Our blog post today takes us to Armonk, New York. Armonk, New York, is home to historical landmark The Smith Tavern (built in the 1700s), as well as the home of the North Castle Historical Society. Armonk actually is one of three hamlets within the town of North Castle in Westchester County and about 40 miles from New York City.
The homeowner we will be discussing today had a beautiful brick home in Armonk, with fantastic soaring columns out front. You could easily tell how meticulous he was about his home just by driving up to it.
He gave us a call because he wanted to replace the siding and also have framing done on the columns. When people want to change the outer appearance of their home, one of the most dramatic changes they can make is as simple as replacing the siding, whether it’s vinyl siding, our preferred James Hardie fiber cement lap siding, or other siding materials.
Something that supplies an even bigger “wow” factor: You can add trim (typically wood or fiber cement) to your fascia, doors, windows, and columns. This can really make your home look more sophisticated and pull everything together.
James Hardie Siding Replacement
Armonk, NY
Being the meticulous homeowner he was, our client expected perfection. It can be nerve-wracking having work done on your home. There are so many options. Vinyl siding or fiber cement lap siding? Wood shingles or asphalt? Area repairs or remove it all and have a full roof or siding replacement? What are the benefits? Are the supplies readily available? How will I know if a company will do a good job?
He did a lot of research before choosing a siding contractor, and we are absolutely thrilled that he checked our online reviews and decided to go with us for the installations. Well, the majority of our clients come from referrals and online reviews.
One thing we like to do for all of our clients is a thorough evaluation. During our evaluations, we discuss what the clients want, different material options (siding materials in this case), time constraints, any special requests, and budgets. All the details are addressed at the beginning to remove as many potential issues as we can.
We want to make sure that we are doing the work as safely as possible. We also want to identify any issues that may be lurking beforehand. That way we can discuss how to proceed forward with the owners. These are all great benefits of doing an evaluation first.
As I mentioned previously, this Armonk house had some amazing columns in front. However, when we did our evaluation, we had some questions about their structural integrity. They didn’t seem to be properly secured at the bottom. Even though we were pretty sure of the issue, this is something that we felt needed an expert opinion.
So we called in a structural engineer. We know some companies wouldn’t bother with bringing in someone else; it could add to the project time or create budget concerns for the client. But we always utilize outside expert opinions when we feel issues make it necessary and benefits the entire project. Safety and preserving the integrity of your home are top priorities for us. When you trust us with your home, we always want to treat it like we would our own.
What we found was that the columns were not sound or attached to the ground properly. They would need to be rebuilt in order for the project to proceed. We went over the options with the homeowner, and he opted for demolition and rebuilding the structure.
Although we are confident in our professional abilities, this is not something we would normally do. We tend to focus on our four main areas of work: roofing, siding, windows, and gutters. However, we always go above and beyond for our clients (another top priority), so we got to work on removing and rebuilding the columns.
The framing we did on them was impeccable. It completely changed the whole front of the house’s look. They could not have come out better, especially now that they weren’t in danger of falling over. Next up, we had siding to replace. The siding replacement went smoothly, and we were able to remove and replace it quickly with no issues while maintaining a clean work environment.
James Hardie Siding Replacement
Armonk, NY
For the siding, we used our favorite and highly recommended James Hardie fiber cement lap siding. It’s the best in the siding replacement business … more durable and cost-effective in the long run than vinyl siding or wood. All budgets being equal, any siding contractor worth their certifications will tell you the same.
And speaking of siding contractor certifications, we’re among the Elite Preferred in the James Hardie Contractor Alliance, meaning (among other things) our siding installation process and business practices meet – and often exceed – James Hardie’s rigorous standards.
The icing on the cake for this Westchester County siding replacement was the color of the James Hardie lap siding, which is called (ahem) Icing On The Cake! This special James Hardie color is part of their Dream Collection palette. It’s a classy and classic light shade.
It all came together wonderfully, and even with the additional work on the columns, we were able to finish on schedule. We say it time and time again, but we value our clients’ time. We want to make sure that when we structure a timeframe for them, we do our best to either meet or exceed their expectations.
When everything was all said and done, the Armonk client was thrilled. He absolutely loved the new look and was relieved that the columns in front of his house were now secure without issues.
The star of this project was our project manager, Anthony. Our efficient project manager went above and beyond to address all the Armonk client’s concerns, noticed and remedied a problem without inconveniencing the client, and finished on time.
We were so happy to be able to help out. For all your lap siding, roofing (fascia to shingles), windows, and gutters needs (and sometimes even help with support columns!), give us a call!
City: Armonk
State: New York
ZIP: 10594
Category: Siding
Materials used (manufacturer): James Hardie
Materials used (type): Fiber cement lap
Materials used (color): Icing on the Cake
Project Cost: $50,000
Time to Complete: Three weeks