The homeowners wanted to update the home’s original single pane windows and cedar siding for better comfort and aesthetics.  After several meetings the scope of work drastically changed. The project included new roof, entry doors, new front stoop/sidewalk and portico, overhead garage doors and rear deck replacement. The original plan was to keep the red siding, white trim and white windows.  After being shown the several color options the homeowners chose the warm look of James Hardie Countrylane Red siding and Cobblestone trim.  Prefinished White interior/Sand Beige exterior Beechworth windows with grills between the glass in the top sash were chosen to keep with the cottage theme of the house while making them easier to clean. 

The front entry door was widened two inches and a Therma-Tru Smooth fiberglass Craftsman door was installed to match the window grill detail.  The rear entry door was replaced with Therma-Tru’s full glass door to let in a little bit more natural light.  The garage service door was changed to an out-swing door. This made for better access to the low-ceilinged garage. The original red corners and frieze were changed to Cobblestone while the siding on the driveway side was dropped down over the concrete foundation of the lower level and two lower level windows were trimmed in Cobblestone.  The existing family room window was replaced with Beechworth picture unit.

The leaking flat roof on the rear addition was replaced. The roof on the house and garage was replaced with CertainTeed Landmark Colonial Slate shingles.  The house roof maintains the original mushroom cap look that drew the homeowners to the house over 20 years ago.  The front portico roof line matches up with the original house roof with the shingles matching the mushroom detail, making it a seamless addition to the front of the home.  The new James Hardie soffit is vented, venting the roof for the first time in over 20 years.

Before

After

The rear deck was unsafe and unattractive so the deck was removed, new substructure was constructed and new cedar decking and rails installed.  The homeowners went with the ¾” round Black Dekorator balusters to complete the clean look.  One set of stairs was eliminated while the other was enlarged to make the deck more accessible for the homeowners.  The rail detail was carried through to the front portico.  The front portico was enlarged to make access to the home easier.  With the new covered entry, guests have a covered stoop entry to the house.  The portico ceiling was finished with Cobblestone bead board to complete the cottage look.  A new wider angled concrete sidewalk was added to the newly regraded front yard.  The falling down retaining wall was removed and re-poured with a foundation for greater stability for years to come.

The newer detached garage has cedar siding that only needed minor repairs to make it structurally sound.  Erdmann added the Cobblestone corners and overhead door trim to match the house details and painted the siding, soffit and fascia, windows and service door to match the house. You can't even tell that it isn't the same siding!  New insulated overhead garage doors with long panels were added to the house and detached garages for a clean finish.

Finally new Cobblestone gutters and OVERSIZED downspouts were added to the garage and rear of the house to help manage the rainwater.