Siding Replacement in Aberdeen, WA

Census data puts the median year built for Aberdeen homes at 1948. A typical house here has kept its siding through decades of very high rainfall and winter storms on the Pacific coast, and wind drives that rain sideways into laps, joints and window trim. That makes a siding replacement in Aberdeen as much about keeping water out of the walls as about how the house looks. Below: what is on local homes now, the siding we usually recommend for them, and the signs that yours is due.

What’s on Aberdeen homes now

Census data shows 51% of Aberdeen’s 7,040 housing units were built before 1950. Houses from that era most likely still have original wood lap siding, often under many coats of paint, and some of that paint may contain lead. Another 31% date from 1950 to 1979, when cedar, T1-11 plywood panels and asbestos-cement shingles were common. Asbestos-cement shingles may contain asbestos and should be tested before removal.

Newer homes are a small share. About 11% were built from 1980 to 1999, the era of composite and hardboard siding, including LP siding, which has a known history of moisture failure. Only 7% date from 2000 or later; those usually have fiber cement or builder-grade vinyl reaching its first repaint or replacement.

Most of the housing is single-family. Detached houses make up 69% of units, attached homes 15%, apartments 13% and mobile homes 3%. On a detached house every wall is exposed, so residing usually means the whole exterior rather than one or two sides. With 57% of homes owner-occupied, many Aberdeen owners plan to stay long enough for a siding choice to matter over the long run.

Choosing siding for Aberdeen’s conditions

We usually recommend three siding types here, plus stone accents, and settle on the right one for your house at the free in-home consultation. All three share one advantage on this coast: none of them is wood, so constant moisture will not rot them the way it rots old lap boards.

• Vinyl siding for budget and large walls. Vinyl is the most versatile and least expensive option we install. Aberdeen’s median home value is about $235,000, roughly 36% below the Grays Harbor County median, and owners here often want a durable, cost-effective exterior. Vinyl also suits salt spray, which makes it one of our two usual picks for vinyl siding in Aberdeen.
• Evergreen Shield Siding System for electric-heated homes. The Evergreen Shield Siding System is our insulated composite siding and the other usual pick for salt air. Census data shows 76% of Aberdeen homes heat with electricity and 15% with gas. When most of the heat is electric, an insulated wall earns its cost back faster over the years you own the house.
• Metal siding as an alternative. Fire rating is not what drives the choice here, since Aberdeen’s wildfire risk is rated Low, at the 52nd percentile statewide. Metal remains an option if you prefer its appearance, and we can compare it with the other two at your consultation.
• Stone veneer accents. Stacked stone or stone veneer works as a wainscot along the base of a wall, around an entry, or on columns and chimneys. It is accent cladding paired with any of the siding above, and it gives an older house a durable base course where rain splashes back from the ground.

Whichever siding you choose, wind-driven rain is why we use rainscreen detailing on this coast, and salt spray is why we use corrosion-resistant fasteners and flashing.

Evergreen Shield Siding System in Aberdeen

Two of the system’s approved features line up with what Aberdeen homes deal with. The composite panels are built for water resistance through long wet seasons, humidity, mold and mildew, which describes most of the year in a place with very high rainfall. Unlike cedar, the panels will not rot in that weather.

For a house that has been scraped and repainted for generations, the bigger change may be the finish. The panels come in 20 built-in, fade-resistant colors that resist chipping, peeling and fading, so the siding never needs repainting. On older lap-sided homes, where peeling paint is often the first complaint, that ends a recurring job. See how the Evergreen Shield Siding System is put together.

Signs your siding needs replacing

On older wood lap siding, check the bottom courses and the boards under windows first. That is where wind pushes rain into the laps, paint peels and wood turns soft. Paint that fails again a season or two after a repaint points to moisture coming from behind the board. On homes from the 1950s through the 1970s, look for T1-11 panels with delaminating edges and cedar boards that are split or cupped. On 1980s and 1990s homes with hardboard or LP siding, swelling along the bottom edges is the usual failure. Brown streaks or mildew on interior walls after a winter storm mean water may be getting past the siding. Broken or rotten siding lets water, air, insects and dirt into the wall, and decay spreads into the wood behind it.

Get a free siding consultation in Aberdeen

Schedule a free in-home consultation by calling 253-777-0866 or using our contact form. We inspect and measure your exterior and help you pick the siding type and color. Financing is available, and we offer discounts for seniors, active military, veterans and first responders. For roofing, windows and decks, see our Aberdeen home exterior services.