Did a quick look at a home for sale that had some problems. House built in 1988 had masonite siding and was replaced with vinyl at some point. There has been water damage around the foundation and in several areas the underlayment has rotted at ground level and you can see to the outside. The underlayment appears to be nothing more than 3/16" or 1/4" compressed board. Is this possible? Shouldn't it be something more substantial. There appears to be no other sheathing. Would this have been ok with the original more substantial masonite siding but now it's only a thin layer of vinyl. Thanks for any input.

We are in the process of collecting bids for siding our house. We've talked to a company about steel seamless siding. They are, of course, talking up their product. Any thoughts on the benefit of steel over vinyl? Steel seems awfully costly, but still waiting on the bid for vinyl. We're in the middle of the US and we do see the extremes of heat and cold. Should this be a major factor in our decision? Thanks for any advice!