We are looking at purchasing a home with cedar shake siding. Any siding that is covered (there are several covered porches) is in great shape. The rest is peeling (previously painted) and shows some of the bare wood. We saw the home after about a week of very rainy weather. The shakes that showed bare wood were a little soft but they were not warped at all. I don't know anything about this kind of siding. Is it because of the wet weather / bare wood combo that it was soft, or is it just rotting? Just wondering if once everything dried out, would the shakes dry and be okay to prime, paint and seal, or would they need to be replaced?

Klock, cedar is considered to be one of the more durable woods. If the bulk of the cedar seems to be solid and in good shape, are you adverse to replacing some of the siding if it came down to it? If you really like the house, and the bulk of the siding seems to be in good shape, come up with a figure that you think it will take to replace those pieces that is acceptable to the current owner.

Most states have purchase contracts contingent upon inspection, among other things. I am assuming that if you go under contract, you will have an opportunity to have an inspector come in to tell you what needs to be repaired and replaced throughout the property. Whatever he finds, you bring those problems back to the seller and negotiate the purchase price down to include the costs associated with repairs. If your state does not have that, please let us know what type of contracts are being used.

We are going to place a bid "as is". The whole home will need some repairs and we are looking at this from an investment standpoint. Just trying to get an idea if this is where the bulk of our money will go, or can we save what is there. Most of the shingles are showing bare wood, so replacing each one will likely be costly.

Well, the best way to tell if the siding needs to be replaced is: Is it cracked? Then it will need to be replaced. Is it soggy and really spongy/springy to the touch? Then it will need to be replaced. A little soft shouldn't be a problem but that is a hard call to make online without being able to inspect it myself. Also, if you are in an area where there are termites or carpenter ants, be sure to make an attempt to verify that they are pest free or you will have an even bigger expense on your hands.

When you look at investment property, if you are limited in your knowledge of construction costs in your area, the best rule of thumb is to try to find someone that you trust enough to look things over and give you a ballbark estimate to bring it up to speed and add another $5,000 - $20,000 to that figure. :)

If you don't have that option try to calculate what it will take to repair and then add another third to the price. So, if you believe it will take $50,000 to fix it up, you should keep in mind a figure of $75,000 at the minimum. Believe me, there are always things you miss. So, add on the high end figure to repair the property to the base purchase price and see if it is worth purchasing. Look at it as something that if you absolutely have to flip if you hit a personal financial snag, you want to make sure you will be able to get your money out it immediately if you have to.

Any other questions I can be of help with?

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Originally Posted by klock

We are looking at purchasing a home with cedar shake siding. Any siding that is covered (there are several covered porches) is in great shape. The rest is peeling (previously painted) and shows some of the bare wood. We saw the home after about a week of very rainy weather. The shakes that showed bare wood were a little soft but they were not warped at all. I don't know anything about this kind of siding. Is it b/c of the wet weather / bare wood combo that it was soft, or is it just rotting? Just wondering if once everything dried out, would the shakes dry and be okay to prime, paint and seal, or would they need to be replaced?

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Cedar is by nature soft. It has naturally occurring chemicals that help it not to rot, but to take water and repel it. If absorbed it can dry out and be a good as ever. I live in a house that has shingles that are original to its 1903 building date. I would look more for split shingles that would allow water where it is not planned for. I would look for wear on the edges and the face of shingles. Paint, in my opinion, is cosmetic and it helps the cedar to repel weather, it is not part of what makes it work. Often people who know no better paint with laytex paint on cedar. Cedar requires oil based paint as the same properties that help it repel water will also repel and cause laytex paint to peel. Good luck. KaCe

I have cedar shingles on my house that have been previously painted. Several areas have been replaced with new cedar shingles. Both old and new shingles have been primed and just painted. The problem is new and old do not match. Although they are painted the same color, the new ones look darker and the house looks - not so good. Is there anything that can be done?