First off, I am not a fan of vinyl siding. I just finished building my first house and used SmartSide panels and cultured stone, but the house the vinyl is going on is my old house to sell. Unfortunately, vinyl is the only thing that fits my budget.
Having said that, I’ve never installed the stuff. I know it’s not hard, but one thing that is stumping me is the construction of the old house. Peeling away the aluminum siding that is on their now reveals the “sheathing” to be horizontal drywall (red paper?) Am I correct in assuming the walls are braced from racking due to let in 2x’s on the diagonal? I believe the house was built in the 1920’s and is in Upstate NY.
What is the proper way to reside in this case? Should I remove the “drywall” and sheet, then housewrap, then side? Should I just use fanfolded foam over the drywall and reside? Or just housewrap? The house is going to go on the market but I don’t want to hack this job either, I want to make sure it’s done correctly.
Thanks !
Replies
The house is braced from racking with the let in 2x's.
I also live in upstateNY.
I would just use tyvek over existing sheathing and side away! Fan fold is for leveling the surface, like existing clapboards. Because you have a flat surface to begin with , unnecessary!
I've installed plenty of vinyl, but I've never come across drywall used as sheathing. Maybe it's a regional thing, I'm in the Boston area. I would make an effort to hit a stud when applying the vinyl siding. I'd be concerned with any nails driven into the drywall only pulling out and eventually taking the siding with it. (Usually when applying vinyl siding, whether over some type of wood sheathing or old wood siding, you just nail where ever you like and as long as you hit something solid,you don't have to actually hit a stud.) Being on the outside of the house,the siding is going to be subjected to wind and I dont see a nail driven into drywall holding up for very long. Also,vinyl is not meant to be a water proof barrier. the manufacturers all punch weep holes in the butt of the panels to allow any water that works its way in to drain. Good attention to house wrap installation and flashing details would be even more important with sheetrock used as sheathing ,I would think.
Not a regional thing, I live in upstate ny and have never seen a house with gypsum used as sheathing. I wonder if the original homeowner was trying to fireproof the house.
Hardie plank does not burn
I find it rather odd about the gypsum board too. I don't have any of the old siding off yet, but I can peek inside to see it. Also, it looks like a shiny/foil wrap was applied over the gypsum board.
Thanks all for the advice!
I doubt that the gypsum sheathing was installed when the house was built. Most likely it was installed when the AL siding was installed -- likely in the 50s or 60s.Nothing inherently wrong with gypsum sheathing -- it doesn't tolerate moisture as well as other types, but then most composite sheathings don't tolerate moisture particularly well.
Too much sanity may be madness. And maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be! --Miguel de Cervantes
One problem you'll have is that the gypsum sheathing won't hold nails, so you'll have to nail into the studs. If the studs are on 16" centers this is no big deal -- you just have to shift the vinyl over a little and maybe waste some to get the nail holes to line up with the studs. But if the studs are "wild" (not uncommon in homes of that era) you'll have troubles and will at the very least need to get yourself a hole punch for the vinyl.