New Siding for Lapeer Homes, From Downtown to the Back Roads
Lapeer is a place where a 19th-century downtown sits a few minutes from open farmland. The city was incorporated in 1869, it is still the county seat, and its courthouse is one of the oldest in Michigan. Drive out on M-24 or toward Metamora, Elba or Mayfield Township and you are quickly among fields, farmhouses and outbuildings. Siding a house in that setting is not quite the same job as siding a 1990s colonial in a Macomb County subdivision, and this page explains how we approach it.
We are also upfront about one thing: Rock Solid Exteriors works out of Clinton Township, about 50 miles and an hour’s drive from Lapeer. Whole-house siding projects are a good fit for that trip because they run for several days with the same crew. We plan them carefully so that the distance never becomes your problem.
What We Find When We Open Up Older Walls
On a newer home, a siding tear-off is fairly predictable. On an older farmhouse or a house in one of Lapeer’s established neighborhoods, the existing siding is often covering history. It is not unusual to find one or more of these:
- Original wood clapboard under a later layer of aluminum or vinyl.
- Soft sheathing or sill boards near the foundation, where decades of splashback and snow sitting against the wall have done their work.
- Painted trim and window casings from long before 1978. EPA rules require contractors who disturb painted surfaces in pre-1978 homes to follow lead-safe work practices, and we plan the tear-off with that in mind.
- Old cement-based siding shingles. Some older homes have them. If we see material we cannot identify, we stop and talk to you about testing before anyone removes it.
What we do not do is bury rot under new panels. If a section of wall is soft, we show it to you, explain what it will take to repair, and give you the cost before we go further. One longtime customer described that approach better than we can:
They even spent an extra day when they ran into some unexpected wood rot to make sure the job was done right and would last.
Glenn S., Google review
Choosing Siding for an Exposed Rural Property
A house with open fields on one or more sides takes more wind, more drifting snow against the lower courses, and more direct sun than a house tucked between neighbors. Those conditions shape which material makes sense.
Vinyl siding
Quality vinyl siding is still the most popular choice for its price and low upkeep. We are a Mastic Preferred contractor and also install CertainTeed vinyl. On windy sites, panel thickness and proper nailing matter more than color: vinyl has to be hung loosely enough to expand and contract, but locked in well enough that a gust does not peel a course off the wall. Insulated vinyl is worth pricing if your walls have little or no insulation, which is common in older homes.
James Hardie fiber cement
If you want the look of painted lap siding on a farmhouse, James Hardie fiber cement gets closest to the original character. Hardie sells its HZ5 product line for climates with freezing temperatures, snow and ice, which describes a Lapeer County winter well. As a James Hardie Select Contractor we install it the way the manufacturer specifies, including clearances at the roofline and grade.
Metal and specialty siding
We also install metal siding, cedar shake-look gables and Versetta Stone wainscot. Stone along the bottom of a wall can be a practical choice on a rural property, since that is where mud, snow and mower debris hit hardest. If you have a detached garage or a pole barn you would like to match, show it to your estimator. Whether matching it makes sense depends on how the building is framed and sided today.
Soffit, Fascia and Gutters While the Walls Are Open
Siding projects are the right time to deal with the edges of the roof. Old wood fascia behind aluminum wrap often hides rot, and farmhouse overhangs are frequently shallower than modern ones, which puts more water down the walls. We replace soffit and fascia, and we install seamless gutters sized to the roof they drain. Doing it with the siding means one crew, one cleanup and one trip out to Lapeer.
How We Plan a Siding Job an Hour From Our Shop
- A thorough first visit. We measure every wall, look at trim, soffits and gutters, and note anything that suggests hidden damage, so the estimate is as complete as we can make it on one trip.
- Materials staged for the whole job. Siding, trim coil, house wrap and fasteners arrive together so the crew is not waiting on deliveries.
- The house is closed up every night. Weather in open country changes quickly. Walls that have been stripped are wrapped before the crew leaves.
- A daily cleanup. Nails and scrap get picked up at the end of each day, which matters when kids, dogs or farm equipment use the yard.
A customer who had her home and garage re-sided this summer wrote:
Owner worked with me on siding options, started job early, and completed 2000 sq foot house and detached garage in one week… absolutely beautiful.
Jan G., Google review
Permits in Lapeer and the Townships
Permits depend on where your home sits. The City of Lapeer has its own Building Department and requires contractors working in the city to register, with permit applications handled online. Lapeer Township sends building permits through the Construction Code Authority in Lapeer. Other townships in the county have their own arrangements. Either way, we pull the permits your municipality requires.
Why Lapeer Homeowners Call a Company From Clinton Township
Mostly because of what they get when they do: a company installing siding in southeast Michigan since 1997, manufacturer credentials with James Hardie, Mastic and CertainTeed, a 4.4-star rating across roughly 500 Google reviews, free estimates, financing on approved credit and a 10 percent discount for veterans. Details on product and workmanship coverage are on our warranties page. You can see more finished homes in our siding gallery.
Siding Questions From Lapeer County
Is Lapeer too far for Rock Solid Exteriors?
No. It is about an hour’s drive from our Clinton Township shop, and whole-house siding projects are worth that trip. Very small repairs may be better handled by a closer company, and we will tell you if that is the case.
Can you put new siding over my old farmhouse siding?
In most cases we recommend tearing off to the sheathing so we can find and fix rot before it is covered. We look at the walls during the estimate and explain the options and costs for your house.
Is fiber cement a good choice for an older farmhouse?
It often is. James Hardie lap siding gives a painted-wood look, and the HZ5 line is made for freezing climates. It costs more than vinyl, so we price both so you can decide.
Do you follow lead-safe practices on older homes?
Yes. For homes built before 1978, EPA rules require lead-safe work practices when painted surfaces are disturbed, and we plan the tear-off accordingly.
Request a Siding Estimate in Lapeer
Call (844) 757-6543 or request a free estimate online. Let us know your township and whether you have outbuildings you would like looked at, and we will plan the visit around it. For more on materials, visit our main siding page.
