Exterior Remodeling in Somerville, MA

Exterior work on Somerville houses: what the job involves

Somerville’s housing stock is a mix of triple-deckers, wood-framed colonials and capes built between the 1890s and the 1950s, with some newer infill. Most houses sit shoulder to shoulder on small lots, so wind-driven rain off the Mystic River valley and winter ice dams affect rows of homes the same way. The first things we see wearing out are original cedar clapboards that have been painted too many times, asphalt shingle roofs approaching twenty years of nor’easters, and old single-pane windows that let moisture into the wall cavities.

On a typical Somerville house the south and west exposures take the most weather. Siding on those walls fades faster, and roof planes that face the prevailing wind lose granules sooner. Because many homes here share party walls, a roofing or siding job often means coordinating flashing at the property line so water does not find its way between the buildings.

How we plan a roofing or siding project in Somerville

Every job starts with a visit to your house, where a project manager measures the roof or walls and talks through what you want to change. The steps stay the same whether the work is asphalt shingles, James Hardie siding, or both.

• We measure the house in person and write a proposal that lists the exact products, colors and scope of work.
• We handle the building permit with the town of Somerville and schedule the required inspections.
• We order the materials and set a start date that fits the season.
• We employ our installers directly instead of passing the work to a subcontractor.
• Each day ends with a cleanup: debris loaded, nails swept, walkways clear.
• We finish with a walk-through so you can look at every detail with us.

How to choose siding for a house here

In Somerville’s dense neighborhoods, siding has to handle tight lot lines, shade from neighboring buildings and winter moisture. We have installed James Hardie fiber cement on houses here in Mountain Sage and a medium blue. Both colors hold up through freeze-thaw cycles without warping or fading and meet the fire-resistance requirements common in attached and closely spaced homes.

Color and profile affect how the house reads from the street. In a city where many homes sit close to the sidewalk, the choice of lap or shingle makes a noticeable difference in curb appeal. Homeowners we work with in Somerville often want a color that fits the block but stands apart from the tan and white vinyl that dominates some streets. Prefinished Hardie siding arrives with the factory color already baked on. There is no painting on site and no peeling to worry about after a nor’easter.

• Fiber cement holds paint longer and resists the rot that shaded, damp walls invite.
• Lap siding keeps the classic look of a New England wood-frame house with far less upkeep.
• A factory finish in a deeper color like Mountain Sage stays true for years without repainting.
• Board-and-batten or shingle panels can break up the vertical mass of a tall triple-decker facade.

What matters when replacing a roof in a coastal Massachusetts climate

Roofs here wear out from ice dams at the eaves, wind-driven rain in nor'easters and freeze-thaw cycles, so the details under the shingles matter as much as the shingles themselves. We install GAF and CertainTeed asphalt shingle systems with ice and water barrier along eaves and valleys, synthetic underlayment, and ridge venting to keep the attic dry.