SIDING AND WINDOWS FAQs
Do you repair and/or replace old siding?
Yes, we do both partial repairs and entire replacement of siding. Often owners will request we repair old water damaged siding or window/door trim. Upon removal of the old siding or trim we will uncover underlying rot of wall sheathing, framing and windows and doors.
Can you match existing siding for repairs?
Yes, in most cases you can match the old siding. Often, we find the question becomes should the old siding be replaced with the same siding? If the job is small, then in many cases the best solution is to replace the damaged old siding with the same type of siding. If large areas of siding are damaged, then in many cases we recommend replacing entire walls or all the siding with one of the newer types siding which offer superior benefits.
If customer asks: What type of siding does home currently have?
Cedar siding, cement board or vinyl
If homeowner says cedar-
Many of homes in OBX built prior to 1990s had some form of cedar lap siding. While cedar siding gives a classic look and can last upwards of 40 years, the problem with cedar is the high material cost and, also it requires considerable cost to maintain over its life. Except in subdivisions such as Sanderling which still require cedar siding, we recommend homeowners consider alternative types of siding.
If homeowner says cement or Hardie board: Cement board siding was originally developed by the James Hardie Corporation, is commonly referred to as “Hardie siding or Hardie board”, and was the dominant siding installed on new homes in the early 90s all the way up until around 2015. Other manufacturers of cement boards include Nichiha Cement board siding. It consists of fiber reinforced Portland cement, and it’s major benefits is that it is impact and fire resistant and holds up well when properly installed, maintained and not subject to extreme to moisture. The problem is we often find the cement board on OBX homes was not installed properly, maintained with quality paint, and protected from water.
If customer says vinyl siding-
A small percentage of older homes in OBX have vinyl siding. We find the typical lifespan of vinyl siding to be 30-40 years. One of the major problems we see with older homes with vinyl siding is the siding being blown off in large sections from tropical storms and hurricanes, often with winds of less than 60 mph. In these cases, the cause of the problem is the nails which attach the siding to the wall have rusted away to the point the heads of the nails fall off, which then allows the siding to detach from the wall. This is due to fact that builders 30-40 years ago often used what is known as electro-galvanized nails whereas today builders are using hot dipped galvanized or stainless-steel nails. Hot dipped galvanized nails offer superior zinc coating than the electro galvanized nails. At Patterson Homes and Construction, we only use stainless steel nails, which are superior to hot dipped galvanized.
What type of siding do you recommend?
We have a couple newer types of siding we really like that offer superior weatherability and low maintenance over older types
siding. Can we schedule a time for one of our consultants to meet with you in order to show you samples of these sidings?
Do you replace windows?
Yes, we can replace a single window or entire house of windows. We are partial to Anderson Windows in most cases as we find them to hold up well to the harsh climate. While Anderson windows cost more than vinyl windows, since most of the older homes already have Anderson windows the costs for installation is often lower than that of vinyl windows, since they often require re-trimming the interiors of windows.
Do I need to replace the siding and windows or can I just replace the windows?
A home’s roofing, cladding, along with windows and doors are known as the building envelope, and should be thought of as an entire system. For example, the cladding, or siding always has an underlaying moisture barrier. The windows and doors should have a nailing fin.
Do you replace doors?
We replace both entry doors, sliding, and French doors.
What’s the typical turnaround for siding jobs?
It depends upon the size of the job, the amount of pre-construction planning involved, and the backlog of jobs in the que. Whole home siding is a major job and should ideally have all planning and the contract in place mid-summer in order to be able to put on the schedule to start in early fall. Upon signing of agreement, it may take upwards of 4-6 weeks to do material takeoffs, order and wait for materials to be delivered, and possibly longer for custom order materials. Construction time for a complete whole house siding job would depend mainly on the size of the house. A 4-5 bedroom could typically be done in less than a month whereas a large 6–10-bedroom home may take upwards of 2 months of construction time.
