[dneubauer09]

Hello,

I've been struggling with what to do with my garage door frame for the last couple of weeks. Let me give you some background.

I apologize for being wordy.

Garage:

• 2 car garage with single 16' door
• Aluminum siding with styrofoam backing
• Appear to be fiberboard behind the siding, there is no wrap
• About 1' of siding on one side of garage door and 4' of siding on the other

Existing trim (removed due to damage and rot):

• Door was framed with 1x6" boards. These were perpendicular to the door.
• 1x2" boards were stacked to make a 2x2" border around the frame of the door, this faced outwards.
• Aluminum coil stock was bent in the shape of a "J" to cover the 1x6" and 2x2". It was then caulked along where it met the siding.
• 1" deep J-Channel was used along the top of the door frame to hold the aluminum siding above the door. Where 2 pieces met, there was a gap that was seemingly never sealed. The J-channel was caulked to the aluminum coil stock.

With that background, the caulking eventually failed ALL the way around the door and water made it through the caulk line as well as the crack in the J-channel. What ensued was the 1x2"s rotted completely and the 1x6"s started to rot. Thankfully the actual structural frame of the garage door is intact.

I have since removed all the rotted wood and am left with the bare structural wood of the garage.

My plan was do replace all of this with a brickmoulding and J-Channel like I see on vinyl sided garages all over the place.

My Concerns:

• How do I address the J-channel going across the top of the door? I can't find any single piece that is long enough, so it would have to be spliced. I can't find anything that tells me how to do that with aluminum j-channel (is it different from vinyl?)
  
  I'm assuming I will also need a drip cap under the J-channel, so I'm assuming I will run into the same issue of having to splice it along the top, but I think that can just be overlapped?
  
• How do I secure the j-channel along the sides without removing the siding? I'd like to avoid the possibility of damaging the siding since it has faded with age and replacement siding would mean residing the whole front of the garage.
  
• Say I do get J-channel installed along the side, and then put brickmoulding up against it, how do I stop water from getting between the two and causing damage there as well?

Any assistance is greatly appreciated. If you need clarification, let me know. I'll also try to get some pictures up shortly.

Thanks!

 

[dneubauer09]

Here are some photos. I did not mention it but the previous trim was tapered at the corners. I will be squaring it out for simplicity sake.

 

[mako1]

The aluminum wrapping the trim on the door was done improperly.It should have been installed before the siding and bent with a flange that went under the siding.That way if the caulk failed water would not have been able to get behind it.
I see no way to fix it properly without removing the siding.Caulk will never fix a bad install.

 

[dneubauer09]

I had a contractor out and say the same thing. I am really wishing it were vinyl siding as my research tells me that removing aluminum siding with out damaging it is not always possible.

 

[kwikfishron]

I had a contractor out and say the same thing. I am really wishing it were vinyl siding as my research tells me that removing aluminum siding with out damaging it is not always possible.

You can R&R the aluminum just fine. You just have to start at the top of the wall and remove it in the reverse order as it was put up.

It does take a little TLC though so the wrong crew could easily screw it up.

 

[dneubauer09]

Good to know.

Should I be concerned about whether or not the siding has enough flex to get it into the j-channels once in place? On the one side, the siding is maybe 12-18" long...

I just don't want to rip it all down, install the j's and not be able to get the siding back on.



Sent from my One M8 using Tapatalk

 

[firehawkmph]

Good to know.

Should I be concerned about whether or not the siding has enough flex to get it into the j-channels once in place? On the one side, the siding is maybe 12-18" long...

I just don't want to rip it all down, install the j's and not be able to get the siding back on.



Dn,
Aluminum siding is not cut to fit tight into both sides of the J channel. On a piece as short as you mentioned, slide one end into the channel and the cut length should allow you to just clear the J channel on the other side. Then center the panel side to side and nail. If you have room to drop them in from the top, you can cut them a little longer for a closer fit. Drop each piece in from the top. It will slide down and stop when it touches the top of the last installed piece. Grab the bottom and pull it down so it rides over the nailing hem and then back up to lock it up.
You might want to consider using something like Azek trim for the jambs and brick mold. Easy to install, doesn't have to be covered in aluminum, and won't rot.
Mike Hawkins

 

[joecaption]

If it was mine I would not waste my time trying to reuse the old aluminum siding.
There was nothing done right on that siding job.
Bet you can find vinyl siding that will be a close enough match in color and exposure to replace it with.
Need to take a sample and go to real siding supplyers, not the box stores.
I'm dealing with this now on a a $500,000 house where some DIY installed there own siding and did not do the one bend in the coil stock that would have kept the water out.
Instead it rotted all the main beams causing at least $10,000 in damage.
All because of not spending the time make one more bend.
There also did not use any under sill ( utility trim) under any of the windows or the sliding doors so that also rotted the walls out.

 

[oldfrt]

Clean up the perimeter behind the siding at least 4"by removing nails,slip flat coil or window wrap,or both behind siding and over trim area.Slip J behind siding.add drip cap to top.Continuous flat stock at top of door should protect wood at joint in J,but you could also lap joint in J and seal with good quality caulk for added protection.

You can temporarily tape J to siding to hold it in place.

Now fit PVC trim around door,then pin nail J to sides of trim.Won't take too many nails,just enough to hold it in place.

Easy-peasy,no need to remove siding.