Friday, July 6, 2012

The Exterior Façade

The word façade is commonly associated with the front, street facing side of the building, but for this post it includes all sides on the exterior; the brick, the siding, and the pieces/parts that cover the structural framing that are visible when you’re outside looking at the house.  None of my homes have had stucco exteriors, but that would certainly fall into this category.

When I wrote about Step 19 (Closing Exterior Openings), I described the importance of being in a position to work the inside and outside simultaneously.  So, as I’m getting ready for the rough-in (before insulation and drywall) on the inside, I’m making progress outside on trim, siding, brick, fascia, soffitt work and any other exterior work that would need to be completed before the painting can start on the outside. 

There was a time when I really had to think about the sequencing of all the different scopes on a construction project.  Now, the order seems more natural and second nature to me.  There’s more than one way to skin a cat and multiple ways to renovate or build a home.  The exterior façade sequencing is like everything else written on BSAPE.  This is simply how I do it. 

Fascia comes after the roof is done and the soffitt work can be completed after that.  Exterior trim around doors, windows, and corners need to be completed before masonry or siding work.  However, with a brick home, the soffitt needs to be done after the masons have finished because it’s easier to tie soffitt into masonry rather than the other way around.  On a building with wood, fiber cement, or vinyl siding I prefer to have the soffitt completed before the siding because (opposite to brick) it's more practical to tie the siding into the established soffitt in lieu of hanging the siding after.  Porch/balcony handrails get installed last (unless they need to be completed sooner for safety reasons.) 

The Cottage - Back corner before
The Cottage - Back corner after.

19 comments:

  1. You are so inspiring. We bought an old home in an effort to try and redo it.

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    1. Thanks Jesse. Best wishes with your home rehab...and if you have any questions, fire away. Trent

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  2. Judging from the changes between the before and after pictures of your cottage, the newly constructed one appears brighter, though I also like the old brown color. Also, your light gray cottage blends well with the surroundings, and you can almost feel the cool breeze blowing through it, just by looking at the picture. Overall, you did a good job in making your house cooler than before.


    Cody Charlebois

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  3. You did an amazing job in replacing your roof! I love the idea of how the roof seems to be just a darker shade with whatever color the entire exterior of the house has. From the outside, your house is simply attractive.

    - Santo Caridine

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    1. Hi Santo. The shingles were a darker shade of gray w/ some flecks of blue and green in them. And you can't tell from these pix., but the front door and shutters were dark green.

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  4. Kudos! The new exterior façade looks so modern and fresh because of the bright colors. Also, the soffits shall draw in cool air and hot air shall be pushed through the vents. It’ll help balance your home’s ventilation and prevent heat buildup in the attic.

    Penelope Dingee

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    1. You're right Penelope. And it's worth adding that we always add those foam insulation baffles to make that air flow work like it needs to. This sometimes overlooked step (although easy and inexpensive) can make the difference you're talking about.

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  5. Your hands-on approach in your home renovation project is very inspiring. You must be very proud with what you have accomplished so far. Your house looks so much better after the paint job. The color choice is perfect!


    Nelson Kamaka

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    1. Sometimes I wonder if I'm too prideful about these projects, Nelseon. I really love these 'Pig's Ears' and I'm glad you used the word 'inspiring' I hope people may read some of what I've written and take on a condemned or abandoned house of their own, or maybe do something else other people think can't be done.

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  6. Wow! The new color of the cottage definitely revived its beauty! But the previous house theme is not that bad. For me, it gives off a vintage appeal - and I love vintage! Hehe! Anyway, all in all, the change is great!

    - Joanne Barragan

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    1. Vintage...that sounds so much nicer than 'Pig's Ear.' :) Yes, this house had some great details that you spotted. I'd really planned to keep things simple, but the more I saw the more I realized I had to do and then I got rolling and ... what you see is what we had at the finish line.

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  7. Painting our home’s roof with white is said to be energy efficient. That’ll basically make your house cooler. Your energy consumption will decrease, as well as your electric bills; and the best part is that it can help mitigate the damage of global warming. I believe that painting our walls white is also effective. What a trick! =)

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    1. I didn't know abou this technique Ashlee. I've seen large roofs painted with family names and advertisng before, but never totally painted white...that I know of. Maybe I've seen it, but just not realized it. Thanks for sharing the tip. - Trent

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  8. I must say, your cottage looks amazing. The paint job lit up the whole area. What makes the transformation even more remarkable is you guys did it by yourselves. I applaud all of you for a job well done. Cheers! :o)

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  9. There is hearsay that the new green is white. And this has something to do with the roof, of course. It’s true that a simple coat of white on your roof or on the walls of your house can help alleviate global warming. And at the same time, it can help you save money through reduced electricity bills. This cool idea is actually making its way across the globe, and we can hope that it be implemented in other cities, just like in New York and Greece.

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  10. I like the before and after picture of your house. It’s really nice. Painting it white made your house look modern. And just like before, you made sure that the color of the roof complemented your walls too. Great! The color may be plain to some people, but for me, it’s gorgeous!!

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  11. It transformed into a beautiful yet functional type of cottage. Just like what Richard is trying to say, painting your roof white will make it somehow energy efficient. Studies show that it can deliver heat reflectance, or the ability to reflect the sun’s ultraviolet rays. That AC unit up there – you don’t have to use it that much! =)

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  12. I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this article.Thanks for sharing.

    Roofing Repairs Baton Rouge

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