Smartside soffitt not siding

I’m going to be replacing the vinyl siding on our house and am looking for some recommendations on what to use. I really don’t want to use vinyl again. We’re in the Midwest (Wisconsin). We want a mix of vertical and horizontal lines with a modern look. We like board and batten, but aren’t necessarily tied to it. We are looking for something that’s moderately priced. Not cheap and not ultra expensive. Is Smartside a good choice?

Long Read, but I’m trying to paint a picture for the think tank here, and I appreciate everybody's input who participates.
Has anybody ever used something like a Fiberglass Acoustic Board (Certainteed AcoustaBoard Black R in this case) for a continuous exterior insulation underneat a rainscreen set up?
I’m in the planning / material acquisition process for the reconstruction of my 1934 home, Zone 2 (Central FL), and I’m looking to do this as low cost as possible (own the property outright currently, doing all the work myself, no loans, renovating as cash flow from my day job comes in).
There’s a lot of construction projects going on in this area, so there is a decent selection of surplus building materials available for a fraction of Retail pricing. I'm planning on retiring in this house (i.e. I'm not ever going to retire due to life events that set me back financially at this point in my life, but I also don't want to kill myself working to avoid being 2 missed mortgage payments away from homelessness because of a layoff or something; I’m looking to get best ROI to live without a mortgage and keep future costs as low as possible. Well aware of the Good/Fast/Cheap equation, and I’m okay with eliminating speed for quality and durability.
I have an opportunity to pick up enough 4×8 Certainteed AcoustaBoard Black R 4.3 or 6, https://www.certainteed.com/products/technical-insulation-products/acoustaboard-black-toughgard-facing) sheets for my project, and to soundproof interior walls between rooms, at an incredibly low cost (like 15-20 bucks a sheet, leftover from a commercial project.)
Pertinent Home Details:

• ~1000 sf Pier and Beam Wood Frame Construction, which will pretty much be rebuilt to meet FBC 2023 Codes, due to 90 years of Termite damage thoroughout
• On a completely open crawl space – no foundation walls (plan on using a foil faced insulation underneath floor joists at R-5, taped at all seams, with joist cavities insulated with mineral wool to prevent critters from getting too comfortable;
• Planned Construction Details:
  • 2×4 walls planned but Willing to do 2x6 if there's really a true added benefit here with the additional prices of deep jamb doors, windows, etc.
    • Construction has to meet FBC 2023, 160 mph wind load standards
  • Mineral Wool in Stud Cavities
  • Regular OSB Sheathing, with Prosoco R-Guard Cat5 Rain Screen or R-Guard Spray Wrap Rain Screen liquid applied WRB/Air Barrier + R-Guard Liquid Flashing System
  • Continuous Exterior Insulation with PT 1×4 Rain Screening
  • Hardie or LP SmartSide lap siding.

Questions that are keeping me up at night as I plan the project in my head, below:

• Am I asking for trouble by using a Fiberglass Board for Continuous Exterior insulation?
  • I’m trying to get my head around vapor transmission rates for the product, the technical specs aren't very clear, but this stuff looks like unfaced (no aluminum or kraft paper, etc) duct board. It’s fiberglass bonded with a thermoset resin, so I don’t think there’s any mold / rot issue being up against the liquid WRB with a 10-15 Perm Vapor Rating
• Is even pursuing Continuous Exterior Insulation / Thermal Bridging Prevention juice even worth the monetary squeeze where our coldest winter conditions are measured in hours rather than days consisting of mid 30’s-40’s at night. I’m on the coast (3-4 miles inland from ocean), and we get into upper 90’s on the hottest summer days. Mean Annual Temperature is 75 degrees F, and we get about 45 inches of rain per year.
  • I understand air sealing is pretty important, hence the liquid WRBs, and I’m pretty concerned about moisture rot, which attracts termites, etc. Lots of PT lumber being used throughout this build, termite shields, soil treatment around piers and any ground contact areas, followed up with a Borate Treatment of all wood (belt and suspenders) prior to closeup of walls. You can probably get that I hate termites at this point.

Thanks!

Feedback please!
Located in the Bay Area, CA. Pretty mild year-round (~40F-80F), and foggy often. Zone 3C, I believe.

• 10 year old Tuff shed. 12ft x 10ft, Gable roof, w/ 2x4 framing. Asphalt shingles on the roof and OSB LP SmartSiding panel walls. No wrap and no existing watemold issues over the last decade.
• I've installed two 14x27 windows.
• There are no ridge or soffit vents, but there are two gable vents (on either end) and a roof-mounted whirlybird vent.
• Planning to build a frame around each of those three vents so that I can plug with a piece of foam board when I want to close them off and remove the foam board when I want to open them.
• I will heat/AC off of a large EcoFlow. It's a small space in a moderate climate, so I won't need to run those long. Limited other electric - lights, laptop - off of the EcoFlow too. It's nearly warm/cool enough as is without insulation or any conditioning.

The questions... - For the ceiling, I was thinking FrothPak spray foam directly on the underside of the roof deck. I know that's the "right" way to do it since there is no way to vent the roof deck. But... is that really necessary in a very moderate climate? I'm not showering or cooking in there. How likely is vapor damage/mold if I just stuck rockwool up there instead? - For the walls, I was going to use rockwool... but if I end up doing spray foam on the roof, should I just do spray foam all around and be done with it? Or am I risking water damage issues since the shed isn't wrapped? - Thoughts on finishing materials? I'm tempted to do shiplap panel or T&G since they seem easier than drywall?

Due to fairly large hail, we have an insurance claim and the insurance estimator is counting our whole roof and 3 sides of our house for siding, along with other odds and ends. So it looks like we're going to replace our siding, and that's what my questions are about.
Our house is 120 years old and currently has aluminum siding. We aren't sure about vinyl siding. It looks nice I guess, but it's easy to see which houses are vinyl siding, and my spouse just says she wants aluminum and not vinyl. For me, basically I don't want to downgrade our siding from what we have now. It seems like our aluminum is durable, low maintenance, and could last a super long time. Basically the only downside is it shows dents, though they're not obvious.
I have spoken with two exteriors contractors so far and they both said they didn't think aluminum siding was made anymore. I have more details on the one and they only do siding with vinyl and LP Smartside. This one also mentioned the thickness of our aluminum siding was ".019 thickness, standard grade" (inches maybe??) in our insurance estimate, and their vinyl siding option was much thicker. They may have said 4 times thicker, but I can't remember for sure. Whatever, fine. I have just heard that we should be fine as long as it's better than "builder's grade" vinyl siding.
Now I've actually looked and I do see aluminum siding is available. We're in Illinois near St. Louis, but I see an exterior contractor near Chicago installs aluminum siding "Mastic by PlyGem". So it may be out there. I don't know about local though.
I know there are other options like the LP Smartside or Hardie plank siding. Both of those probably cost significantly more. I am not sure how the money will shake out and what we can do.
I appreciate any input! Should I seek out more options for aluminum siding? Is aluminum siding basically dead and not doable? Our insurance does have replacement cost, so do we push insurance for something?

Solar is one way to keep your electric bill from continually rising.
Additional insulation is the answer a lot of you Phoenicians are looking for to save money and stay cooler.
Over the past 3 years I cut my power usage by 2/3rds by hyperinsulating a 1960's block house in Sun City, Arizona.
You can achieve 75% of the energy savings I did at 25% or so of the cost and effort.
Blow (or have blown) more insulation in your attic. Figure $1500-2500 to have it done.
$500 if you're willing to do it yourself. It's easy. Here's how! You and a helper can do it first thing on a Saturday morning and be done BEFORE lunchtime. Do it NOW, before it gets hot!
Film your windows (3M, Duck brand, or Frost King film, turns a double pane into a triple pane!) It's easy! Double-sided tape and a film that's like Saran Wrap. You heat shrink it with a hair dryer until it pulls tight and becomes almost INVISIBLE!
You'll be amazed at how much heat it prevents from coming through. Cost you $5-10/window.
Renters, this is the one thing you can do. Landlord's not gonna mind, or even notice. And it's easily removed.
Awnings, shades, sails. Keep the sun OFF the south side of yer house whatever it takes!
Keep your house cooler by keeping your attic cooler ! Go around and blow out your soffitt vents with a leaf blower - especially after blowing in more insulation! 10 minute job! Get up on the roof, remove and LUBRICATE those whirly-gigs (White lithium). Take a level up and re-set them LEVEL for maximum rpm's. Or replace with new ones if they're worn out!
Vroom, Vroom!
Consider installing a whole-house exhaust fan. A whole house exhaust fan allows you to take advantage of cooler night-time temps, esp on the shoulder seasons.
Swamp coolers, when it's dry out make an AMAZING amount of cold air cheaper than air conditioners do. But you have to use them correctly!
The trick to successfully using swamp coolers, is ensuring you let as much exhaust OUT of the house as cool, moisturized air you're blowing in. Open windows, doors, add Upducts. Swamp cooling is not a "recycle" system like an air conditioner, it's a one-way, one and done. Like your auto AC set on "fresh."
Upducts (1 way vents) are great because while 90 degree humidified air won't cool your house, it WILL cool your 150 degree attic and reduce the load on your air conditioner.
It's not either-or with central AC or swamp cooler. I have both --- AND a window air conditioner in my office, and a solar-boosted minisplit.
Zone cooling. Consider ductless mini-splits instead of cooling the ENTIRE house. Why air condition the bedrooms all day long?
Consider switching to minisplits when it comes time to replace your Central AC. Actually do it BEFORE your HVACA fails, if it's over 10 years old. You can plumb up to 3 head units for a single outside unit nowadays. Higher SEER since yer not pumping air down a long ductwork.
All about minisplits, including SOLAR BOOSTED ones.
One end of the house is always hot, right? Install a minisplit there. Some are DIY, less than $1000, and do not require professional installation, HVAC, etc. Pioneer brand is a well known brand, available via Amazon. I have YMGI.
I know of guys going down to Mexico and buying minisplits for under $500.
If you install a single $700 minisplit BEFORE your 10+ year old air conditioner fails, you won't end up shit out of luck in July when it might take a month to get a failed central AC replaced.
Can you afford to install newer, better windows? You'll love the energy savings AND the noise reduction. Got skills? DIY! Cost you 1/4 vs professional installation. It ain't that hard! Or find a handyman to install them INSTEAD of paying Andersen or WindowsWorld a super premium.
I watched a half dozen Youtubes on installing windows and got down to business. Sure, there's a few tricks, a few problems. And tons of help available online. All you have to do is ask.
You'll get a much faster payoff on insulation, high-E windows, etc. than you will a solar install. And you'll FEEL the difference immediately.
And there's nothing wrong with installing solar if you've got the $.

A few weeks ago we had a pretty abnormal wind driven rain storm here in north eastern Massachusetts. I had water coming in over the casing of a relatively new replacement window which has me investigating residing options. I believe the water was blowing in my attic vent and running down the sheathing. My house was built in 1967 and has cedar shakes, I believe the siding is original but appears to be in relatively good shape, minus the peeling paint and some rotted trim. The problem side is 370 sw ft of siding. The entire house, including problem side is about 2400 sq ft of siding + 700 sq ft of foundation that will need painting.
We bought the house in 2017, knowing it was sort of a fixer upper. My original plan was to get a few windows replaced/year until they were all done, and then address the siding . Now I don't know what to do. I was feeling like its time to do the remaining 11 windows and redo all the siding in hardie or vinyl.. get the whole exterior up to snuff so i have less potential problems to worry about and use something i wont have to keep painting every 6-10 years. My two trusted contractor associates (My cousin lives and works too far away and my high school friend said he would really only be able to help if it was a strip and re do) have suggested just repairing/replacing the side with the leak in cedar.
If most of my siding is in good shape I agree that it seems silly to rip it all off, throw it all away, but without knowing how much life the cedar has left, i hesitate to pay to strip and paint it if it will also need to be redone in 5 years or so. Im wondering if the cost of replacing the 370 sq ft side of cedar + all new trim on the whole house + painting whole house will be enough to justify just redoing the whole house in a pre colored synthetic material but with material costs changing so much its hard to know what makes sense. Hardie, LP smartside, vinyl, cedar?? I was interested in hardie because i thought it would mean i wouldn't ever have to paint again but im realizing thats not necessarily true. I know people think vinyl looks cheap but i dont really mind the look, but i am concerned about the insulative aspect of it.
The only quote ive got back so far was for Hardie... 70k without windows. That was much higher than i thought it would be and im feeling like the guy just gave me the "I dont want to do it price" i reached out to him because hes local and a distant family friend, but i think hes more of an inside guy and not necessarily interested. I live in an expensive area.. we paid 450 k for this house in 2017 and our zestimate right now is 727 k. A house in my neighborhood very very similar to mine.. only 2 baths instead of 2.5 and only 1 car garage instead of my 2, just sold for 830k... so while this will be a budget busting project, i kind of feel like i cant afford NOT to.
I could really use some guidance and instead of continuing to ramble id be happy to answer questions and provide pictures if its helpful. Chimney side is the leak side.
​

A few weeks ago we had a pretty abnormal wind driven rain storm here in north eastern Massachusetts. I had water coming in over the casing of a relatively new replacement window which has me investigating residing options. I believe the water was blowing in my attic vent and running down the sheathing. My house was built in 1967 and has cedar shakes, I believe the siding is original but appears to be in relatively good shape, minus the peeling paint and some rotted trim. The problem side is 370 sw ft of siding. The entire house, including problem side is about 2400 sq ft of siding + 700 sq ft of foundation that will need painting.
We bought the house in 2017, knowing it was sort of a fixer upper. My original plan was to get a few windows replaced/year until they were all done, and then address the siding . Now I don't know what to do. I was feeling like its time to do the remaining 11 windows and redo all the siding in hardie or vinyl.. get the whole exterior up to snuff so i have less potential problems to worry about and use something i wont have to keep painting every 6-10 years. My two trusted contractor associates (My cousin lives and works too far away and my high school friend said he would really only be able to help if it was a strip and re do) have suggested just repairing/replacing the side with the leak in cedar.
If most of my siding is in good shape I agree that it seems silly to rip it all off, throw it all away, but without knowing how much life the cedar has left, i hesitate to pay to strip and paint it if it will also need to be redone in 5 years or so. Im wondering if the cost of replacing the 370 sq ft side of cedar + all new trim on the whole house + painting whole house will be enough to justify just redoing the whole house in a pre colored synthetic material but with material costs changing so much its hard to know what makes sense. Hardie, LP smartside, vinyl, cedar?? I was interested in hardie because i thought it would mean i wouldn't ever have to paint again but im realizing thats not necessarily true. I know people think vinyl looks cheap but i dont really mind the look, but i am concerned about the insulative aspect of it.
The only quote ive got back so far was for Hardie... 70k without windows. That was much higher than i thought it would be and im feeling like the guy just gave me the "I dont want to do it price" i reached out to him because hes local and a distant family friend, but i think hes more of an inside guy and not necessarily interested. I live in an expensive area.. we paid 450 k for this house in 2017 and our zestimate right now is 727 k. A house in my neighborhood very very similar to mine.. only 2 baths instead of 2.5 and only 1 car garage instead of my 2, just sold for 830k... so while this will be a budget busting project, i kind of feel like i cant afford NOT to.
I could really use some guidance and instead of continuing to ramble id be happy to answer questions and provide pictures if its helpful. Chimney side is the leak side.
​

A few weeks ago we had a pretty abnormal wind driven rain storm here in north eastern Massachusetts. I had water coming in over the casing of a relatively new replacement window which has me investigating residing options. I believe the water was blowing in my attic vent and running down the sheathing. My house was built in 1967 and has cedar shakes, I believe the siding is original but appears to be in relatively good shape, minus the peeling paint and some rotted trim. The problem side is 370 sw ft of siding. The entire house, including problem side is about 2400 sq ft of siding + 700 sq ft of foundation that will need painting.
We bought the house in 2017, knowing it was sort of a fixer upper. My original plan was to get a few windows replaced/year until they were all done, and then address the siding . Now I don't know what to do. I was feeling like its time to do the remaining 11 windows and redo all the siding in hardie or vinyl.. get the whole exterior up to snuff so i have less potential problems to worry about and use something i wont have to keep painting every 6-10 years. My two trusted contractor associates (My cousin lives and works too far away and my high school friend said he would really only be able to help if it was a strip and re do) have suggested just repairing/replacing the side with the leak in cedar.
If most of my siding is in good shape I agree that it seems silly to rip it all off, throw it all away, but without knowing how much life the cedar has left, i hesitate to pay to strip and paint it if it will also need to be redone in 5 years or so. Im wondering if the cost of replacing the 370 sq ft side of cedar + all new trim on the whole house + painting whole house will be enough to justify just redoing the whole house in a pre colored synthetic material but with material costs changing so much its hard to know what makes sense. Hardie, LP smartside, vinyl, cedar?? I was interested in hardie because i thought it would mean i wouldn't ever have to paint again but im realizing thats not necessarily true. I know people think vinyl looks cheap but i dont really mind the look, but i am concerned about the insulative aspect of it.
The only quote ive got back so far was for Hardie... 70k without windows. That was much higher than i thought it would be and im feeling like the guy just gave me the "I dont want to do it price" i reached out to him because hes local and a distant family friend, but i think hes more of an inside guy and not necessarily interested. I live in an expensive area.. we paid 450 k for this house in 2017 and our zestimate right now is 727 k. A house in my neighborhood very very similar to mine.. only 2 baths instead of 2.5 and only 1 car garage instead of my 2, just sold for 830k... so while this will be a budget busting project, i kind of feel like i cant afford NOT to.
I could really use some guidance and instead of continuing to ramble id be happy to answer questions and provide pictures if its helpful. Chimney side is the leak side.
https://imgur.com/a/zfXBFOZ

A few weeks ago we had a pretty abnormal wind driven rain storm here in north eastern Massachusetts. I had water coming in over the casing of a relatively new replacement window which has me investigating residing options. I believe the water was blowing in my attic vent and running down the sheathing. My house was built in 1967 and has cedar shakes, I believe the siding is original but appears to be in relatively good shape, minus the peeling paint and some rotted trim. The problem side is 370 sw ft of siding. The entire house, including problem side is about 2400 sq ft of siding + 700 sq ft of foundation that will need painting.
We bought the house in 2017, knowing it was sort of a fixer upper. My original plan was to get a few windows replaced/year until they were all done, and then address the siding . Now I don't know what to do. I was feeling like its time to do the remaining 11 windows and redo all the siding in hardie or vinyl.. get the whole exterior up to snuff so i have less potential problems to worry about and use something i wont have to keep painting every 6-10 years. My two trusted contractor associates (My cousin lives and works too far away and my high school friend said he would really only be able to help if it was a strip and re do) have suggested just repairing/replacing the side with the leak in cedar.
If most of my siding is in good shape I agree that it seems silly to rip it all off, throw it all away, but without knowing how much life the cedar has left, i hesitate to pay to strip and paint it if it will also need to be redone in 5 years or so. Im wondering if the cost of replacing the 370 sq ft side of cedar + all new trim on the whole house + painting whole house will be enough to justify just redoing the whole house in a pre colored synthetic material but with material costs changing so much its hard to know what makes sense. Hardie, LP smartside, vinyl, cedar?? I was interested in hardie because i thought it would mean i wouldn't ever have to paint again but im realizing thats not necessarily true. I know people think vinyl looks cheap but i dont really mind the look, but i am concerned about the insulative aspect of it.
The only quote ive got back so far was for Hardie... 70k without windows. That was much higher than i thought it would be and im feeling like the guy just gave me the "I dont want to do it price" i reached out to him because hes local and a distant family friend, but i think hes more of an inside guy and not necessarily interested. I live in an expensive area.. we paid 450 k for this house in 2017 and our zestimate right now is 727 k. A house in my neighborhood very very similar to mine.. only 2 baths instead of 2.5 and only 1 car garage instead of my 2, just sold for 830k... so while this will be a budget busting project, i kind of feel like i cant afford NOT to.
I could really use some guidance and instead of continuing to ramble id be happy to answer questions and provide pictures if its helpful. Chimney side is the leak side.
https://imgur.com/a/zfXBFOZ

A few weeks ago we had a pretty abnormal wind driven rain storm here in north eastern Massachusetts. I had water coming in over the casing of a relatively new replacement window which has me investigating residing options. I believe the water was blowing in my attic vent and running down the sheathing. My house was built in 1967 and has cedar shakes, I believe the siding is original but appears to be in relatively good shape, minus the peeling paint and some rotted trim. The problem side is 370 sw ft of siding. The entire house, including problem side is about 2400 sq ft of siding + 700 sq ft of foundation that will need painting.
We bought the house in 2017, knowing it was sort of a fixer upper. My original plan was to get a few windows replaced/year until they were all done, and then address the siding . Now I don't know what to do. I was feeling like its time to do the remaining 11 windows and redo all the siding in hardie or vinyl.. get the whole exterior up to snuff so i have less potential problems to worry about and use something i wont have to keep painting every 6-10 years. My two trusted contractor associates (My cousin lives and works too far away and my high school friend said he would really only be able to help if it was a strip and re do) have suggested just repairing/replacing the side with the leak in cedar.
If most of my siding is in good shape I agree that it seems silly to rip it all off, throw it all away, but without knowing how much life the cedar has left, i hesitate to pay to strip and paint it if it will also need to be redone in 5 years or so. Im wondering if the cost of replacing the 370 sq ft side of cedar + all new trim on the whole house + painting whole house will be enough to justify just redoing the whole house in a pre colored synthetic material but with material costs changing so much its hard to know what makes sense. Hardie, LP smartside, vinyl, cedar?? I was interested in hardie because i thought it would mean i wouldn't ever have to paint again but im realizing thats not necessarily true. I know people think vinyl looks cheap but i dont really mind the look, but i am concerned about the insulative aspect of it.
The only quote ive got back so far was for Hardie... 70k without windows. That was much higher than i thought it would be and im feeling like the guy just gave me the "I dont want to do it price" i reached out to him because hes local and a distant family friend, but i think hes more of an inside guy and not necessarily interested. I live in an expensive area.. we paid 450 k for this house in 2017 and our zestimate right now is 727 k. A house in my neighborhood very very similar to mine.. only 2 baths instead of 2.5 and only 1 car garage instead of my 2, just sold for 830k... so while this will be a budget busting project, i kind of feel like i cant afford NOT to.
I could really use some guidance and instead of continuing to ramble id be happy to answer questions and provide pictures if its helpful. Chimney side is the leak side.
​
https://imgur.com/a/zfXBFOZ

Had a contractor out to install LP Smartside. I have both panels and laps. The laps were not installed with the 3/16" gaps as required and cut ends weren't primered.
The house is getting a dark color of paint and it's south facing, so the laps will get full sun. I'm worried on hot humid days the siding will wave.
Is this a big issue?

We are in South Dakota, and my husband JUST finished the siding a few weeks ago. It's now my turn to get on the gun and do the caulking around all the trim (we have 540 trim on the corners and 440 i think is the window trim with 380 series lp smartside preprimed and painted by menards). Base layer is the Zip sheathing 7/16 boards (green waterbarrier over osb basically). We've got our 3/16 gap on all the edges, pan flashed any butt joints, but i'm wondering what's my window for getting this caulking done. It's nearly winter so close to 40 most days and dark within half an hour of getting home from work. What happens if I don't have caulking on the edges in like, 30 days? 60 days? I've started but I'm just so darn slow, only one wall is done and not on our gable area yet. Using DAP Dynaflex 230 i think it's called but that'll bottom out at 40 degrees (latex caulk).
Any advice is appreciated!
​
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​

So I have a one story house on Oahu. The siding is currently some board and batten material. 3/4 is some wood type product I'm unsure of, 1 wall looks like a cheap replacement of just plywood that has been painted (they forgot the batttens) there is no other sheathing, housewrap, etc.
I want to eventually replace it (and insulate) I was going to use Zip sheathing but someone mentioned that since it's OSB ut might not work with the termite issue here in hawaii. None of the pro builder companies seem to know. Does anyone have any experience? I was going to work in sections so zip felt like to would be best, I don't want to do the entire sheathing housewrap by myself.
I've heard that LP smartsiding works here though, and it's an engineered wood product.

I’m planning to start replacing the original siding on our 1994 house. It currently has these 8x4 OSB panels, and some lap siding on other sections of the house. It is my understanding that (according to neighbors who just replaced their siding on an exact house like ours) there’s not plywood sheathing under the 8x4 panels, but there sheathing under the lap siding.
My intention would be to start replacing the siding of the house in sections as I would be doing the work by myself. I would be using lap smartside as material.
I have a few questions, I am a newbie when it comes to siding; this is the first section (most damaged) that I would start on; It has got OSB panels, so no sheathing underneath. I’m also interested in installing some exterior foam board insulation since this is the area of the house that gets the coldest in winter and hottest in summer. The ones I’ve looked at range from 0.5” to 2” for R-3 to R-10 rated insulation. We live in the PNW.

• I’m assuming the process would go something like this: remove trim, and siding panels. Assess studs and framing to ensure no damage and repair as needed. If all is good to go would I: install plywood, house wrap, foam boards, and then the siding on top?
  
• If I were to install 2” form board, plus 7/16 OSB sheat, that alone would add 2.5” of material thickness. Does that mean I would need to use 3.5” siding nails in order to go through all the layers and fix the siding properly?
  
• Would there be any issues with mold or the house not “breathing” properly due to all the layers?
  
• Crawlspace vents would be replaced; due the added thickness they would become recessed. Is that an issue with water intrusion? Would I just need to install a drip edge that kicks it out? Whenever I get around doing a section with windows, these would be recessed too, anything that would need to be addressed here?
  
• Main question: how do I deal with this new added thickness of the wall where it meets the roof? It seems like the wall would now extend at least 2 inches out, how do I mate it to the joist/rafter? Same thing when doing the next face/section of the house; would the added thickness be a problem? Would I be forced to add the foam insulation everywhere in order for the added thickness to be the same on the entire house?
  
• Lastly, would you recommend re-installing the big siding panels or lap siding? Lp smartside has both.
  

Anything else I might be missing? Thanks a lot in advance!

I replaced the siding on the back of my house myself in 2019. I used LP Smartside lap siding and followed the installation instructions they provided. That's where I think I messed up. The instructions had me install the lap siding directly to the studs. The previous siding was directly on the studs (old house) so I didn't think anything of it. I used a vapor barrier and installed R13 fiberglass insulation.
Shortly after I had problems with my rear neighbor and the base from music they were playing outside. The problem persisted for a long while. I eventually worked things out with the neighbor and they have moved where they play music and are more reasonable with the sound. Problem is I can still hear the base! When I stick my head out to listen it's not at an unreasonable level. It just carries and I feel like it comes right on into my house. It's not just their music either, I can hear cars start and drive down the street behind my house.
We're doing a bunch of remodel work right now and I want to tackle this issue. I'm considering the the options below:

1. Replace back wall interior drywall with quiet rock and rockwool insulation. $$$
   
2. Replace interior drywall with Resilient channel, 1/2 drywall and rockwool (would only do bedroom in this case) $$
   
3. Just add an extra layer of drywall to interior $
   
4. Re-side the back of the house, have OSB sheething installed and Rockwood insulation. Would either use Hardie or insulated vinyl. $$$
   

I'm leaning towards option 4 particularly since I'm thinking of repainting the house anyway and if I went with Hardie I might recoup some on resale. Any advice would be appreciated!
Edit: forgot to mention we had laminate windows installed which did help but the problem persists. We do have a large sliding door that's just double pane that I'm going to replace with a laminate glass sliding door.

Additional insulation is the answer a lot of you are looking for to save money and stay cooler.
It's far cheaper than solar, works 24x7. Faster payoff than rooftop solar.
The utility cannot charge you for the power you DON'T USE!
Over the past 3 years I cut my power usage by 2/3rds by hyperinsulating a 1960's block house in Sun City, Arizona. That's like WORST CASE!
Read about it in excruciating detail!
You can achieve 75% of the energy savings I did with only 25% of the cost and effort. Simple things.
Blow (or have blown) more insulation in your attic. $1500-2500 to have it done.
$750 if you're willing DO IT YOURSELF. And It's easy. Here's how! You and a helper can do it first thing on a Saturday morning and be done BEFORE lunchtime.
Film your windows (3M, Duck brand, or Frost King film, turns a double pane into a triple pane!) It's like Saran Wrap. Attach with double sided tape then Heat shrink it till it pulls tight and it becomes almost INVISIBLE! It's easy after you get the hang of it.
This is not like TINTING windows. This is a film forms a 3rd pane with an insulating air gap.
You'll be amazed at how much heat it prevents from coming through. $5-10/window.
Renters, this is the one thing YOU can do. Landlord's not gonna mind, or even notice. And it's easily removed.
Can you afford to install newer, better windows? You'll love the energy savings AND the noise reduction. Got skills? DIY! Cost you 1/4 vs professional installation. It ain't that hard! Find a handyman to install them INSTEAD of Andersen or WindowsWorld.
do 'em one at a time as you have time and budget.
I watched a half dozen Youtubes on installing windows and got down to business. You can too.
Awnings, shades, sails. Keep the sun OFF the south side of yer house whatever it takes! Perforated (metallic) window SCREENS, (outside) work great, but are not cheap.
Anti-UV films, etc? I dunno. No experience with them.
Keep your house cooler by keeping your attic cooler ! Go around and blow out your soffitt vents with a leaf blower - especially after blowing in more insulation! 10 minute job! Get up on the roof, remove and LUBRICATE those whirly-gigs (White lithium) . Be sure and re-set them LEVEL for maximum rpm's. Or replace with new ones if they're worn! Vroom, vroom!
Swamp coolers, whole-house exhaust fans. Take advantage of cooler night-time temps, esp on the shoulder seasons. Swamp coolers, when it's dry out, make an AMAZING amount of cold air, far cheaper than air conditioners do.
I have ALL of the above and decide hour by hour which way is the cheapest to keep my house cool.
The trick to successfully using swamp coolers, is ensuring you let as much exhaust OUT of the house as cool, moisturized air you're blowing in. Open windows, doors, Upducts, it's not rocket science. It's not a "recycle" system like an air conditioner.
Zone cooling. Consider ductless minisplits instead of cooling the ENTIRE house. Why pay to air condition the bedrooms all day long?
Consider switching to mini-splits when it comes time to replace your Central AC. Do it BEFORE it fails, if it's over 10 years old. You can plumb up to 3 head units for a single outside unit nowadays. Higher SEER since yer not pumping air down long ductwork.
All about minisplits, including SOLAR BOOSTED ones.
One end of the house is always hot, right? Install a minisplit there. Some are DIY, less than $1000, and DO NOT REQUIRE professional installation, HVAC, etc. Pioneer brand is a biggie. I have YMGI.
Portable air conditioners. No. Not ONE person I've met bought a portable air conditioner didn't shitcan it six months later. At least buy a window AC unit. For far better performance (and comfort) install it directly into a wall, MUCH higher up so it can suck in the hot air near the ceiling. Just like minisplits do!
I've got a 18k BTU solar-boosted minisplit makes free cold air anytime the sun shines. 5 dedicated panels on the roof. No net metering, no interconnect, nada. Note: NOT DIY!!!
You'll get a much faster payoff on insulation, high-E windows, etc. than you will a solar install. And you'll FEEL the difference immediately.
And there's nothing wrong with installing solar if you've got the $.

I am building my first outdoor structure. It's a chicken coop. 2x4 framed walls + LP Smartside (similar to T1-11) siding, and these plug and play vinyl shed windows.
Now, the installation 'video' online, plus some YouTubers that I have watched installing these windows, suggest that I can put the siding on first, cut to the size of the window rough opening, and then slot my shed window in over top of the siding.
https://prestofen.com/en/installing/
This seems like it might not be a good idea though. I've always understood that it's best to seal and flash a rough opening to prevent water intrusion.
Should I instead cut the siding to leave space for the window moulding, and slot the window in against the 2x4 window box? In this case what do I need for flashing and sealing the opening? I am thinking probably some drip edge at the top, and some flashing tape around the edges of the opening, and then some caulking around the window.

i've been going back and forth between huber and other (admittedly more experienced) architects about whether or not a vapor barrier is required (and if so, what type) when using zip system r-sheathing panels on an exterior wall assembly to be built in climate zone 7 (colorado mountain town). so far, i haven't been able to figure out the answer. any advice is greatly appreciated, as i’m about to tear my hair out chasing down details, asking huber, comments on green building advisor, and phoning friends.
the assembly as it stands right now is as follows. this assembly was based off a detail on a set given to me by a builder in the area as well as building science’s high r-value enclosure that works. i’m more familiar with the standard osb, rigid insulation, and house wrap detail, but zip is apparently the way to go in this area per this builder. code requires wood framed wall to be r-20+5 or r-13+10.
typical ext wall assembly - lp® smartside® 3/8 x 6 x 16' textured lap siding - 1 1/2" thick zip panel (r-6) w/ integrated weather barrier - ecobatt® kraft unfaced fiberglass insulation batt (r-21) - 2x6 stud framing @ 16" o.c. - vapor barrier? - 1/2" gypsum wall board
thank you much for any help!