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ptpatrick

Siding and Curb appeal upgrades advice, colors, material, insulation

2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago

I have been considering painting our home for a few years now but ended up doing a major interior reno before that. we are recovered and starting to focus on exterior more now.

one thing that has held up our paint job is I cant decide whether to remove the asbestos siding and upgrade to hardie shingle. the home is a 1920 arts and crafts story and a half style in denver. it has asbestos siding on the upper front half. i just hate it and find it looks flat. when i see the hardie shingles it just looks like more dimension. also it might be nice to add some insulation behind. the siding covered walls get quite hot and cold and the room that is under that area has the greatest extremes in the house. part of this is certainly the roof dormer ceilings, but the walls dont help. most of the house is only brick and plaster so it would be partial insulation upgrade for sure. the attic is already as insulated as we can get.

interested in others thoughts.…obviously siding change is a big expense, mostly from the asbestos removal. would it be worth it to get a nicer look and extra insulation? we plan to paint regardless and i am thinking of lightening it a bit, making window sashes (and storms) match the Marvin gunmetal (sort of dark gray navy) around the back of the house. its a historic district so teh front windows are still wood (although good windows).

i am thinking benjamin moore Gray owl for brick and siding, white dove or cloud white trim, and probably wrought iron or raccoon fur for the window sashes, maybe a backwoods green door. the previous owners sort of victorianized it a little with accent colors but I plan for a cleaner look and may remove the shutters and get some that are properly sized and functional “looking”. what do we think?




Comments (9)

  • 2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    It’s a very handsome home! Two first impressions: those teeny shutters look foolish and the landscaping (both trees and shrubs) is overgrown.

  • 2 years ago

    Fair assessments. I did let the yew bushes get overgrown. I have gradually been trimming down each season but it’s a process but they need to stay high at porch height to allow a little privacy for packages to avoid theft. But they do need to trimming on the front. Same goes for the trees. The hawthorn to the right def needs trimming, and the other shrubs could use some clean up. And yeah shutters are coming down regardless of whether I replace them becuase I agree. I probably won’t replace them.

  • 2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    I think a professional trimming of the yard, bushes and trees, including sidewalk edging, will be a big upgrade. I agree about the shutter assessment. The only other things I might do is paint the door a more interesting color and find some new shades for the bay that look better from the street. It's a charming house, it doesn't need much.

  • 2 years ago

    Thank you! Yeah we had quite a lot of depth of insulation blown in a couple years ago. It did help but not a ton. I don’t think we can do more. I thought they could just install foam board behind the siding but maybe that’s not a thing.

  • 2 years ago

    If your attic doesn't have adequate insulation, then adding it to the sides of the house won't do much. Blown-in insulation should be adequate. If you have adequate insulation in your attic, get a ceiling fan. You can reverse them in winter, so they are blowing heat down. A ceiling fan will be pretty effective at sucking in cooler air at night. We have no A/C and just ceiling fans. If we manage the curtains (to block light when it is shining in the windows), windows (closed during the heat of day and open in the evening) and fans, we keep the house a really comfortable temperature in the summer. Of course, we live in Maine and usually have a sea breeze.


    But, even in a place with hotter summers, you can do a lot of heat management.


    You might benefit from an energy review to find out where your problem is coming from.

  • PRO
    2 years ago

    Can't speak on the insulation.

    I think the gray owl would be nice. I prefer a little darker color for a house. A nice blue or sage green would be pretty too.

    I do agree with the landscaping - it's swallowing the house. You can get a nice porch box for your deliveries. opening up that front will be much nicer.

    I completely agree about the shutter situation. I actually do really like the black trims. Hope you keep those.

    Good luck!

  • 2 years ago

    Your photos are so tightly cropped it is difficult to be sure what would work best in your situation..but the back area seems the neediest for adding some charm…in your case a a pergola or shade cloth structure ….even attached to the house…creating a comfy outdoor living space ..in back…seems like it would be a more private outdoor space for family and entertaining..and a huge beautification of the area and architecture

  • 2 years ago

    Thanks for the feedback. We have a nice setup back there. This pic was old because I was just trying to capture the color and style of the house. But we have a couch and patio dining set, a big dining table and some Adirondack’s as well as an umbrella. It’s shaded nicely with trees too so very inviting(pic was not summer). As far as the front landscaping, yes, it’s not perfect, and I’m working on trimming things back. I was out of the home for a year that covered much of 2 growing seasons and it got away. Also waiting on city to fix the sidewalk where our large hell strip silver maple has upheaved the sidewalk before I get too ocd on edging. It does look a bit wild upfront but it’s not that bad in person, esp after I did some trimming and cleanup the other day. I think it’s the shade from our smaller maple and just time of day it kinda just makes all the green blur together. I also just sort of like trees and shrubs and variety. I have ground covers and such and I like that but I realize it crates a bit of a layered effect that isn’t as desirable to everyone. My neighbors entire yard is vinca and shade perennials and very “natural” so I sort of gave up hope on the manicured look for mine because the vinca creeps over. And the sun cooks everything in Denver so I like trees, even if they could use a trim. The maple in the picture has just been too young to necessitate a professional trim, but it’s probably there as of this year. The one by the porch is just a hawthorn and I missed the winter trim season before I realized how big it had gotten. Anyway, I’m at peace with the landscaping, but working on tidying up.