are not licensed, not insured

or use illegal aliens.  All 3 of these are HUGE problems in the Portland  metro and southern washington areas. Why else would any reputable company not want to earn more business with

a 10.00 yard sign?  Is it important to you to pick a company with CURRENT  insurance?  Insurance MUST be renewed every single year without exception. Ask to see the proper state required

licenses and insurance documents. is it also important to you to be able to speak and communicate with the crews holding the hammers?  Ask the siding contractor up front BEFORE you sign if

everybody speaks english well. Sometimes you can know what companies NOT to pick by talking to a nieghbor that had their siding replaced a year or 2 ago.  Obviously I can go on for quite a

while but I hope this helps for now. Superior Siding Solutions does free inpections if you think you have Lp siding or have any moisture problems. To see pictures, get a lot of info or see a video simply

visit  http://superiorsidingsolutions.com/ and ask about our Fair Price guarantee. Thanks for listening.

As an independent  siding contractor in the portland oregon and southwest washington area I am unbiased regarding product selection for home owners. Many have asked about warranties as they decide which siding is best for them.  Hardie Plank has become the most well know because of their aggressive marketing with realtors which has definitely given them name recognition. They have recently lowered their warranty from 50 years to 30 years but it appears to now be NON pro-rated which is very impressive. The condition is that it MUST be painted within 72 days and if you have a problem you’re going to have to show proof of dates of install and painting. They are calling this regional warranty HZ10. Their closest factory is in the Tacoma area which is a plus as I have personally toured it extensively in 1999  but it would be extremely difficult for a homeowner to go thru it. Pro rated meaning the value goes down a little each year. Certanteed Weatherboards, made in southern Oregon,  has not lowered theirs to 30 years and has a pro-rated 50 year with an additional HIGHLY  impressive 2 year SURESTART warranty stating you dont have to paint it for the first 2 years and it wont void their responsibility. If you think about this, thats unbelievable but they have had that since they came to the northwest.  I dont recommend waiting to paint but it’s nice they have that kind of confidence in their primer system. Certanteed Weatherboards are not nearly as well known as Hardi Plank because they have done virtually  NO marketing but the warranty is also impressive largely do to the primer system they developed which actually imbeds INTO the pores of the product after being heated up at ridiculously high temperatures.  Next would be vinyl siding and these warranties are different for the reason that there are so many vinyl siding manufactures out there. Most vinyl siding has a lifetime warranty unless you pick a dark color. Remember, even though  different vinyl manufactures have a lifetime warranty that doesnt make their actual products equal by any means. There are HUGE differences in quality, grain texture, shape, profile, locking system etc. Many vinyl siding manufacturers also have NON pro-rated warranties which are easily transferable to the next homeowner. On some, these extended transferable  warranties are ALSO non pro-rated so thats a big plus when you sell but dont forget to show the potential buyer of your home. I should say vinyl has lost its reputation in the eyes of many consumers though so their are pros and cons to ANY product you choose.  Next is cedar siding. You’re not going to like this. Pretty much no manufacturer warranty since it is not manufactured by man.  Cedar remains popular although generally considerably more expensive for materials and definitely takes more up keep although  some homeowners  fail to maintain it which then after a few years can look more worn than it should. It takes a long time to rot which is a plus. Think of an old cedar fence in the backyard touching the dirt which takes a while to start rotting even though its touching the dirt. It will eventually rot but takes a while. I have traveled and been to 4 factories out of state over the past 2 decades. I hope you found this basic warranty information helpful. Feel free to visit      http://superiorsidingsolutions.com/ even more information and pictures. thanks for listening.

You may have read my angry blog a few months ago on the new oregon MANDATED rain screen laws. We are happy to announce that http://superiorsidingsolutions.com/ will be carrying a simple yet affective solution.

Although it technically isn’t law in southern washington, it can still be used there too.  A manufacturer named Green Guard has come up with a building envelope moisture barrier called RainDrop. It has

vertical raised lines imbedded into the wrap that actually allow unwanted moisture to drain thru to the bottom and out. Again, remember the idea is to allow no water in the wall which always requires upkeep

from the homeowner with caulking and painting so dont put that off.  This Rain Drop housewrap & moisture barrier we will be carrying is made of cross woven polyolefin designed with an enhanced contour

to facilitate the drainage of water that may penetrate the siding in wind driven rain. It wont breakdown over time and is a practical concept which wont raise the siding cost at all. There are other methods that

will raise the cost significantly . In my previous blog you could tell I was FURIOUS about this oregon new law but am now happy to say this is a practical & effective option and will not raise the cost where the

other options are significantly more expensive.  With an expense like this most homeowners focus on the finish look and dont want to pay alot for the moisture barrier application which is eventually unseen

so this is very cost effective and still delivers results but MUST be installed properly.  As a siding contractor in the portland metro and southern washington area we are always here to earn your trust while

educating you offering numerous options so you can decide whats best for you instead of letting a high pressure salesman decide. This is another reason why we are so well known with local realtors and

there problems with listing Lp homes. Visit us at  http://superiorsidingsolutions.com/ for even more information and lots of pictures with design ideas that may help you. Or you can simply call us at

(503)253-2300 or (360)882-9376. Thanks for listening.

Some homeowners have asked me about their stucco. The most common stucco siding in the northwest is called EIFS but is  sometimes referred to as Dryvit.

It stands for Exterior Insulating Finish System and it is truly a nightmare in the northwest. We realistically find severe structural rot under it

87% of the time. It is generally installed 2 ways by  either being glued on or randomly screwed with special grommets which is much more labor

intensive to remove. Its has white beaded looking Styrofoam under it giving it some insulation value although nothing is as good as R21 or better packed in your

wall cavity as newerhomes have 2 x 6 walls. The main problem is that if water gets in it doesnt get out. So it sits there and molds or rots the wood

underneath as rain continues.  My previous blog spoke about the new oregon  mandated rain screen system. This particular stucco would not have had

so many problems IF a rain screen system would have been used for this reason - water tends to get in MORE  around the windows & doors on EIFS than other sidings.

Most builders that took a chance with this style of stucco were from California where rain isnt a problem.  For years Eifs has been having problems

in any state where there is higher moisture content. How can you tell if your stucco is actually Eifs?  Go to the bottom of your stucco, feel unerneath the bottom drip edge.

If it feels anything  like  foam you have the Eifs style of stucco. Every siding contractor in the northwest hates removing it for the reason that when it is painfully

stripped off the home the white foam under it breaks apart and  goes everywhere so special measures are taken to contain the mess. If there is ANY wind during the

siding removal, it makes it even tougher to contain it.  Another fact is that this styrofoam NEVER breaks down in the landfills.  As always I hope this helps as our goal

and passion is to teach and help others with information on siding. For pics of Eifs tear off  that we did go to    http://superiorsidingsolutions.com/ you may not like what you see

but need to be aware. thanks again for listening.

Recently Oregon Building Codes Division made yet another revision for  siding installers.  Code R703.1 and R703.2 now state that their must be a 1/8 inch minimum gap between siding and  the moisture barrier so rain can drain out. Heres the CRAZY part - does it rain LESS in southern washington?  What about the hundreds of thousands of homes done over all the years that don’t have this gap?  What happens to them?  Doesn’t it rain on those homes too?  Heres something even more ridiculous - oregon state building code for “panel” siding, commonly called T1-11,  has never even required ANY moisture barrier between the siding and the studs.   Since we specialize in siding with almost 2 decades experience, Superior Siding Solutions installs a moisture barrier when we replace panel siding because it ads another level of moisture protection for the studs even though it has never been code. So has oregon state building codes division never thought your studs should be protected?  Endless homes in the portland metro area and southern washington have T1-11 panel siding, often on 3 sides of the home, with NO moisture barrier protecting the studs. So heres how this new “rain screen” idea affects you. If you live in oregon, need a siding contractor and  are buying Hardie Plank, Weatherboards or cedar, this new code states their must be a rain screen gap and that will raise your cost simply because there is considerably more labor and more materials. The word rain screen definitely makes any homeowner “feel’ good and protected but it will raise other potential problems. For instance, most people don’t know that Hardie Plank is breakable especially if their is a spacial cavity behind it.  Also, most sidings will  likely look MORE wavy on the walls.  These are only a few potential problems. Building codes division doesn’t care how your siding looks. They need to scramble for more money for the state in the form of fines and this is pure evil genius.   Siding contractors in the northwest are frantically working on carrying different product options but we’ll see what becomes available.   By the way, shouldn’t siding contractors fix the siding problem so that rain DOESN’T get in?  And if wind driven rain did get thru, it would only be a very very minor amount isolated in a very small area.  I’m sure the pencil pushing bureaucrats who came up with this idea have never installed ANY siding and are not seeing the practical downside in final looks. Did they even think this thru?  Think about it. Why are they doing this now?  Why during a horrendous economy where everybody is struggling? I’m glad you asked. So the state  can give very hefty fines to siding contractors AND homeowners since they are desperate for revenue in this economy too. Bottom line - its going to cost the homeowners and siding installers more. One tiny bit of good news though. Although vinyl siding  was more popular years ago than it is now, it’s excluded from this because there is already a gap since it is never nailed tight so that it can contract and expand.  Vinyl siding also has tiny weep holes every few feet in the bottom of each panel for potential water drainage when hosing off.  BUYER BEWARE: most contractors will NOT know about this new code so they will naturally be giving you a much cheaper enticing cost but will cost you MORE in the form of state regulated fines. I dont like this state run scam called “rain screen”  because of the obvious  cost to homeowners AND the potential damage to allowing more water to run down your subwall and giving homeowners a false security with a pretty name like rain screen.  Don’t let rain get in and you wont have any of these problems, costs or fines.  I must say though that I also don’t like giving into my  wife but I know I need to and therefore I do, but only when the powers that be demand it. And ‘big brother” is now demanding it because they are also hurting for money and want yours. Please go to  http://superiorsidingsolutions.com/ for more info and pictures. thanks for listening.