I have a prospective client with damaged Innerseal panels. The damage consists of sunk nails and a little swelling. You can’t put your fingers through it and there are no mushrooms growing out of it.
The question is, can Hardilap be applied right over the Innerseal ?
It seems that if there is still enough shear protection (earthquake country) from the LP, sealing out the water with a new layer of siding would halt the fungus problems.
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In my view, it would be poor worksmanship and inadvisable to cover up a deteriorating product with a new product. If the innerseal has already pulled in moisture, covering it up is just going to create a nice little petri dish for things like fungi that like the damp, warm, dark.
It would be better to tear it off, ensure that a good vapor barrier exists and install new siding. Getting the old siding off shouldn't be a major expense, anyway.
NotchmanThe tear off is not the biggest expense, the resheathing of the entire house with 1/2 cdx or OSB is a little daunting. But I agree a tear off would be a better job, and I wouldn't dream of giant mushrooms growing in their walls for the next ten years. Thanks
I didn't pick up on the lack of sheathing, but it sounds like we're on the same page.
Hope your client is willing to let you do it first class. Good luck!
By the way, I've found that "daunting" usually applies in advance of a dreaded job, but then things just proceed like any other. What I hate is when I anticipate a project being a piece of cake and it turns into a nightmare.
For what it is worth I agree, if the original has ever been damp, no way it will ever be completely dry aqain. You sure don't want to bury it with another layer and create real problems for the future. I just had a nice chuckle trying to think what would happen after it all fell to dust and left the cement siding hanging on extenden nails, not a pretty picture. Best to go in knowing what has to be done, good luck!
Dan If they are so dumb, how come I'm working for them?