Replacing Rotted Out House Apron Trim and House Siding Clapboards this Weekend

Roof Run-Off has Caused the Exterior Apron Trim and Clapboards to Rot Near House Entranceway Steps

By Mark J. Donovan

This weekend I have another home repair project to tackle. I’ll be replacing a 10 foot length of old exterior house trim board and some masonite house siding. More specifically I’ll be replacing a section of my home’s  trim apron and couple of rows of house siding that sit directly underneath the front entrance way of my house. Water that runs off the roof and splashes off the granite steps bounces up onto the house siding and has caused some minor wood rot. Approximately a 6 foot section of house apron trim, along with a few rows of house siding near the steps, have become punky and rotted. Hopefully the sill is not rotted behind it. At least from the inside the sill looks in good shape. I expect the sill may be a little damp on the outer side, but I doubt there will be any real wood rot. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

To tackle this project I first need to slide about a 1,500 pound granite slab back from the house. The granite slab is the top piece of the staircase abutting the house entrance.  I need to slide it back about a foot so that I can get access to the rotted apron trim. I bought a three foot long crow bar to move the granite slab and have already tested its use. I was able to move the granite slab back a couple of inches with little effort.

Once the granite slab has been pushed back I’ll use a small power hand saw to cut vertical lines in the apron trim for the section I want to remove. I’ll then use a pry bar and hammer to remove the old apron. Once the old apron is out, I’ll inspect for water sill damage and if lucky replace the old apron section with a PVC based trim product known in the industry as AZEK. This material won’t rot and is paintable.

After fastening and painting the new piece of apron trim, I’ll then remove a few rows of the house siding back about two to three feet from the door. I’ll then splice in new pieces of masonite siding making sure to stagger the seams as I work my way up the house. 

Prior to installing the new masonite house siding, I will replace the rusted out drip edge that hangs over the apron trim. I’ll also make sure to use a silicone caulk sealer on all cut ends and above the drip edge to prevent any water from splashing up and getting behind the wood.

With any luck I will complete the entire project in a day.