A Remodeler’s Perspective: Steps to a Successful Re-side

Updating 108 Years of History & Charm

When James and Stella bought their home in coastal Wilmington, NC, in 2011, the original wood siding was still on the 108-year-old home. Unfortunately, the 100-plus years of wear and tear had taken its toll on the siding. The original wood siding was starting to lose adhesion, starting to rot and wouldn't hold paint. Loving the charm of the original home, it was important to the couple that a re-side project maintained the look and feel.

Brent Taylor, owner of exterior remodeling group OC Taylor, received the request for a quote from James and Stella through the LP BuildSmart^® program. As a master level member, Brent is eligible for product training, rebates, cobranded marketing support, lead generation and even more perks.

James and Stella were discerning customers, and they turned to Brent for advice on material and color during the siding selection process. 

“James and Stella had a lot of different products that they could have chosen for this project. You have fiber cement, you have vinyl,” explained Brent during a recent episode featuring the re-side on the show Designing Spaces. “The reason they chose engineered wood like LP^® SmartSide^® siding products was the curb appeal and durability. Being able to withstand wind gusts up to 200 mph is very important when you're in hurricane country."

Efficient Customer Management During the Re-side Process

Brent took the time to walk the homeowners through every step of the re-side project, which is a way to strengthen the customer relationship, instill trust, manage expectations and answer any questions that may pop up along the way for greater, long-term success post-completion. This even included a guided tour of the jobsite between Brent and James. While you may not have homeowners shadowing you on your jobsites, as a remodeler, it is important to keep them informed to build a trusting relationship.

"The key to a successful install is preparation," says Brent. To ensure he fully prepared James for the renovation, he took him through every step of the process. For example, he explained to James, "As you can see, we've installed proper house wrap on your house. Once that is installed, we are going to add a starter strip on the bottom. On top of that starter strip, we are going to put LP SmartSide siding products.

Building Products Backed by Strength and Workability

In an area like Wilmington where wind and moisture are common, it’s important to plan for the elements when building or remodeling. “LP SmartSide siding products are engineered from aspen wood. They combine that with zinc borate, resins and waxes to make a very durable product,” says Brent. “Then they add a tough overlay that is compacted together to make a very dense and durable product.”

Because it is a wood-based material, Brent was able to use his normal woodworking tools.

“We are able to use standard woodworking tools with LP SmartSide to get it installed quickly and in a quality manner,” stated Brent.

            Check out this video to see how easy it is to install LP SmartSide Trim & Siding 

A quality material is one thing, but it's also important that the material isn't difficult for the crew to install. This starts with the hands-on product instruction provided by trained manufacturer reps, which Brent's crew received as part of his LP BuildSmart program membership.

For both ease of install and aesthetic results, Brent turns to LP SmartSide siding available in longer lengths. He says, "LP SmartSide is my siding choice due to the longer lengths. It's much easier to work with for me and my crew on a jobsite. That can equate to less waste, as well as less breakage from being able to carry product across the yard versus having two guys carry your product across the yard. That's the secret to my success." Additionally, the longer lengths allow for less unsightly seams.

To learn more about Brent’s work for James and Stella, watch their segment from Designing Spaces.