Exterior siding help

12 months ago

Background - we built 13 years ago and were way over budget by the time we picked siding, so went with the cheapest vinyl siding with no great colors to choose from. I've hated it from day 1. Now we have extensive hail damage, so I get a do-over!

Can someone please help me with what to do here? We are still choosing between Hardie and LP Smartsiding/Diamond Kote (would love some guidance here as well). The white windows and trim need to stay, but everything else is up for re-design. The biggest thing I hate about the house is the huge flat gable over the garage. It needs something to break it up (corbel? eyebrow? or maybe if I just did the same color, it wouldn't stick out so much?). I'm up for stone accents...whatever you think would help this house.

The only other thing to note is we live in a very damp area (NW Wisconsin) where mildew has been a real concern. I've heard vinyl mildews very easy, so maybe just switching to a different material will remedy a lot of that), but I also don't want to be washing my siding every 6 months...so if that means picking a darker color, so be it. I do tend to prefer lighter, even white, houses though.

Thanks for ANY help with this you can give!!

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Comments (6)

J from Lakes Country
12 months ago
Do you get a new roof as well? Selecting all of the colors together would be important.

I like your home style quite a bit, and I don't think you have many limitations.

What are your favorite colors? I would drive through the neighborhoods, both new and classic homes (actually let someone else drive) and look at the color combinations. Snap pictures of your favorites. Darker moody colors seem to be trendy in my area of Minnesota, but I would be worried about fading down the line.
Lisa Berglund
Original Author
12 months ago
Yes, to a new roof as well!

I have been driving neighborhoods for weeks - again, I tend to really like the lighter colors, but wondering about upkeep and mildew issues being super noticeable, so moody might be better.
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PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
12 months ago
What do you want to do?
tdemonti
12 months ago
FYI what most people think is mold/mildew is actually pollen There are trees in your photo.

I learned this one year when I pressure washed the rear of our house and deck early spring and it was covered a few weeks later
Lyn Nielson
12 months ago
although I live in the MidAtlantic, north facing homes do mildew with vinyl siding.

Have you settled on a contractor in your area? I suggest you ask them for recommendations, and examples of their work. or maybe find a home you admire and ask the homeowners about their experience. Hardi will require regular painting. Often every 4 years or so. Nothing is NO Maintenance.
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
11 months ago
House require washing from time to time. Here in Florida, because of all the rain and humidity, our roofs build up mold and general soiling. We have our roofs washed every 2-3 years. That cleaning sometimes includes the exterior of the home. A good paint job here in the sun and the rain lasts 10-12 years. Houses require maintenance and with all the great tools out there now, it's fairly easy to accomplish.