I have been too busy to post. That's my story. I've been working every night and all weekend. Two sides are completely done. The third side looks completely done. I have trim work to do, but that is currently white, so it doesn't stand out as undone. The fourth side will be beige this weekend, (maybe tomorrow even) and that is including the fact that we will be out of town tomorrow afternoon. There is actually much left to do, but it doesn't look like it. It looks almost done. Drivers-by probably think it is done, since the fourth side is the back, opposite the street.
Here's a tip: Use a wet brush to apply caulk. I am using a couple dozen tubes of caulk on this project. See, if you get permanent metal or vinyl siding, it fastens to the corners and edges with a channel that the siding tucks into to leave a clean edge. My old siding did not have that. Where it butts against a window or door, that edge is bonded and bridged with caulk. The old stuff is largely dried and cracking, but it is also rough and ugly. I am replacing all that to make all those seams water-proof and attractive. Those adjoining surfaces are uneven because the siding tapers top to bottom, so it's a little tricky. Maybe a super-professional can squeeze it out of the tube cleanly and uniformly. Most people use their fingers, if only because their fingers are always with them. Some tools exist for the task. But both a tool and a finger essentially scrape away excess to leave that edge. I use a 1) paintable caulk that 2) cleans up with water. So, I can quickly lay out that bead, then grab a wet brush and smooth it out. As opposed to a finger or scraper, I am wasting nothing. Plus, I get nice smooth seams, continuous and waterproof, perfectly tapered even with all those awkward edges. I can work in either direction easily. I am super-pleased with the results.
