A few people have asked about various materials used on our recent exterior project so we put together a synopsis of the main elements and how they were treated or finished. This project was a lot of work and we don’t want to think about maintenance anytime soon, so we paid careful attention to selecting and applying the best finishes/sealers/primers/paints to protect against excess moisture and UV exposure.
A few other measures to ensure that chezerbey looks good in the years to come:
- we chose hearty materials that have a long life span – cedar, ipe, metal clad windows, etc.
- we kept most of the original 1910 cedar siding, removed all the old paint and then sanded it smooth, set the old (non-galvanized) nail heads and filled them with rust stopper, and then spackled and sanded the holes. Next, we caulked all vertical joints, corners and seams and applied a pre-tinted penetrating primer before the final coat of high quality exterior paint.
- we replaced the old shingles at the base with new cedar shingles (after installing new building paper), then applied a tinted stain that provides UV protection. We also used stainless steel fasteners to avoid the streaking that can result from galvanized fasteners and cedar tannins.
- we treated the fir front door, but it is also protected by the deep overhang of the porch roof.
- we followed thorough waterproofing and flashing techniques when installing new windows and doors and sealed every nook and cranny with spray foam insulation.
- we installed kick out flashing where the porch roof eave hits the wall of the house. This directs water toward the gutter and not down the face of the house.
- we used ipe or pressure treated wood in all areas that have direct contact with concrete or dirt.
- we used a lifetime warranty urethane caulk in all areas that needed further sealing but that are susceptible to expansion and contraction.
- we installed ridge and soffit vents in the porch roof to allow the roof to breath and mitigate potential mold/mildew issues. [We did the same thing for the main roof, which was completed 3 years ago.]
Next up, “revisiting the exterior: design”!