Some siding jobs are about a new color. This one changed the whole look of the back of the house. The before-and-after photos come from a siding replacement in Clinton Township, taken from the backyard, looking at a tall gable wall, a boxed chimney chase and a one-story wing, with a wood deck along the back.
What we did
Before: painted vertical siding and Tudor-style trim
In the before photo, the back of the house is covered in mustard-yellow vertical board siding. A horizontal seam runs across the tall gable, and there’s a triangular opening near the peak. The gable has a tall, narrow window and a small angled window, with a sliding door below. The boxed chimney chase on the left is finished in the same yellow with cream panels and Tudor-style trim boards, and the two-story section on the right has cream panels with yellow boards. A window on the right has a small brown roof cap over it.
After: light gray horizontal lap siding
In the after photo, the gable wall, the chimney chase and the one-story wing on the left are covered in light gray horizontal lap siding. The chimney chase is fully wrapped, with matching corner trim on its edges and a flat metal cap on top. The seam across the gable is gone. Where the before photo shows a triangular opening at the peak, the after photo shows a rectangular louvered gable vent. The tall window and the angled window are trimmed in white, and the rake edge of the roof is wrapped in trim as well.
Some things stayed the same. The brown cap over the right-hand window, the sliding door frame and the deck with its railing all look the way they did before. The siding changed; the layout of the house didn’t.
Why it matters for Michigan homes
Painted vertical panel siding can look fine for years. Here’s why it eventually becomes a maintenance problem in our climate:
- Seams and edges are weak points. Panel siding relies on paint and caulk at its joints. When those wear out, water can get into the edges of the panels, and repeated freeze-thaw cycles make the damage worse.
- Lap siding sheds water course by course. Each row of horizontal lap siding overlaps the one below it, so rain runs down and off the wall.
- Tall, exposed walls take the most weather. A two-story gable and a boxed chimney chase stand out in the wind and rain. Wrapping them completely, corners and cap included, closes up the spots where weather usually gets in.
- Attics need to breathe. Gable vents let air move through the attic, which helps control moisture and heat. Your roofer and siding installer should look at attic ventilation as a whole system.
Learn more about siding replacement, vinyl siding and attic and roof ventilation.
Thinking about a similar project?
If your house still has painted panel siding, or trim that needs repainting every few years, we can show you what a switch to low-maintenance siding would look like. Estimates are free, and financing is available on approved credit through our financing partners. See more local work on our Clinton Township siding page.
Call (844) 757-6543 or request a free siding estimate online.