Clapboard, shingles and trim
Clapboard, cedar shingles, corner boards and the trim that makes an old house look like itself.
Portland's houses wear wood: narrow clapboard on the West End, cedar shingles toward the shore, deep cornices and window casings on Greek Revival fronts. We repair siding board by board and match the profile, so the house keeps its lines. Where a section is gone we order or mill a matching piece instead of covering the wall.
What we don't do
We don't cover old wood with vinyl, aluminum or fiber-cement siding.
What's included
Rotted clapboard cut out and replaced with matching boards
Cedar shingles repaired or replaced at the original exposure
Corner boards, casings, cornices and water tables repaired
The cause of failed paint traced before we repaint
Scraping and painting done under containment on houses built before 1978
Pricing
What changes the cost
We print no figures. These are the things that move the number.
How much of the wall is sound
A few boards at the bottom of a wall cost differently from a whole gable.
Height and access
A three-story gable means scaffolding, and scaffolding is part of the price.
Matching the profile
Stock clapboard is one thing. A custom-milled board is another.
The paint
How many coats are on the wall, and how they come off, sets the days.
The season
Exterior wood work runs from spring into fall, and the schedule follows.
The work, in order
How the work goes
Step 1: Walk the walls
We look at every elevation from the ground and, where we can, from a ladder.
Step 2: Find the water
Failed paint and soft boards almost always trace to a gutter, a flashing or a joint. We find it first.
Step 3: Cut out and replace
Bad boards come out; matching ones go in, nailed the way the old ones were.
Step 4: Prime every cut edge
Raw wood is primed on all sides before it goes up.
Step 5: Paint in the season
Two coats, with the work area contained and cleaned each day.
Step 6: Walk-through
We walk the house with you and note any touch-ups.
Permits and rules
Historic districts
Exterior changes in a Portland historic district can need the city's review, including paint color in some districts. We help you find out what applies at your address.
Houses built before 1978
Scraping and sanding old paint is covered work under the EPA's rule for older houses. It sets how we protect the ground and the plants, and how we clean up.
Scaffolding
Scaffolding over a sidewalk or a street can need a city permit. We apply for it.
Questions about this work
Can you match my old clapboard?
Almost always, to the width and profile. We bring a sample to a mill or lumberyard and match it by eye and by measure.
Do you paint the house too?
Yes. Repairing wood and painting it belong together, so we do both, and we say so in the estimate.
Why did my paint peel so soon?
Usually water from behind: a failed flashing, a clogged gutter or a bare edge. Repainting without fixing that brings it back, so we look for the cause first.
Tell us about the house
A house visit is the first step. We write down what we see before we talk about a price.