Siding Replacement in Lakewood, WA

Vinyl siding is still uncommon on Lakewood houses. Pierce County assessor records cover 11,608 single-family homes in the city, with a median build year of 1960, and just 9% of them have vinyl walls today. Most re-siding jobs here begin by stripping older wood-based cladding that has weathered for decades. This page covers what is on those houses now, how vinyl, the Evergreen Shield Siding System and metal compare for local conditions, and the warning signs worth checking before you call.

What’s on Lakewood homes now

The assessor data describes a city built mostly in the postwar decades: 63% of single-family homes date from 1950 to 1979, 18% from before 1950, 12% from 1980 to 1999 and 7% from 2000 on.

Houses from 1950 to 1979 typically went up with cedar, T1-11 plywood panels or asbestos-cement shingles. Asbestos-cement shingles may contain asbestos and should be tested before removal, so we plan for that step when a house from this era is on the schedule. Homes built before 1950 likely started with wood lap siding, and the paint layers on them may contain lead.

The 1985 to 1996 building years, when hardboard and LP siding were common, account for about 8% of single-family homes. LP siding has a known history of moisture failure, and those houses tend to show it first.

Masonry and stucco are rare. Only 4% of homes are brick or masonry and 2% stucco, so on most houses the siding covers every wall.

Size shapes the job. The median single-family home is 1,636 square feet, and 23% have two or more stories, which means taller walls, more staging and more material. Census data shows 44% of the city’s housing units are detached houses, 19% are attached homes and 4% are mobile homes.

Choosing siding for Lakewood’s conditions

Rain sets the terms. Lakewood is in the South Sound, which gets heavier rain than the central Sound, and wet walls are where wood cladding fails. Vinyl, Evergreen Shield Siding System panels and metal all avoid that problem for one reason: none of them is wood. Unlike cedar, none of the three needs scraping and repainting after a wet winter. These are the types we usually recommend, and we settle on the right one for your house during the free in-home consultation.

• Vinyl siding fits most Lakewood re-sides on cost. The city’s median home value is about $460,000, which is 13% under the Pierce County median, and vinyl is the most versatile and least expensive of the three. That matters most on two-story houses, where the extra wall area multiplies the cost of every square foot. Vinyl comes in horizontal lap, vertical board and batten, and shake or shingle profiles for gables, with matching soffit for overhangs.
• Evergreen Shield Siding System panels are the choice when heating cost is your concern. Census data shows 67% of Lakewood homes heat with electricity, and insulated siding pays back more where heat is costly. The graphite membrane in each panel gives R-2.0 thermal resistance, compared with R-0.61 for standard vinyl.
• Metal siding is a sturdy alternative for owners who want a different look, with vertical and horizontal panel styles to suit both mid-century ranch houses and newer builds.
• Stacked stone or stone veneer works as an accent alongside any of the three: a wainscot along the base of a wall, a pair of entry columns or a chimney face.

Wildfire risk in Lakewood is rated low, at the 48th percentile statewide, so a fire rating rarely decides the choice here. Budget, wall area and heating cost usually do.

Evergreen Shield Siding System in Lakewood

The Evergreen Shield Siding System is our own insulated composite siding, designed for the Pacific Northwest climate. Two of its features match what Lakewood houses deal with.

The composite is built for water resistance through long wet seasons, humidity, mold and mildew. On a house that has spent years with damp lower courses and mildew on the shaded side, that is the main reason to consider it.

The panels also come in 20 built-in, fade-resistant colors that resist chipping, peeling and fading, so there is no repainting cycle. Many mid-century homes here have been scraped and painted over and over; this ends that routine. We bring color options to the consultation so you can compare them against your trim, roof and any stone accents.

Signs your siding needs replacing

On Lakewood’s 1950 to 1979 houses, trouble usually starts low on the wall and on the shaded side. Check for:

• Cedar boards that are soft, split or cupped along the bottom courses and around window trim.
• T1-11 panels that are delaminating or swelling at the lower edge, where water collects.
• Moss and dark staining on north walls. The same damp conditions that grow moss on local roofs will grow it on siding that stays wet.
• On homes built from 1985 to 1996, hardboard or LP lap siding that has swollen, flaked or gone soft at the drip edge.
• Paint that peels again within a few seasons of a fresh coat, a sign that moisture is getting behind the boards.

One soft board can be replaced; several failing walls usually point to a full re-side.

Get a free siding consultation in Lakewood

Schedule a free in-home consultation through our contact page or call our Tacoma office at 253-777-0866. We inspect your current siding, measure the walls and talk through vinyl, insulated composite and metal for your house. Ask about financing and our discounts for seniors, active military, veterans and first responders. For roofing, windows and decks, see our Lakewood home exterior services.