Siding Kits Save Money, Are Easy
QUESTION: I want to reduce exterior maintenance costs and improve the appearance of my house, maybe with decorative stone or brick siding. I need more wall insulation too. What options are available?
ANSWER: Adding a layer of foam insulation and new siding can lower your utility bills and your maintenance costs. Many of the new decorative siding materials are designed for do-it-yourself installation for greater savings.
Most new siding materials are maintenance-free and have from 25-year to lifetime warranties. The extra layer of insulation also helps reduce road noise and increase comfort through less radiant heat loss. Many of these new siding products use earth-friendly and recycled materials.
There are many attractive do-it-yourself siding options, including brick kits, lightweight stone, molded polypropylene plastic shake and brick panels, painted fiber-cement panels, engineered wood and real cedar panels. Many of these can be installed over masonry or your old siding or shingles.
New brick siding kits use real bricks that are only half an inch thick. Installation is simple. These kits include alignment panels that are nailed to the wall first. The panels, some with foam insulation already bonded to the back, have ridges for perfect alignment of the bricks.
No-maintenance lightweight polypropylene siding panels (Regal Showcase) are molded in cedar shake, shingle, brick and stone patterns. An authentic-looking top coating is laminated to the panels. These are usually used for accent areas because they cost several times more than vinyl siding.
Man-made stone is a very attractive and durable alternative to standard siding. The molds are made from thousands of real stones for authenticity. Once installed, it is impossible to distinguish the more than 50 styles (cobblestone, limestone, quarry, castle, etc.) from real stones.
These 1- to 3-inch-thick stones weigh a fraction as much as real ones. To install them, nail lath through the new insulation and old siding. Lay a thin scratch mortar coat first and then a heavier coat to set the stones.
For the appearance of real wood siding, use earth-friendly engineered wood or fiber-cement. Both install with nails like real wood siding. SmartLap engineered wood siding uses small wood chips, from fast-growing Aspen trees, that are cross-laminated as plywood is for superior stability.
For the least cost, choose a new type of snap-together vinyl siding with embossed cedar graining. Some new vinyl siding, Benchmark by Wolverine, uses a rigid fiberglass rod in each panel for a very crisp, flat appearance.
Write for or instant download (http;//www.dulley.com) Update Bulletin No. 504, a buyer’s guide to new decorative and standard types of siding materials and insulation kits, surface textures, warranties, features, prices and installation details. Please include $2 and a business-size self-addressed, stamped envelope and send to James Dulley, Los Angeles Times, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244.
Lathering Shut-Off Valve Should Leak
Q: I have bought two brands of low-flow shower heads to save water. Both of them continue to leak water when I close the small lathering lever. Am I installing them wrong?
A: You probably did not install them improperly. The lathering shut-off valve is used to stop the water flow while lathering without having to readjust the temperature again when you rinse.
A lathering valve is designed to leak a little water to keep the hot and cold water pressure balanced. Without it, if someone flushed a toilet, you could get a shot of straight hot water when you start to rinse.
Letters and questions to Dulley, a Cincinnati-based engineering consultant, may be sent to James Dulley, Los Angeles Times, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244; or download https://www.dulley.com.