Siding Tear-Off That Finds Hidden Damage
Siding installation in Bardstown for homes where failing exterior cladding conceals sheathing rot underneath
Pulling old siding off an older Bardstown home is a different job than pulling it off a newer one, because the exterior cladding on houses built before the 1990s was frequently installed over board sheathing without a weather-resistive barrier, or over early foam sheathing products that have since compressed and lost their structural value. All & All Construction & Dumpsters LLC installs and replaces siding in Bardstown with a five-person in-house crew that handles tear-off, sheathing inspection, and new panel installation in a continuous sequence. That means the sheathing condition is evaluated by the same people installing the new siding, not by a separate subcontractor who hands off findings on paper.
The process starts with removing the old siding completely, then walking the sheathing for soft spots, discoloration, and areas where fasteners have corroded or pulled through—all signs of long-term moisture intrusion behind the original cladding. Rot found at this stage is replaced before new panels go up, because siding fastened into compromised sheathing will not hold at the nail line and will shift or buckle within a few years. A dumpster is staged at the site and hauled in-house, so the old material comes off and gets cleared without waiting on a third-party pickup. Most complete exterior jobs finish in a day and a half to two days.
Request a free estimate that includes an inspection of the existing siding condition so sheathing concerns can be identified before the project scope is finalized.
Why Hidden Sheathing Damage Changes the Job
The difference between a siding job that holds for twenty years and one that shows problems in three is often what happened between tear-off and new panel installation. On homes with original lap siding or aluminum cladding from the 1960s through 1980s, moisture commonly enters at the butt joints and at window and door trim intersections, traveling behind the panel face and into the sheathing over years without appearing at the surface. That damage only becomes visible once the old material is removed. Replacing those sheathing sections, installing a weather-resistive barrier where none existed before, and then applying new siding produces a wall assembly that performs correctly from the start rather than repeating the failure pattern of the original installation.
Once new siding and trim are installed, the exterior presents a consistent panel alignment with no bowing, and trim pieces sit tight at windows and corners without gaps where water can track behind the casing. All & All Construction & Dumpsters LLC backs the installation with a one-year workmanship warranty, and the in-house cleanup means the site is cleared of old material before the crew leaves each day.
The trim work at windows, doors, corners, and soffits is part of the install sequence, not a separate step. How those trim intersections are cut, caulked, and finished determines whether the new exterior holds its seal at the most vulnerable points—corners and penetrations are where water finds its way in when trim is installed carelessly or caulking is used to bridge gaps that should have been cut tight.
Questions Before Starting Your Project
These questions address how siding replacement is sequenced, what the inspection step involves, and what the finished work should look like on an older home.
What does the sheathing inspection involve after old siding is removed?
The crew walks the exposed sheathing and checks for soft areas using hand pressure at the panel face and at fastener locations, looks for staining or discoloration that indicates moisture has been sitting behind the cladding, and identifies any sections where the sheathing has delaminated or where nails have rusted through the panel face.
How is rot in the sheathing repaired before new siding goes up?
Damaged sections are cut out to the nearest stud bays on each side of the affected area, new sheathing is installed and fastened to the exposed framing, and the repair is then integrated into the weather barrier installation so no exposed seam is left at the patch edge.
Why does the trim sequencing matter on a siding install?
Trim at windows and corners has to be installed before adjacent siding panels are cut in, because the reveal dimension at each trim piece sets the starting point for panel alignment—if trim is added after panels are already in place, the reveal is inconsistent and the panel ends are often left without a tight back-cut against the trim face.
What should the finished siding look like along the wall field and at corners?
Panels should run level across the wall with a consistent exposure from course to course, corner trim should be plumb from top to bottom with no twist, and all cut edges at openings should be back-caulked before the trim is face-nailed so there is no open end grain exposed to moisture at any penetration.
How do older homes in Bardstown typically differ from newer construction when it comes to siding replacement scope?
Homes built before the 1980s in this area frequently have no housewrap or felt paper under the original cladding, and the wall framing often shows minor movement from decades of settlement, which means the new installation has to account for both a wall assembly that is starting from scratch on moisture management and a substrate that is not perfectly flat or plumb.
All & All Construction & Dumpsters LLC also installs siding in Bloomfield, New Hope, Fairfield, Springfield, and Shepherdsville. To have the current siding condition evaluated and a scope-accurate estimate prepared, call (502) 510-4288.