Insulated Vinyl Siding

One easy way to have your old warn cottage freshened up is to change the siding on the outside of it. There are a lot of different products that you can us on the outside of your cottage;

• Wood, pre-painted or rough. Pine or cedar. 
• Cement siding (pre-painted).
• Stone, manufactured or real.
• Vinyl Siding.

The cheapest and simplest of the above is Vinyl Siding. If you are looking for an economical way to spruce up your cottage then vinyl siding is for you.

One of the biggest flaws with vinyl siding is that it has to be installed properly. If it's not installed properly then you will have pieces of siding blow off in high winds, the siding will buckle in the heat and the overall installation will not look straight with a good fit and finish. So hiring a professional that knows how to properly install it is key to the job looking good when it is finished and far into the future.

Vinyl siding has several advantages to other forms to siding;

• By far the cheapest to buy and install.
• Goes on fast.
• Many different colours and styles to choose from.
• Do not require strapping or an airspace behind the siding, this saves time on the installation.
• Can now get it with insulation built into the siding.

The last one is what I really want to talk about. Most old cottages are very poorly insulated. Either their under insulated, badly insulated or the insulation is so old that its just not effective anymore. 

New vinyl siding comes with the option of having insulation that is pre-attached to it. This makes the installation of the siding and the insulation pretty quick since the insulation is stuck to it, all you have to do is install it like any other vinyl siding and you have a layer of rigid foam insulation across the entire outside of your cottage. This also gives you a thermal break over all the studs in the house, this is especially effective in those colder months when the wind blows off the lake.

Insulated Vinyl siding even comes with insulated corners so that the entire outside of the walls of your cottage will have the same insulation value.

Insulated Vinyl Siding also has the affect of making your siding a little stronger to impact damage. When things strike the outside of the siding the insulation adds a cushioning affect to it helping it to resist cracking and breaking.

So if your cottage is looking old and tired and a little chilly in those colder months then think about some new siding, the right stuff can not only make your cottage look better but also save you money on heating as well.

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

Its Time For The Cottage Spring Inspection

The snow has finally melted!

It might not be bikini weather yet up at the cottage but it is time to head up to the cottage and do your spring inspection.

What is a spring inspection you ask? Its the time that you drive up to the cottage to make sure that its still there, especially after this long drawn out winter!

The usual suspects that you find are damage to roofs, windows and siding/facia.

Now these area minor repairs a lot of the time that you can hire someone to do or you can try and handle on your own. But maybe its time that you take a serious look at that old cottage of yours and decide whether its time to do a larger renovation then just a constant minor repair every spring.

I'm talking about biting the bullet and springing for new windows, siding, soffit/facia. You don't have to get all of them, but if your getting tired of the constant repainting of the old siding or the windows that leak water and don't open, then maybe its worth the investment.

Not only will new windows/siding free up your time in the spring, it will also help your enjoyment of your cottage. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to see the lake, the trees and the animals outside through nice new energy efficient windows.

If your changing your windows/siding then you can for a little bit extra add some much needed foam insulation to the outside of your cottage. This insulation could give you an extra month at the cottage in the fall and a couple extra weeks in the spring, allowing you to be more comfortable and also lowering your energy costs throughout the cottage season.

So when you go up to your cottage for your spring inspection take a serious look at your cottage and decide if a larger upgrade is needed, something that will not only raise the value of your cottage but also raise the enjoyment of it.

Drop me an email if you would like to talk about some cottage repairs.

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.