· Michael Blair
Two quotes for the same house can differ substantially and both be honest, because they describe different amounts of work behind the siding. These are the items worth naming explicitly.
Weather barrier and flashing
What barrier is going on, and whether window and door openings will be flashed with a sill pan and correctly lapped head flashing. This is the whole ballgame for wall longevity.
Kick-out flashing at every roof-wall junction. Ask by name — it is the detail most often missing and the one that causes the worst concentrated rot.
Fastening and expansion
Vinyl must hang loose with the nail centred in the slot and not driven tight, or it buckles in Middle Tennessee heat. Fibre cement has a specified fastener pattern and edge distance that the warranty depends on.
Blind nailing versus face nailing on fibre cement changes both appearance and warranty status.
- Named weather-resistive barrier
- Sill pans and head flashing at every opening
- Kick-out flashing at roof-wall junctions
- Correct fastener type, pattern and edge distance
- Expansion gaps at trim and corners
What happens when rot is found
It will be found on most Nashville re-sides. A good contract names a per-sheet price for sheathing and a per-foot price for framing repair, agreed up front.
Without that, discovery becomes a negotiation midway through the job with the wall already open, which is the worst possible position to negotiate from.
Trim, caulk and the visible finish
Which trim material — PVC and composite do not rot, wood does. Where caulk goes and, more importantly, where it should not: siding butt joints on fibre cement are often better left with a joint flashing behind than caulked.
Ask to see a completed job three or four years old rather than a fresh one. New siding all looks good.