Submitted by Fattom23 t3_z67tav in philadelphia
I have a house with one of those "cornice hidden under vinyl siding" jobs. The cornice underneath may have minor damage or could need to be completely replaced. Does anyone have a recommendation of someone that could do the work or even a ballpark of how much money we're talking about here?
It was always part of the plan when I bought the house. But the work seems so specialized that I don't even know: it could be a thousand dollar job or thirty. I just have no clue.
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It really depends on the house and type of cornice. Wooden ones are obviously more expensive if things need to be replaced. I would assume the siding coving it was mainly because they didn’t want to paint it. I did 4 over the years. I rented a lift, got a heat gun and a scraper and went to town. The work isn’t that hard but the lift and labor will probably cost you around $3000. It adds at least that much to the value of your home if you do it right. Factor that into your decision. If I knew your block I might be able to give you more advice.
I'm on the 1300 block of North 29th. I assume that the covering meant that the work was going to be expensive, but if it's a 3K or so paint job, that gives me some hope.
Those are all metal cornices. Chances are it can be easily removed, scraped and a few holes repaired before painting. Don’t be overwhelmed by what you can’t see. It definitely shouldn’t cost more than my estimate. If everything in intact I would suggest you consider more than one color, to enhance the beauty. The difficulty is in finding a contractor, not the cost. Sorry I can’t help you with that. Everyone I know in the industry is swamped because of all the gentrification over the last few years. Be patient
My comment posted out of sequence. Sorry
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This guy is a carpenter in Roxborough that does cornice fabrication and does beautiful historically accurate work. Did our house and several others in the neighborhood. Like the other poster said, cost will depend on how much of a cornice you have behind the vinyl- sometimes you need a full replacement, sometimes you might just need a few corbels or gingerbread millwork that needs to be replaced. He can use wood or plastic for what you need reproduced.
It could be a matter of paint but it could also be a roof/flashing/water leak issue. Be prepared for either if you take the metal off.
Thanks for the heads up. It never occurred to me that that part is actually structural and there could be real issues with the removal.
HoagiesDad t1_iy01twx wrote
It’s still very hard to find a contractor in Philadelphia. My suggestion would be to wait till spring anyway. Hopefully it can be restored. Those cornices really give so much character to city homes.