What does it take to do a siding project well? A problem-solving mindset and attention to detail.
Thatâs what it took to bring this centennial farm home in Dexter, Michigan, back to its former glory. A fire that burned the detached garage to the ground also melted the foam-filled siding on the back half of the house!
And it took a team of highly experienced craftsmenâthe professionals at GoTo Roofingâto handle the jobâs special challenges with the expertise and care that the home required.
Challenges With Older Homes
The first challenge appeared when the team began removing the melted siding and discovered a layer of asbestos shingles underneath. To ensure everything was safe, they had to remove and replace the siding for the entire house.
GoTo Roofing owner partner, Scott Guthre, said his team didnât skip a beat. âYou have to be a problem solver!â he said. âWith a house like this, there are a lot of things you find out along the way. First you have to make sure itâs structurally sound. Then we can make everything straight. Especially with the siding, it means shimming underneath and a lot of intricate cuts. Everything has to be measured and done custom to each particular spot.â
For example, in a house over a hundred years oldâthis one was built in 1874âeverything is not symmetrical. Each window, door and post can be unique. Looking at one of the windows, Scott explained: âJust because the one below it was 33 and a quarter inches doesnât mean the one above it is 33 and a quarter. Weâre dealing with some things that might be out of square from over a hundred years ago.â
Another important decision was to protect the roof by adding gutters. âIt doesnât have to have gutters, because it didnât have them a long time ago,â said Scott. âBut then the water would crash down on the roof below and that would cause premature deterioration of your shingles.â
Professionalism is our Goal
GoTo Roofingâs team is made up of craftsmen with an appreciation for the character of a home. During previous repairs, some of the decorative wood trim was covered over. The current owners opted to preserve this historic flavor. âIâm glad the homeowners decided to keep some of the decorative mill work,â said Scott. âTo highlight it, we took special care as we trimmed out the siding. It makes for a handsome background that makes the wood stand out.â
During the siding replacement, the impression driving up to the house is of professionals focused on excellence. âWe donât want to have a bunch of rickety ladders in our customersâ yards,â Scott said. âWe use high-end, professional equipment like this Pole Jack,â pointing to the high-tech scaffolding and safety nets. âIt makes a very stable platform that you can work on all the way up the house and get everything done in a nice, safe manner.â
The final results are striking! The once yellow house is now a stately gray with crisp white trim, including new shutters and guttersâthe kind you might see on the cover of an architectural magazine. If your home needs an exterior transformationâsiding, roofing, gutters or windowsâthe GoTo Roofing team is just the one to do the job!