Today, we put the last coat of paint on the new siding. Tackling the upper level beyond the edge of the deck proved to be a challenge. I don't think I've ever had to paint something from fifteen feet in the air. I also had to paint an area at the gable while lying on my side on the roof. That was also a bit awkward. I decided to paint the difficult-to-reach areas by hand, rather than using the roller. This way, I could lay on an extra thick coat of paint that hopefully won't need another coat; perhaps just a light coat with the roller.  read more »

Our contractor stopped by the house today to deliver his final bill for the siding work. It was supposed to be cheaper than his estimate, since we decided to cover the existing siding rather than having it torn off. However, I opened the envelope and discovered that it was about $1400 MORE than he had estimated. I was furious. I called him to ask what happened, and he said, "I dunno. I guess that's what it cost us." Looking over the breakdown, it appears that he is trying to mark-up the labor for his subs by another 100%, so that's about $700 worth of the overage.  read more »