Painting soffit and fascia - possible repair

[Michael Trew]

I bought the ugliest house in a nice neighborhood in East Liverpool, OH a few years ago. $5k house in a $65K house neighborhood... likely more now with the current housing market state. End goal is to flip it and make a nice profit. One of the photos was taken from standing on the board on the pump jacks, looking out at part of the neighborhood. Worry not, 5 pics in, 3rd from last, I had not scraped the peak, only up to where I painted.

This weekend was just painting and more painting. The scaffolding isn't the sturdiest, nor are the red pump jacks on top of the scaffolding. Standing at the peak of the 40 foot ladder to paint the top corner was NOT a treat either. The board across the pump jacks liked to bow, and I held my breath on every step. I'll most likely have to go back up soon and top coat it with a latex finish paint. One side of the house down,

3 more to go... well, that and all of the windows and trim... and enclosed front porch... ugh.

It's all single-coated in Sherwin Williams exterior oil based primer after scraping badly peeling existing paint. I was able to schmooze the SW manager a few years ago and get a contractor charge account set up for myself with the same pricing that the contractor I used to work for. The primer was half off the sticker price for me. Some of the paints I can buy are over 70% off sticker price.

The neighbor told me that this hasn't been painted since before I was born... I'm 26 years old, for reference. He set up the scaffolding, and I paid him to hang the siding. I paid a contractor thousands of dollars over 2 years ago, and the work has yet to be anywhere near completed, so I guess I'm doing most of if myself to get it done. It was nice that the neighbor is allowing me to use his scaffolding to paint. He's a retired contractor... I wish I knew that 2 years ago when I was hiring someone.

If you've gotten this far... you can see the crack at the peak up top, it's about 3/4 of an inch vertically across the fascia. It had quite a hornet's nest in there. I went out at night, one night even climbed the ladder... it took a few tries and a few empty cans of hornet spray, but the buggers are finally dead. I was going to be lazy and fill the gap with spray foam, caulk, and paint... suggestions?

[krw]

It looks good. I certainly wouldn't be getting up there to do the work (my neurologist said even 4' was too much - as if). Pump jacks, not even on my best day. ;-)

Is there really money in flipping a house in a $65K neighborhood? It seems labor would eat you alive, if not the materials themselves.

[Michael Trew]

(snip)

Thanks. I was not digging the pump jacks at all. I'm not particularly light, and I could feel that board between the two jacks bowing with every step I took. I felt quite uneasy at the one photo I took looking down.

I only paid about $5k for the house. I'm hoping to not have more than $25k in it all said and told. Homes don't sell for much around here, lots of the town a while down hill from where I photographed (looking out) is literally worthless unless you want to rent out scummy houses. A few houses not far up the street sold for $90-100K recently with the way the housing market has gone. I might stand to make a good buck on it. At least I hope.

[Leon]

Good golly a $65K neighborhood!!!! Looks like a nice neighborhood. Any more homes for sale??

I would think a thin piece of metal caulked in place and screws. Way up there it will be barely noticeable.

[krw]

Better you than me. Other than working on an extension ladder, with a shoulder always well between the rails, the worst I did was rented scaffolding with platforms I made out of 2x4s and 1/2" ply.

Time is worth money too. I understand that you are where you are but it seems the up-side is too limited for the risk.

The area you photographed looks reasonably nice. That's a tough area of the country though.

[DerbyDad03]

How about spreading some West Systems G-Flex epoxy in the crack? Flexible and waterproof.

Get some thickener to make a spreadable paste as the epoxy itself will run.

403 or 406 would probably be your best options.

It's always good to have some epoxy lying around. ;-)

[John Grossbohlin]

I had a similar experience... bought a "worst house in the neighborhood" for $8,500 and gut-renovated it. Never had a mortgage or other loan on it. Let's just say I could sell it for a lot more today...

[Michael Trew]

That's similar to the house that I live in now, but fortunately, most of it didn't needed gutted. 1900 late Victorian.. it's full plaster up to the finished attic, I did NOT want to haul that out of here. The kitchen and bathroom were basically gutter, however. No rent/mortgage is nice.

[Michael Trew]

Quite possibly more for sale.. search zip 43920 ;) .. cost of living is low, for sure. Good luck finding a good job, however. I travel 45 minutes to the Pittsburgh airport for work, that's the minimum "good job" commute unless you get into a government job or something.

I almost regret not keeping this house to move into. I'm not in a bad neighborhood per se, but as you go down the hill (I live maybe a mile down), it gets worse. I'm glad I'm not near down-town.. ick. If this house had a garage and other off-street parking (no easy way to do that with the hill), I most likely would have moved in here instead.

[Michael Trew]

Thanks! I can't say I've used many epoxies.. I have used the 2 part epoxy "wood hardener" in the Abatron kit before.

I ended up using some kind of thick epoxy in a tube that my neighbor had.. I just packed it in in layers, and put a finished caulk on the outside. You can't tell from the ground.

[DerbyDad03]

Just a tip...

The G-Flex product is easy to use because it's a 1-1 mixture. A lot of epoxies use a ratio, so you have to do math, prime the pumps if you use those, count the pumps, hope there's no air, etc.

With a 1-1 ratio you just figure out how grams as you think you need, weigh the resin then add the hardener until it's doubled.

The G-Flex is runny though. Great for leveling itself out, but messy for verticals, so thickener is often required. When possible I coat the surrounding area with Vaseline to keep any runs from sticking.

I'm glad you got your issue solved. Stay safe on the scaffolding. No thank you...not me.

[Michael Trew]

Thanks! Is that good for soaking into weathered, soft wood like the Abatron epoxy? Abatron is very pricey, and I'd surely consider alternatives before I do many of the soft window frames with it.

Thanks! I've painted a finish coat over the oil primer (Sherwin Williams A100 in extra white). I'm glad to be done with the scaffolding on this side, just one side to go (1.5 story-type house). I just have to go back up and fill/paint where the pump jacks were screwed into the fascia on ladder.

[Bob La Londe]

Nerdsplain much?

[Bob La Londe]

Ha ha... wrong thread.