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That's something that I never knew - that Aluminum siding was worth something. I doubt that it's worth enough to make a dent in the cost.
You'd be amazed how much aluminum is worth. Keep your eye on aluminum prices and scrap it when aluminum is high. My son's boy scout troop bought a 100k bus via collecting aluminum for 10 years. A low price is .30/pound. A high price is .70/pound. Right now, it's .90/pound. A few months ago, it was $1/pound. Not sure how many pounds for a house worth of siding. Just make sure it's actual aluminum. You said it was done recently. Most newer siding is vinyl.
We made an offer on the house and they accepted! If all goes well this will truly be a life long project! But we have decided that we are up to this challenge
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We made an offer on the house and they accepted! If all goes well this will truly be a life long project! But we have decided that we are up to this challenge
.
Here's hoping your names aren't "Walter" and "Anna"!
Wonder if the owner put siding on because it was cheaper than installing insulation under the original siding. A lot of these old houses were built when heating them wasn't a problem and there were no building codes to contend with.
As much as I agree about the fate of some of the beautiful old homes in the area, I fear their time is ending.
My guess is the previous owner probably didnt want to paint the house anymore. One of my houses had aluminum siding that was in pretty bad shape. We tore it all off and cashed it in. It paid for the vinyl siding that we wanted for the house. We got 1600 dollars for the aluminum scrap and that was back in 1998. Congrats on your new home. I LOVE older homes.
It not the cost of the house- it's the cost to bring it to current code, updated amenities, and energy efficiency.
Not everyone cares about "amenities", whatever those are. Many people can make do with a room or two that isn't quite yet perfect. And not everything has to be done immediately; a house is a work in progress.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sheena12
We made an offer on the house and they accepted! If all goes well this will truly be a life long project! But we have decided that we are up to this challenge.
Congrats, and good luck! Post pics ..
Quote:
Originally Posted by fallingwater
My guess is the previous owner probably didnt want to paint the house anymore.
That's usually the case; at least it was in my old neighborhood where my house was the last wood-sided holdout. My parents badgered me to put vinyl siding on it; I ignored them.
nine times out of ten, old houses that are over-sided with vinyl or aluminum have totally, completely fine wood siding underneath. wood siding is a maintenance item and the sales pitch is, pay just a little more for permanent siding compared with a good paint job and never paint again. people with money but no taste or taste but no money may take the offer.
the insulation gains are negligible, especially put up against the total loss of character that happens when a historic house is over-sided. not to mention the fact that aluminum is a total conductor of heat and cold. you can blow insulation behind wood siding if you really want to but realistically most of the loss comes from the roof.
so peel off the siding. and then PREP PREP PREP. Sand, fill, etc and get a proper paint job. Properly prepared, the paint job should last ten or more years.
I don't know the size of the house, but I am going to guess that siding removal and a GOOD paint job with adequate prep is going to be in the $13-$17k range if you don't want to lift a finger. DIY it would be just the cost of paint and some filler (a couple thousand) and A LOT of time. So think about if you are up to the task.
Sheena! Get this -- I stumbled on this forum after a blind Google search with the same question -- wondering about the costs of removing the aluminum siding on our 1920's house. You said housing stock in your area is cheap, same here... Check the local historical society another poster said, and, I, like you, thought "Hah! Good one!" I kept on reading down the thread...
Then you mentioned a "Sterling Hotel." Weird, I thought, my city had a "Hotel Sterling." Irem Temple? Whhhaaat? Imagine my surprise when I realized, you, too are in Wilkes-Barre. So, now at least two people in this aluminum-cladded city are looking toward the past! So I had to leave a comment, not sure if you'll see it nearly three years later...
Anyway, there's gotta be some beautiful arch details under this trailer-park wrapped city. (Cambridge, Mass, anyone?) Anyway, if you do see this, I'm wondering if you ever went through with the process, and have any tips? What's the expense like?
**Funny thing, I was walking past the Irem Temple today and some kid, late teens, maybe, stopped me and asked me what the Irem Temple was! I went straight into historian mode "The Irem Temple, built in 1906, is one of this nation's finest examples of Moorish Revival architecture..." Hah! All weird coincidences... My mind is slightly blown!
Sheena! Get this -- I stumbled on this forum after a blind Google search with the same question -- wondering about the costs of removing the aluminum siding on our 1920's house. You said housing stock in your area is cheap, same here... Check the local historical society another poster said, and, I, like you, thought "Hah! Good one!" I kept on reading down the thread...
Then you mentioned a "Sterling Hotel." Weird, I thought, my city had a "Hotel Sterling." Irem Temple? Whhhaaat? Imagine my surprise when I realized, you, too are in Wilkes-Barre. So, now at least two people in this aluminum-cladded city are looking toward the past! So I had to leave a comment, not sure if you'll see it nearly three years later...
Anyway, there's gotta be some beautiful arch details under this trailer-park wrapped city. (Cambridge, Mass, anyone?) Anyway, if you do see this, I'm wondering if you ever went through with the process, and have any tips? What's the expense like?
**Funny thing, I was walking past the Irem Temple today and some kid, late teens, maybe, stopped me and asked me what the Irem Temple was! I went straight into historian mode "The Irem Temple, built in 1906, is one of this nation's finest examples of Moorish Revival architecture..." Hah! All weird coincidences... My mind is slightly blown!
Just wanted to let you know - you can DM (direct message) the OP (original poster - in this case Sheena12) and introduce yourself and your common bond (old architecture in Wilkes Barre). I believe the OP is still active on the boards (see their name from time to time). From your profile you appear to be "new around here" - so just wanted to mention direct messaging (click on the posters name you want to message to) so you'd know its available.
best of luck on your anti-aluminum campaign!!
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