Did my contractor screw me for not finishing siding?
user-389891
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
I have a mountain cabin that has a stepped concrete foundation running from about 2′ up to 5′ along a 22′ wall. I paid to have Allura tile installed. The contractor left about 8 to 16″ of concrete exposed running like a cross cut checkerboard. He claims he had nothing to nail into because there wasn’t a wood backing (bullshit, I know) leaving me to finish it (in another post one person suggested using tapcons, so I know it can be finished). It looks horrible as it is new house next to a new cabin. Shouldn’t he have been responsible for extending the siding below grade so it looks finished. Can the inspector order anything? I never should have paid ahead of time.
Replies
While you may not like the aesthetics of the siding, I think your contractor probably did everything he needed to do to follow the plans. Siding should cover the framing and it is never a good idea to extend it below grade. Your inspector will either shrug his shoulders or will tell you that code requires 6" of exposed foundation above grade. With a stepped foundation it is typical to step the siding to match. This situation could be addressed with masonry veneer, but that should have happened in the design stage. Yes you should never have paid ahead of time. Other than a modest down payment and COD deliveries, a contractor should never be paid for any work that is not completed.
What? "Bullshit" is now ok on the forum? Cool. Now we can talk like adults.
Have heard that that there LPacific siding installed into the ground will last almost a year.
You could try that ? Excellent path for ants and termites to enter the frame where you wont see them so don't have to be concerned.
Sounds pretty typical to me. You can't run any kind of siding into the ground.
So confused. Your plan is to install vinyl tile (Allura) or Allura fiber cement backer board over the concrete? And then what? A skim coat over the backboard? If the answer is the latter: why? and if you *have to do this*, why not just skim coat over the concrete?
Is your contractor a GC, carrying multiple scopes of work? If they were responsible for the foundation and/or framing, then it should be their responsibility to provide wood backing for siding products (if specified in plans or verbal agreement with owner). If they were hired to install siding, then no, underlayment would not be their responsibility.
At any rate, code dictates distance between siding material and bare earth. Even placing fiber cement siding subterranean is not advised.
I think this may be something that is only a problem to you, as the overwhelming majority of stepped foundations are built/finished exactly like your contractor did it (in my parts anyway - California Bay Area, Lake Tahoe, foothills)
[edit] can you attach a photo?