Neighbor/Homeowner issue

[jackie011]

Neighbor reached out to tell us the sun is reflecting off our second floor window and damaging his new siding.

We built our house in 2009, and are the original homeowners. House next door was completed a few weeks after ours, this is the third owner.

We had bad storms and tornadoes this spring and lots of damage around the neighborhood. Our house had minimal damage, whereas this neighbor lost most of the siding on the north side of their house. This is the side directly next to our house. They just had all of their work completed in October, including new siding and a whole new roof.

Today neighbor sends us a picture of their warped siding. Said they discussed with their contractor who said it wasn’t any fault of his/their crew, it was a result of the sun reflecting off of our second floor window. Neighbor wants to meet this weekend to see what kind of solution we can all agree on.

I have no idea where to start! This is a second floor double wide window.

1. Do I have a responsibility to “fix” this?
2. Do I have the sole responsibility to fix this?
3. Who do you even call? A window company? A handy person?

We aren’t close with these people, but we are friendly and would like to remain cordial.

So, ML, WWYD??

[sofamonkey]

Sun damage in a month? That seems like perhaps they chose a poor material for the location. Have there ever been any other issues? Did you make any changes to your home?

I might start out contacting your insurance to see what they say about your responsibility and coverage for this.

[babsbunny]

If this was not a problem before, maybe he needs to buy better siding.

[fernweh]

No - this isn’t your responsibility. Unless this is a brand new window I doubt that is the cause. If the window was going to damage the siding it would have at some point prior to now.

I don’t even know what the solution would be short of taking out the window.

[thejen626]

Nope. If this was an issue with the old siding, then yes I’d be working with him to find a solution. But it hasn’t been an issue for 15 years, and now it’s an issue? Not my problem.

[momin2013]

I don’t think this is your problem to fix, and I truly can’t imagine what the solution would be (short of them replacing with siding that won’t warp).

If they want to meet and you want to maintain goodwill maybe go ahead and meet, but I’d be genuinely curious to hear what their suggestions are going to be.

[marie]

Nov 21, 2024 19:39:04 GMT -5 jackie011 said:

Neighbor reached out to tell us the sun is reflecting off our second floor window and damaging his new siding.

We built our house in 2009, and are the original homeowners. House next door was completed a few weeks after ours, this is the third owner.

We had bad storms and tornadoes this spring and lots of damage around the neighborhood. Our house had minimal damage, whereas this neighbor lost most of the siding on the north side of their house. This is the side directly next to our house. They just had all of their work completed in October, including new siding and a whole new roof.

Today neighbor sends us a picture of their warped siding. Said they discussed with their contractor who said it wasn’t any fault of his/their crew, it was a result of the sun reflecting off of our second floor window. Neighbor wants to meet this weekend to see what kind of solution we can all agree on.

I have no idea where to start! This is a second floor double wide window.

1. Do I have a responsibility to “fix” this?
2. Do I have the sole responsibility to fix this?
3. Who do you even call? A window company? A handy person?

We aren’t close with these people, but we are friendly and would like to remain cordial.

So, ML, WWYD??

I am wondering what area you live in where this could possibly be an issue? I agree, this is not your problem and it is so awkward that they asked you to meet. If I was the home owner I would have said these houses have been next to each other for x amount of years with no issue before talking to you

[bsp36]

Oh hell no. I would, if you can, get your contractor and check out the “problem” and get a second or third opinion. $10 they had some shady ass company that blew through town after the storms.

[mokes]

Well that's a new one. lol.

I googled "Can the sun warp vinyl siding?" and this was the first link that came up: ezsnapdirect.com/products/exterior-window-shades/

It doesn't look like it'd affect your view from the window ... he should definitely pay for it though! Looks fairly inexpensive.

[circa1978]

Nov 21, 2024 19:45:30 GMT -5 babsbunny said:

If this was not a problem before, maybe he needs to buy better siding.

I'm guessing they bought the siding their insurance company approved, which is a shitty situation for everyone. It's probably a bad product but not something the neighbors probably foresaw. That said, it's hardly OP's problem. The insurance company should be held to the standard to replace the siding with a product equivalent to what was lost and if this wasn't an issue with the previous siding, it seems obvious that hasn't happened.

[jackie011]

We live in the Midwest. It’s the original window. He says he’s noticed that it’s warm when he mows between the houses in that area (we have a service, they’ve never said anything). He said the previous siding was warped in the same area, however that all blew away in the storm, so no way to follow up. Original owner had a rain barrel in that area, so likely never noticed.

My coworker was adamant that this isn’t our responsibility and they should plant some sun loving plants there!

[shopgirl07]

What in the world? Don’t even entertain this fool.

[livinitup]

When we were on the market for home buying our state attorney general had just won a settlement against Ryan Homes because the siding on so many homes buckled. My H would not even look at homes by that builder. The siding was replaced (maybe some underlying structure repairs, too, mainly how it was installed) by Ryan. It was a big consumer win.

I did a quick search to find a link and there is a lot against Ryan Homes including a FB page. They are major builders, so sure.

All that to say - the contractor is lying to your neighbor to shift the blame and responsibility. It was improperly installed.

It’s hardly new. I feel badly for your neighbor but let him know you have neither deep pockets nor any responsibility to fix his siding problem. The contractor sure does.

[orangello]

lol, their contractor is clearly trying to save their ass. At most I’d offer to pay for a neutral siding/inspector to come out and diagnose. I have a really hard time believing a window can be this reflective unless you have a super reflective coating on the outside, which is highly, highly unlikely.

[ksun]

That's a big huge nope and ignore.

[cmeon]

This is absolutely a real issue- you have a low-E window facing south with no screen on it, right? Is it your fault- of course not! But yes- the reflection from windows (that meet those factors) can absolutely cook vinyl. There is better quality vinyl that can handle the heat- that's one thing he can do (but obviously $$$$$). He can try to block the reflection, but the heat generated by the window reflection will affect anything it's path (and that path moves).

The best solution is likely for him to pay you to install a screen or glass covering (invisible to your eye) that will break up the reflection- those are pretty inexpensive solutions.

[dexteroni]

What? No. Did they text you? I’d wait a day or so and send a cordial but mildly condescending “no.” “Steve, I can’t imagine that’s actually what’s going on. I think your contractor is being dishonest with you about their product or installation. You should really pursue it further with them.”

If you really want to hear them out to be neighborly, fine, but do *not* agree to anything on the spot. And if you do agree to a solution, don’t pay one penny for it.

[sofamonkey]

Nov 21, 2024 22:52:22 GMT -5 cmeon said:

This is absolutely a real issue- you have a low-E window facing south with no screen on it, right? Is it your fault- of course not! But yes- the reflection from windows (that meet those factors) can absolutely cook vinyl. There is better quality vinyl that can handle the heat- that's one thing he can do (but obviously $$$$$). He can try to block the reflection, but the heat generated by the window reflection will affect anything it's path (and that path moves).

The best solution is likely for him to pay you to install a screen or glass covering (invisible to your eye) that will break up the reflection- those are pretty inexpensive solutions.

Yes, of course it’s possible. But not for one month, and that month is October. Lol

[cmeon]

Nov 21, 2024 22:55:27 GMT -5 sofamonkey said:

Nov 21, 2024 22:52:22 GMT -5 cmeon said:

This is absolutely a real issue- you have a low-E window facing south with no screen on it, right? Is it your fault- of course not! But yes- the reflection from windows (that meet those factors) can absolutely cook vinyl. There is better quality vinyl that can handle the heat- that's one thing he can do (but obviously $$$$$). He can try to block the reflection, but the heat generated by the window reflection will affect anything it's path (and that path moves).

The best solution is likely for him to pay you to install a screen or glass covering (invisible to your eye) that will break up the reflection- those are pretty inexpensive solutions.

Yes, of course it’s possible. But not for one month, and that month is October. Lol

Yes- yes it can. There's magnification at work.

It's also entirely possible that they installed a lower tolerance vinyl.

[Leeham Rimes]

lol of course a contractor would say it’s not their fault for something like this. Or maybe I’ve just not had great luck with contractors but the idea that a window is melting the siding vs a problem with the product or install is almost laughable. The first Google hit for “why is my siding warping” is incorrect installation. Heat is also a possibility but not as likely as bad installation. I’d not go to a meeting with them for them to just tell me I need to pay whatever for their siding warping.

ETA: also, I live in Florida in a rental townhouse. I promise that the siding they have installed here is absolutely cheap. The whole south side of our house is blasted by our neighbors windows and we have no warping at all. So I vote for bad installation. Crappy contractors are a big problem here when storm repair is involved.

[heygrey]

Abso-fucking-lutely not.

I might feel differently if he presented it as "this is what my contractor said, here is a solution that absolutely won't effect your view and I am willing to pay for it 100% so that my house won't sustain further damage." The way he presented the topic feels like he expects you to carry to mental load and financial burden to solve this. No thank you.

I would say something if a neighbour installed/built something new and it damaged my property, but something that predates my ownership of the property? No. I lump this in with shit you deal with when you buy a house in a tightly built neighbourhood.

[cmeon]

Sometimes I think an ML neighborhood would be so fun, but then something like this gets posted.

Window reflections melting siding (and other vinyl things) is an extremely well documented thing- it's not even remotely suspicious that a large southern facing window could do that. Low-e windows have made this a much more frequent occurance (due to the way they work), but even parked car windows have melted vinyl.

OP- this video demonstrates this kind of damage and an effective nonpermanent fix that doesn't harm the window. As I mentioned, there are various films and other products made for this exact situation (because it happens enough to spawn entire business models), but that's up to you (and whatever warranty exists on your window).
youtu.be/oyis1tbBxBY?

I want to repeat that it's definitely fair to expect him to pay, but something like adding an outer screen isn't going to be very expensive.

[SusanBAnthony]

Nov 21, 2024 23:13:02 GMT -5 cmeon said:

Nov 21, 2024 22:55:27 GMT -5 sofamonkey said:

Yes, of course it’s possible. But not for one month, and that month is October. Lol

Yes- yes it can. There's magnification at work.

It's also entirely possible that they installed a lower tolerance vinyl.

Agree. This is absolutely a real issue. It isn't really anyone's fault it's just a thing that happens. A screen will likely solve it- ask your neighbor to pay for a screen if it's that big of a deal to him. Should be a couple hundred bucks.

Or tell him to put hardiplank siding on instead.

[tacokick]

I’d be happy to put up any screen my neighbor wants as long as they pay for it and I can schedule any installation or discussion about it around my schedule.


Time of the year can really change how the sun hits and if the old owners had a rain barrel there, I can see them never noticing or it shielding the house from the light enough damage wasn’t extensive.

If they buy the screen and it still happens then they can find a solution that doesn’t involve you.

[Bad Dingo]

Wasn't there another thread about this same issue sometime in the past year?

I agree w/PPs that asking the neighbor to pay for the fix makes sense, but I can see how they would feel that it is your property causing damage to their home and they might balk at that.

[sofamonkey]

Nov 22, 2024 7:36:45 GMT -5 cmeon said:

Sometimes I think an ML neighborhood would be so fun, but then something like this gets posted.

Window reflections melting siding (and other vinyl things) is an extremely well documented thing- it's not even remotely suspicious that a large southern facing window could do that. Low-e windows have made this a much more frequent occurance (due to the way they work), but even parked car windows have melted vinyl.

OP- this video demonstrates this kind of damage and an effective nonpermanent fix that doesn't harm the window. As I mentioned, there are various films and other products made for this exact situation (because it happens enough to spawn entire business models), but that's up to you (and whatever warranty exists on your window).
youtu.be/oyis1tbBxBY?

I want to repeat that it's definitely fair to expect him to pay, but something like adding an outer screen isn't going to be very expensive.

I understand the physics etc involved in this. I’m not questioning if this phenomenon is real. It is. We’re an engineering household, and this has actually come up many times, and we’ve watched the engineering disasters about this (it’s a nerd show lol) and had great at length discussions about it. But the window isn’t new, no angles have been changed, no other factors changed except the siding. Th at is why I’m saying it’s the siding.

Yes of course they can mitigate the effects from their window. However, once you get to warmer months, that siding is still going to fail because it’s the damn siding.

[bittybomb]

GTFO with this!

If this is even true (not your story but the damage being caused by your window) perhaps his contractor should have considered this possibility before using shitty siding..

People are bananas.

[hermione]

I am just here to say I cannot wait to hear how this plays out!

OP, do not spend one dime to fix this "issue." He's being ridiculous.

[cmeon]

Nov 22, 2024 9:05:03 GMT -5 sofamonkey said:

Nov 22, 2024 7:36:45 GMT -5 cmeon said:

Sometimes I think an ML neighborhood would be so fun, but then something like this gets posted.

Window reflections melting siding (and other vinyl things) is an extremely well documented thing- it's not even remotely suspicious that a large southern facing window could do that. Low-e windows have made this a much more frequent occurance (due to the way they work), but even parked car windows have melted vinyl.

OP- this video demonstrates this kind of damage and an effective nonpermanent fix that doesn't harm the window. As I mentioned, there are various films and other products made for this exact situation (because it happens enough to spawn entire business models), but that's up to you (and whatever warranty exists on your window).
youtu.be/oyis1tbBxBY?

I want to repeat that it's definitely fair to expect him to pay, but something like adding an outer screen isn't going to be very expensive.

I understand the physics etc involved in this. I’m not questioning if this phenomenon is real. It is. We’re an engineering household, and this has actually come up many times, and we’ve watched the engineering disasters about this (it’s a nerd show lol) and had great at length discussions about it. But the window isn’t new, no angles have been changed, no other factors changed except the siding. Th at is why I’m saying it’s the siding.

Yes of course they can mitigate the effects from their window. However, once you get to warmer months, that siding is still going to fail because it’s the damn siding.

I mean- you did question it. And a whole lot of other posters confidently denied that it was even possible. I'm not mad about it, but all together it's just a very ML thread.

FWIW, the previous siding *was* damaged, which is likely why it stripped off the house in the recent storm and had to be replaced. I'm sure the earlier owner (noted in OP's FU post) placed that rain barrel very intentionally, it's something OP can suggest if she wants to do absolutely nothing about her unintentionally menacing window, ha.

[pixy0stix]

I fall on the side of - it's probably been happening and no one cared or noticed. Now that the siding is new the neighbor knows it needs to be fixed. I'd probably go halvsies on whatever solution they are asking for and call it a day.