The next step was to install the siding. I chose vinyl siding for its durability, cost and ease of installation.

First off, I cut the window holes:

Next I wrapped the house with the roofing tar paper. It’s actually organic felt dipped in asphalt. I’d think dipping it in asphalt should disqualify it from using the term organic but whatever.

Most houses use Tyvek waterproof wrap as a moisture barrier. The issue with that is that I read that using Tyvek subjects a building to a greater risk of trapping condensation inside and promoting mold. That’s especially a concern with a small space as we have here. So I opted for a more breathable wrapping with the tar paper.

At the same time, I don’t want drafts so I went through and caulked the major seams in the roofing:

After the wrapping was on, I installed the windows:

And blocked in the wheel wells:

I got all light blue siding so it would have a Mediterranean feel as well as not absorb too much sun to keep the cooling costs down. It’s more or less summer here in Texas from around May until October so avoiding heat is more a concern than collecting it for winter.

I painted the J-channel and corners white to accentuate the design. I realized that I should have just ordered those parts in white to begin with. Here, I’ve added the painted parts:

And then here are some progress and completed siding pictures:

When I was nearing the top, I realized I hadn’t known enough about siding at the time to order undersill. It turned out though that the overhang of the rafters were enough to tuck the siding into. And then I’ll cover that part with some 1×4 trim.

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