another pic...

last one for now before we make up our minds!!

Here's what the home a friend of mine grew up in looked like after the same era aluminum was removed a few years ago.

It's the only home for miles that faces towards the four-lane arterial that was a dusty country road when the home was built in the mid 19th Century.

The 18-inch thick rubble stone walls of this Toronto, Ontario farmhouse were covered with aluminum for 50 years.
Restored in the 1990s, the house barely escaped demolition and is all that's left of the 160-acre farm that once surrounded it.

Keep going! Take it off! Your home will once again be beautiful. I have seen so many examples of old houses that appeared completely unremarkable. Then one day the siding comes off and the old beauty is back. The differences could not be more profound.

WOW - what a difference. Take it off, take it all off!

Wow, it's like ripping up the wall-to-wall carpeting and finding hardwood under it. Lucky you!

Good grief! The old siding looks to be in great condition! Get money back from the aluminum siding and beautiful shingles in return. What a deal!
Diane

I vow never to put vinyl siding on my wood frame schoolhouse, it does require me to pay to get it painted every 10yrs. or so though. That is if the paint job is done right and doesn't peel off sooner. OT, but just yesterday I ordered Permacast porch columns (a resin-like material) because I've gone through two sets of wooden ones including the originals. No more splitting or painting every year. It hurt me, but felt it was the best solution.

OMG! It looks great! If you can afford the paint job, absolutely go for it! (My DH would say "even if we have to eat Ramen for six years to pay for it!) ha-ha :-) I think the farmhouse whose exterior was so simple is going to become a beauty!

WOW!!! What a difference. I love the detail and the transition to the rounded shakes.

It looks AMAZING. If you get a historic-color type paint job, you'll be the envy of the neighborhood.

It looks lovely! Keep peeling it off. Your house must be sighing with relief.

WOW!! What a beauty she is going to be when she emerges as a " painted lady " !! Lucky you and lucky house. c

You are so lucky to find decorative shingles! Now, I want to see what's under the siding on the first story!

Well, this picture from the 40's shows what we think we're going to find underneath...question is, what condition??

This week and next are our last before school starts (both HS teachers), so we WILL get it off soon and post pics. We're very close to a recylcing plant that will take this, so I'll let you all know what the final total is once it's all returned! :)

Amazing how this project polarizes people's opinions--many family members/friends think I am NUTS for even attempting a paint job ("just put up vinyl!") on this beast while others think it's awesome and can't wait to see it painted.

Got a good quote to paint it two days ago, so I'm pretty sure that's the track I want to take. Hoping the other parts of the house are as well preserved...fingers crossed!
-Sarah

Sarah, you are not crazy for wanting to repaint...the house has so many windows that it really isn't as huge a task as it looks; paint covers square feet, so the actual size depends on the area of the walls MINUS the window openings.

I would love to see you restore the porch railings, the current ones just look cheap and 'ranchy'. :) I don't really see the need for that pseudo balcony railing on the porch roof--there is no sign of a space to sit on there....

I actually heard from my husband's grandfather that the railing on the second floor was for beating out rugs and not actually for going out on the roof...not sure if that's true or not!
And the front porch railing was just temporary to placate the insurance companies when we moved in--certainly not meant to be permanent. Trying to find someone to make replica spindles for the front porch since we still have a small section of the original railing all the way on the right. The railing was very low (the way I like it!) but I'm not sure how that's going to work with insurance--not sure if we'll be grandfathered in since we are just replacing what was already there or if we'll have to do a higher height.
Either way, the porch is getting done ASAP--we have a contractor lined up and ready to go.
Thanks for the interest and comments!
Sarah

Looks good, and mostly in good shape.

I have had about 50% good luck.

Five disasters under the aluminum, five in good shape.

The siding salesmen neglected to tell some owners that aluminum siding is NOT considered waterproof, and another layer of protection is required.

One of the five 'bad' places had extensive rot that had gotten into the framing (studs, rim joists, ends of joists, bottom plates, etc.) and cost a pile of money (and time) to repair.

I did learn a LOT about how to jack and replace joists, and support a second floor while replacing the studs holding it up.

Cribbing with railroad ties is you friend for bearing loads on earth.

Thanks for your input, brickeyee...your insight is always so welcome on my projects!!

The whole second floor of the east side is off at this point...working on more tomorrow. So far so good...but I know the east and north sides are usually in the best shape while the west and south sides usually get the most damage. Fingers crossed...

I am being realistic--if we are talking more than 3-5K in repairs, I may have to rethink painting. Hoping my handy husband and father-in-law will take pity on my attempts to restore their family homestead and do some of the work themselves ;)

(FYI--My typical trick is to grab a toolbelt, hammer and pry bar and head up the ladder for any project. By the time I get halfway up, they both come running and complete the said project. Sneaky, wiley women, I tell you!! Works every time!!)

-Sarah

One customer bit the bullet and used quarter sawn clapboards.

They looked spectacular, and hold paint very well.

wish that worked for me Sarah!
I'm usually working next to the guys.

I sure hope that any damage hidden under
the siding is minimal. I'd be holding my breath!

love the detail that was hidden under the ugly
siding.

Best of luck, and keep posting pics.

Yes!! Take it off, it's going to be great!!

Close up of the center detail

Suggestions on what to do with the blown-in insulation holes? Painter #1 says several applications of wood filler will work just fine. Thoughts?

Oh my gosh. Look at that - beautiful. How excited you must be to reveal the original details. I agree with the painter about wood filler, it does miracles. Good luck, and yes please continue to post pics of the progress. Can't wait to see it come alive with a new paint job.

Beware that you may be looking at a leaded coat of paint. No biggie though, prime and paint with awareness.
Finish filling and sanding those insulation holes after priming, with maybe more spot-priming required once they're sanded and ready.
Find a historic color card to pick your color, maybe from 1952?
Good luck. it's beautiful!

"Suggestions on what to do with the blown-in insulation holes?"

No, wood filler will not hold up. They also make plastic plugs for the purpose, but they are pretty ugly.

2 methods:

1. Buy a wooden plug cutter in the size of the holes (usually 1"). Cut as many plugs as you need of a good weather resistant wood that is easily sanded (cedar or redwood). Apply wood glue to the hole and plug, tap in, let dry, sand flush.

2. Replace the siding rows that have holes with new cedar siding of the same dimensions.

3. Insulation settles. Think about blowing some more in before you plug 'em.

A color card from 1952--are you nuts? The house was built before the turn of the century, why use a mid century modern card?!

Sarah, your house was probably painted several colors, white appeared later as a reaction to the multi-color schemes, and was cheaper...

The picture below is of the house on the cover of Moss' Victorian Exterior Decoration...a bit darker than the one on the cover, and the inspiration for my own paint choices:

Here is a link that might be useful:

"No, wood filler will not hold up."

Depends on what filler.

Under paint (and you should have primer and two coats of paint on the patches) Minwax High Performance holds up pretty well in exterior use.

The holes in boards: use a hole saw without the pilot/center bit, in a drill press to cut appropriately-sized plugs. I'd use epoxy to glue them in, but yellow carpenter's glue would be fine. Power sand flush.

For the shingles with holes, make new shingles and replace.
Prime the new shingles with solid-body stain front and back before installing. That will hopefully make them last as long as the old shingles that have a hundred years head start.
Casey

Thanks again! We are getting SO excited--front and one side totally off. Pics to follow.
I am generally the decision-maker for all things house in our relationship--but in terms of a complicated Victorian color palatte--I'm not sure I will win that one, for a couple of reasons.
#1--when the original barn on the property burned in '05, we had a huge Morton building (which we just love to pieces!) put up the following year. Solid white with green roof and shutters.
#2--all the outbuildings (including the three-seater outhouse! Eew!) are all white and green.
#3--we actually kind of like the traditional dark green-and-white farmhouse look. May not be the most fashion-forward, but also doesn't date itself too badly.

Best I can do in terms of a color palatte is bring the green and maybe one other color in to different details.
Anyone do a program that can color the house for me?
I have a deep reddish/cranberry color that I LOVE--I think it's a Pratt & Lambert color the previous owner painted our entrance door (back door looks like it has an original, multi-paned "storm door" and then heavy duty door).

What do you think about maybe painting the windows that cranberry color?
Only problem with that is I'm getting new storm windows. I guess I could always get the storms in a color...

Painter uses Sherwin-Williams, but I can match Benjamin Moore or other brands too.

Suggestions welcome--just please keep white and dark green in the formula!

Thanks, also for the wood filler ideas. Painter is coming back again today to see our progress with siding removal. I will see what filler he was planning.
Sarah

Painter has been HIRED!!

Almost three sides down...pics tomorrow, I hope! Must plug phone into computer to do that, though...

Thanks for all the help!

;)
Sarah

Oh, it is infinitely worth it! I started removing my asbestos shingles in 2008. I'm still working on it (I do all the work myself) but now have one side done and painted, one 98% finished and one side being prepped. I talk about it on my blog.

Here is a link that might be useful: Removal of Shingles

Are the horns cut off on the window sills? Looking at the pics it appears that the windows never had them as the siding looks intact. They often get hacked off when the siding is installed. I'm mentioning it as its sometimes overlooked when pulling siding but it's obvious once it's off.

Don't forget that you have a pile of very valuable metal to take to the recycler for cash. Should pay for some of the material for the paint job.
Casey

Hi Sarah,

Lucky you to have the scalloping in such good condition!

What amount did the paint estimate come to?

--Lee

Sarah you are an inspiration! The house looks beautiful, even before the painting. Whatever color you choose will be better than the siding. I am looking at my harvest gold colonial, built in 1962 and assaulted by the "Tin Men" who came through the neighborhood in the early 70's. Everyone tells me to leave it alone or to put vinyl on, but I have seen glimpses of the beautiful cedar clapboard underneath. People tell me it will be the beginning of my troubles because it will be full of nail and staple holes or rotted. I see from this thread that holes can be filled in, which confirms my resolve to get it off. Also, if there is rot, isn't it better to know and to fix it? Besides, I think the aluminum siding lowers the house value, but I may be wrong about that. Thanks for your post and photos. Keep showing us your progress.

I know you are probably busy back to work, but please post an update!

I'm eager to see your beautiful home painted.

OMG That is so beautiful! You must have been so excited when you revealed the first fish scales, I know I was and it's not even my house, lol!

I was wondering what the end result to this house painting was and what it looks like now. Anyone know?

The OP was last heard from here in May this year.

Here I am :)
I'll take some pics for you. I just posted this one of our porch.

Front

Side

Another side w/Morton building in back (original barn burned in '05)

Basic gist--redid entire porch/railing. Kept original windows, reglazed them all! Still repairing 4 of the 46 windows on this beast of a house (you can see today's glazing project in the side view--top right window has a new/old piece of glass and then gets it's storm on). All new storms. New paint job. We have 16 pairs of almost-the-right-size and totally right look right shutters, but still working on matching the hardware to what's already on there. Original house had shutters on all three sides (will be dark green to break up all the white). That project is taking a back seat as we are redoing the back deck and mud room this fall.
Hope you like it!! It's a labor of love, that's for sure. I've dubbed this house "Special Order"--you can't get ANYTHING off the rack for this thing! Even try replacing storm doors. Special order due to height and triple the cost. Ugh.
Sarah

Two thumbs up. Old houses are a labor of love and you guys did a great job. .

Diane

Sarah, I've been quietly following your posts over the years and it's wonderful to see the house has gotten to this point. You will be hearing from me when my siding finally starts to come off.

I think you've picked out wonderful colors, by the way. It all looks fantastic.

Thanks!! We're getting there! And all of it thanks to Gardenweb! My kitchen, bathroom, floors, porch, painting, etc., all started here.
Love this site and love all of the great feedback from you guys!!! My budget doesn't always "fit" some of the renos that others have done and what I'd like to do, but we try to make the best choices we can for the house within our means. I'm enjoying the process! (Most of the time!)
Sarah

Your house looks terrific! What a change.

I am having difficulty telling what colors you used (probably my lousy monitor). Can you tell me?

We have about the same old alumnimum siding you did. We've finished our interior and started on the exterior (gables and trim is all for now). Hopeful that someday we'll get to "peel" her too!
Cheers,
-Kim