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Handyman with a Plan

Started by Whizbang, November 09, 2007, 21:49 hrs

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Whizbang

Since the boards are not being lit up much at this time, I thought I would add a bit of my home project development.  The old house we have is covered with asbestos siding.  That automatically turns on a big red light when one talks of renovation, as in HAZMAT and $50,000.00 to $100,000.00 removal fee.  My meager research has told me that the stuff is always mine, whether it is removed or not.  When the specialty team does removal, the asbestos siding shingles are stored in sealed steel drums and stored.  If they need to be moved, I have to cough up the moving fee.  That is why I had never been serious about re-siding, even though the house was really looking weathered.  "Old asbestos never rots; it just breaks away."  That will never make the country music charts, but it is depressing, especially after Uncle Sam decided to punish anyone who has it installed by making him pay a fortune to get rid of it.

I hit upon an idea while I was re-siding our add-on den that had Masonite (compressed white oiled paper).  The Masonite was starting to swell and fall apart, so I just covered it with GP vinyl siding. It just looks so good that I decided to start thinking about how I could put it over the asbestos.  After putting a new steel roof on the house, I started thinking about the way I installed the roofing with self tapping screws.  I gave it a try, and it did not work because the asbestos was just too tough to penetrate.  I also did not want to have to push too hard and break the asbestos or cause powdering.  I wanted to stay within bounds of political acceptance.  Then I realized that I was not using the right kind of screw.  I needed a drill point self-tapping screw.  Bingo, it worked perfectly with virtually no powdering and even that was shielded by the PVC.

My wife gave the OK, rather, the order, to purchase the siding and peripherals to go ahead with the project.  I had no problems at all with the asbestos, as in no breaking, no powdering, and no drilling problems at all, and was amazed at how easily the PVC went on and concealed the dingy mess.  I also was able to engineer some other uses for the siding and the stripping used to frame around windows, corners, and cornices. 

Here is the semi-final result.  I say "semi" because I keep finding ways to improve the project, the latest of which was to seal the overhang by the carport to keep carpenter bumblebees from drilling into the underside of the roof and leaving a gummy mass of beeswax on the wall below.



The low projected angle of the siding profile gives the appearance of a jagged line.  The full-size picture does not project this distortion.  The ugly gable above the carport is the next project.  It will not require much material, just a lot of oblique angles to cut.




The washerhead screws have yet to be covered with Krylon Fusion spray white.



The door did not look bad until I trimmed it with cut siding.  Now it looks like, well, it looks really bad, even after a thorough cleaning by my wife.  Another project in the works.  The light cost only $15.00 and looks as good as the $40.00 one I considered.  Since both were only brass-finish and not pure brass, I could see no reason to opt for the light that did not look any better.



Bill

Nicely done, Whiz.  How long did it take?

Bill
Antec 3700 | Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R | Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz | 4 GB (4x1GB) DDR2 PC 5300 Kingston RAM | Antec NeoPower 550W | eVGA GeForce 9500GT 1GB 128 bit PCI Express 2.0 | Intel SSD X25-M 80GB | VelociRaptor 150GB | WD 80GB 7200rpm |Samsung 22x SATA Burner |Windows 7 32-bit

Whizbang

#2
The house, minus the den on the back that was done three years ago, was begun on October 23; but much of the work was done a few hours or so at a time due to my job and other chores.  My wife says that she would guess about five 8-hour days.  Like any work of love, you get better at it and find ways to improve the results as you go.  Since the vinyl is so easy to work with, it is really enjoyable, if you like carpentry and cabinetry type work.  Total cost for the complete project, including den, so far is a bit less than $1500.00.  The steel roof, done several years ago, was about $2300.00.  That cost was almost exactly $1.00 per square foot.  We saved big by doing it all ourselves, as in about $3000.00.  Another advantage is that when you find something wrong, you have only yourself to blame and can get it corrected immediately.   ;D

(Edit later):  I should have mentioned that the roofing was made much easier by the fact that our insurance paid for $1800.00 of it because of a windstorm that lifted the shingles and caused the roof to leak.  Since asphalt shingles are really not a good idea under large trees due to limbs falling and gouging the roof, the steel roof was our desired option.  We got the 20-year Galvalume, which is an alloy of aluminum and zinc that is very reflective, smooth, and takes finishing easily, unlike the ugly and contrary galvanized roofing.  The roof is covered with a clear acrylic that so far has been exceptional.  Unfortunately, it still collects mildew in the shade.  When all the leaves have fallen, I plan to blow the mess off the roof and give it a washing.

Ace

"Old Asbestos" by Rascall Fatts

Old asbestos never rots
it just breaks away...
You're playing with carcinogen
so this is all I'll say.

Wait till it rains.  And then you'll pray
asbestos doesn't rot
today.

His roof was steeled
if not PC
his home encircled by
PVC
It was divinyl his wife
decreed
subcontracted by carpenter
bees

And his lungs are pink,
not gray
and a fortune he has saved.
although weathered, he can proudly
say
old asbestos never rots
it
just
breaks awaaaaay.


Ring bells for service.

Whizbang

Ace, you really should have got another cup of coffee to get over the nightcap before you wrote that one.  I got drunk just trying to read it.   :P

Ace

Well, I guess if I had to vote for a favorite line it'd be: "Aw, some Ace!"

You know, here's a thought.  I just thought of a buyer of Asbestos.  Someone even locally owned and operated.  Probably use it in home construction, or at least termporary housing.  Trailers.

FEMA.

Ace; I'm sure they'd put it to good use.
Ring bells for service.