Fitchburg siding contractors run into a specific situation on the older stock: a 1970s ranch that has been added onto twice, so the house is wearing three different siding jobs from three different decades. Replacing all of it at once is usually cheaper than it sounds, and it is the only way to make the house read as one building.
The additions that create Fitchburg’s roofing problems create its siding problems too.
The addition problem
Original 1970s hardboard on the main body, 1990s vinyl on the first addition, 2000s vinyl on the second. Nothing matches and nothing ever will, because each was a different product in a different colour that has now weathered for a different number of years. Doing the whole envelope at once solves it permanently.
Failing from inside
Hardboard from this era absorbs water at the butt joints and fails from the inside out, which is why it looks acceptable right up until a piece crumbles when you press it. Bottom courses and anywhere near grade go first.
Chalking and dented
A lot of Fitchburg’s original aluminum is still up, chalking badly and dented from decades of hail and mowers. It is not a failure risk the way hardboard is, but it is at the end of its cosmetic life.
Where the wall leaks
Where an addition meets the original house there is a vertical joint that needs flashing and a drainage plane, not caulk. Sealant-only tie-ins fail within a decade and the water goes into the wall cavity where nobody sees it.
Full re-sides, partial replacement, and the repair work that’s usually hiding behind the old siding.
The right answer on a house with additions. One material, one colour, one warranty, and the tie-ins detailed properly.
The most durable option for this climate. Will not crack in freeze-thaw and holds colour.
Real wood texture with much better impact resistance than vinyl.
Lower cost with an insulation backer that adds R-value and stiffens the panel.
Vertical joints between original and addition flashed with a drainage plane, not sealed with caulk.
Inspected and replaced where failed. We do not cover rot.
On a house with additions, doing the whole envelope at once costs meaningfully less per square foot than doing it in sections, because setup, staging and disposal are shared. It is also the only way to get a consistent result.
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Matching is the wrong goal — it will not work. Each product was a different formulation in a different colour that has weathered a different number of years. The fix that actually looks right is replacing the whole envelope in one material at once, and on a house like this it costs less per square foot than doing it in stages.
It is cheaper per visit and more expensive per square foot. Setup, staging, disposal and mobilisation get paid for each time. On a Fitchburg house with additions there is also a real cosmetic cost, because sections done years apart will not match. We will price both so you can decide with the numbers in front of you.
Usually sound in the field and questionable at the bottom courses and anywhere near grade. Hardboard absorbs water at the butt joints and fails from the inside, so it can look fine and crumble when pressed. We price sheathing replacement as a known line item rather than surprising you once the wall is open.
At the vertical joint where it meets the original house. That joint needs flashing and a drainage plane behind it. A lot of them were finished with sealant alone, which lasts about a decade, and then water goes into the wall cavity where nobody sees it until the damage is real.
Fiber cement and engineered wood both handle freeze-thaw better than vinyl because they move less with temperature. Steel is the most impact-resistant if hail is your main concern. The honest answer depends on your budget and how long you plan to stay.
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