What type of siding is appropriate for a Cape with additions?
My house is clad in white clapboards and grey shingles.
I am wondering what type of siding is appropriate for my home. A mix such as is installed?
I ask this because (as you will see) my house is in desperate need of painting and/or residing. If there is a better or more appropriate way for my home to ber resided I’d like to figure that out before undertaking any work on the siding.
The main or center portion of the house was built in 1975. An in law apartment was added at one end, a family room and garage at the other, in 1985. I have owned the house for five years, and as you can see attention to the siding is percolating to the top of my to do list.
I cannot see any rhyme or reason to the portions that are grey shingles and the sides that are white clapboards.
Can anyone shed light on this subject? Is it random, or are capes supposed to look like this?
Thanks in advance!
Ian
Replies
The main reason for preferring shingles/shakes in some areas is that they work out a bit easier in odd-shaped areas (gable ends) and around features such as curved windows. Otherwise it's a question of "visual appeal", and no one here is visually appealing enough to have much judgment in that area.
Hard to tell from the picts what the materials are. I'm guessing, for a 1975 house, "hardboard" claps, but the shingles are a bit harder to guess. Would help to know. And what is the failure mode -- has the hardboard gone "punk"?
Would also help to know where this is located.
Thats a lot of good info!
The house is in central Massachusetts.
The notion that shingles would be easier to install on gable ends and around curved windows is a good one, although many of the sides with long, straight edges are also clad in shingles.
I'll have a look tomorrow and see if I can figure out what the siding is made out of. I assume the shingles are cedar, and the clapboards pine, but am not sure.
Thanks so far,
Ian