Ames siding
When patching is no longer worth it, a full re-side fixes the look and the weather-tightness in one shot — by a crew that does only siding.
Call (515) 420-0434Siding replacement means taking the old cladding off down to the wall sheathing, fixing whatever is wrong underneath, and installing new siding over new house wrap and flashing. That's different from residing over the top of what's there, which hides problems instead of solving them. Most Ames homeowners reach this point when water has been getting behind the old siding, or when the material itself has failed past the point of patching.
The signs are worth learning. Press near the bottom of an exterior wall — if it feels soft or spongy, there's likely rot in the sheathing. Paint that peels within a year or two on hardboard, vinyl that's cracked or hanging loose after a windstorm, and aluminum that's dented and leaves chalk on your hand are all past their service life. In the older neighborhoods near campus, original wood clapboard that's split and cupping is common.
You don't always need a full tear-off. If the siding is sound and only a few boards are damaged, a repair is cheaper and honest. Full replacement makes sense when the failures are widespread, when moisture has reached the sheathing, or when you're already opening walls up for insulation or windows. A good crew will tell you which situation you're in before quoting the bigger job.
When they pull the old siding, the roofer can finally see the sheathing and framing. The crew probes for soft spots, looks for old water staining around windows and at the base of walls, and replaces any rotted OSB or plank sheathing before new material goes up. This is the step that gets skipped on cheap jobs — covering bad sheathing means the new siding fails from behind within a few years.
A weather-resistive barrier goes over the sheathing, lapped correctly so water sheds downhill, not into the seams. The crew flashes windows, doors, and wall penetrations with self-adhering membrane and metal where it belongs. In Iowa's wind-driven rain, the flashing details around openings matter more than the siding brand. Most leaks we chase back to bad or missing flashing, not the panels themselves.
The contractor installs your chosen material — vinyl, engineered wood, or fiber cement — with the fastening and expansion gaps the manufacturer specifies. Corners, J-channel, and trim around openings get done to match. Fastening is where installs go wrong: nailed too tight, vinyl can't move and buckles in summer heat; too loose, wind strips it. They set each course to leave the movement the material needs.
Most residing jobs are the right time to address soffit and fascia, since they tie into the same wall. The crew replaces rotted fascia board, wraps it in aluminum or installs new material, and keeps soffit venting open so the attic breathes. Blocked soffit vents trap moisture, and in winter that shows up as ice and condensation. They check this while the upper walls are exposed.
Old siding, wrap, and fasteners come off in volume, so the crew tarps the ground as they go and hauls debris out daily rather than leaving a pile all week. At the end they run a magnetic sweeper across the yard, driveway, and along the foundation to pull loose nails and staples. They walk the whole job with you before calling it done.
The roofer comes out, measures the walls, and looks at the current siding and any trouble spots you've noticed. They'll talk through material options and rough cost before writing anything up. If part of the wall already shows rot, they'll tell you it may add cost once it's open — no pretending a tear-off will have zero surprises.
You get an itemized quote showing material, labor, and an allowance for sheathing repair if needed. Once you approve, the contractor pulls the building permit through the City of Ames and orders material. Special-order colors and fiber cement can take a couple of weeks to arrive, so they schedule the start date around delivery, not before it.
The crew removes the old siding one section at a time, so the wall isn't left open overnight. They replace bad sheathing, install house wrap, and flash the openings the same day a section is opened. This is the stage where you'll see the real condition of your walls, and they'll show you anything they find.
New siding, trim, and accessories go on, followed by any soffit and fascia work. When it's done the crew schedules the city inspection if the permit requires it. Then they walk the whole house with you, check the caulk lines and trim, and don't consider it finished until you've signed off.
Ames has a wide range of housing. Near Iowa State you'll find pre-war homes with original wood siding under layers of paint, plus a lot of student rentals where deferred maintenance shows up as rot at the base of walls. The 1960s and 70s ranches farther out often wear aluminum or early hardboard that's now chalking or swelling. Newer developments on the edges tend to have builder-grade vinyl that hail cracks. Iowa's freeze-thaw swings — below zero in January to humid 90s in summer — work every seam and fastener, so job details matter more here than in a mild climate.
Wind and hail drive most replacement work in Story County. Spring and summer storms bring hail that cracks vinyl and dents aluminum, and straight-line winds peel panels off exposed walls. After a big storm, claims spike and material gets tight. Siding work in Ames generally requires a building permit through the city's inspection office, and if a storm caused the damage, your homeowner's policy may cover replacement — document it with photos before anyone starts. The crew can meet your adjuster on site.
For a typical Ames single-family home, vinyl runs roughly 4 to 9 dollars a square foot installed, engineered wood a bit more, and fiber cement around 8 to 14. The spread depends on how much sheathing needs replacing, the number of corners and windows, wall height, and whether soffit and fascia are included. Two-story homes and heavy trim detail cost more because of staging and cut labor. The honest variable is rot — you don't know the full number until the walls are open, which is why a good quote carries a repair allowance.
Most single-family homes take one to two weeks. Vinyl on a straightforward ranch can be done in three to five working days; fiber cement takes longer because it's heavier, cut differently, and often painted or caulked on site. Weather stretches the schedule — the crew won't leave walls open going into a rainstorm, and hard freezes slow caulk and adhesive. If they find significant sheathing rot, add a day or two for the repair. They give you a realistic window up front rather than a best-case number.
If wind or hail caused the damage, often yes — Iowa policies commonly cover storm damage to siding, minus your deductible. It's not automatic. Take dated photos right after the storm, don't throw away damaged pieces, and file before doing repairs. An adjuster inspects and writes an estimate; the contractor can be there to point out damage they miss, like cracks that only show in cold or hail bruising on the north walls. Normal wear, fading, and age-related failure are not covered — that comes out of pocket.
For this climate, engineered wood and fiber cement hold up best — both handle the temperature swings and resist hail better than thin vinyl. Fiber cement lasts 30 to 50 years and won't burn or feed insects, but costs more and is heavier to install. Engineered wood gives a real wood look with good impact resistance and a shorter install. Quality vinyl is the budget choice at 20 to 30 years, and fine on a rental or a tight budget, but the cheapest vinyl gets brittle and cracks in January cold.
Two separate things. The manufacturer warranty covers the product — fading, cracking, delamination — and runs 20 to 50 years depending on material, though it's often prorated and doesn't pay the labor to reinstall. The contractor's workmanship warranty covers the installation: flashing, fastening, and anything they sealed. That's the one that matters for leaks, because most water problems come from install details, not the panels. Ask any contractor to put the workmanship term in writing, and keep your material receipts — the manufacturer warranty is void without proof of what went up.
For a full residing job, generally yes — a full siding replacement in Ames generally calls for a building permit, and they confirm it with the city and pull it as part of the job rather than leaving it on you. A permit means the work can be inspected, which protects you if there's ever a resale question or a dispute. Skipping it to save time is a red flag; unpermitted exterior work can surface during a home sale and cost you more to correct. Simple spot repairs of a few boards usually don't need one.