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Selling Your Home

When I was a kid, my parents decided to sell the small brick home we lived in. Unfortunately, they didn’t receive any high offers for the house. Because I don’t ever want to experience the difficulties selling a house that my parents did, I’ve researched home improvements homeowners can make to add value to their properties before placing them on the market. A great remodeling project to undertake before selling a home is installing new windows. New windows can add value by improving both the appearance and energy efficiency of a home. On this blog, I hope you will discover the benefits of installing new windows in your home before attempting to sell it. Enjoy!

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Selling Your Home

How You Can Replace a Section of Rotted Clapboard Siding Under a Window Sill on Your House

by Jesse Henderson

Water dripping down the side of your house can get under the window sill and rot out clapboard siding. Once the siding rots, you will need to have it replaced to restore the appearance of your house and protect it against the weather. Replacing the rotted section is not that difficult, provided you have basic carpentry skills. Here is how you can replace a section of rotted clapboard siding underneath a window sill on your house.

You Will Need:

  • New Section of Clapboard Siding
  • Hammer
  • Flat Pry Bar
  • Weatherstripping Caulk
  • Saw
  • Utility Knife
  • Pencil
  • 3/8" Siding Nails
  • Paint
  • Paint Brush

Remove Damaged Section

You normally won't have to remove the entire length of the clapboard siding unless the whole thing is rotted, but you do have to remove the damaged section underneath the window sill. Mark a line on the siding on both sides of the rot so you know where it ends. Then, draw a straight line down the siding with a pencil so you know where you have to make your cuts. Cut the siding with a utility knife. You want to make these cuts as straight as possible; this will ensure the replacement piece you cut with a saw will fit right into the opening without leaving a lot of space in the seams.

Take the angled end of the flat pry bar and slide it under the cut piece of siding. Push down on the long, flat end of the bar. This will pull the piece of siding and the nails holding it down off of the house. If any nails remain in the house, make sure you remove them, or else you won't be able to position the new piece of siding into the opening properly.

Cut New Piece

The best type of saw to use for cutting the siding is a miter or table saw, which can help you get straight edges. Measure the distance of the opening of the siding on the house and cut a length of clapboard siding to fit into it. 

Install Replacement Siding

Set the replacement piece into the opening and nail it in place with siding nails. You want the nails to be about an inch down from the window sill and spaced about 3–5 inches apart. You should also place nails down at the bottom of the piece of siding. Hammer those nails in about two inches or so above the bottom edge of the replacement piece of siding.

You should put weatherstripping caulk in the seams between the replacement section of the clapboard siding and the original siding on the house to seal it against the weather.

Paint Repaired Section

If you don't want the repaired section to stick out when people look at your house, you should paint it so it matches the color of the siding around it. If you would like help with this job, visit sites such as http://www.bluespringssidingandwindows.com to find contractors near you.

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