Homescapes of New England: 603.734.4282

Wilmington, MA

admin — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 08:30:59 +0000


This house was covered in masonite siding in the late 80′s with a brick front. There was no clearance along the roofline so water damage to the siding occured. The rear of the house had various areas where water damage as well. The siding along the back deck was installed directly on the deck, which caused damage to the siding. Some other external issues were woodpeckers, which loved the masonite siding. While removing the siding around the garage, we noticed that carpenter ants set up a large colony and the gutters were not installed correctly causing water damage to the siding. We started by installing Hardiewrap weather barrier on the side of the house. We included a PVC watertable to maintain a 6 ” clearance around the garage. The installation of insulation and flashing along the brick front and siding will provide extra water protection for the home. New 6 1/4″ Select Cedarmill HardiePlank siding in Monterey Taupe and HardieTrim and soffit were installed in arctic white. The garage side was restored with new Hardieplank siding and trim. The homeowner also was able to reuse their existing shutters by pressure washing them and putting on a new coat of paint. The homeowners wanted to fix their house to put it on the market, but are now considering staying! PRODUCTS USED: 6 1/4″ Select Cedarmill HardiePlank siding in Monterey Taupe, HardieTrim and Hardiesoffit in arctic white

North Andover, MA

admin — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 07:57:44 +0000


This home in North Andover, MA was painted 3 years ago and already the paint was peeling off again. The original siding continued to need paint every 3-5 years that was not a maintenance cycle this homeowner wanted to continue. The siding was install directly to the roof causing siding and paint to continue to fail and the paint was easily peeling off in chunks. The sheathing near the back sliders was rotting because it did not have the proper clearances and the back sunroom sheathing was rotting underneath the siding as well. This wasn’t discovered until the original siding was removed. We installed new Marvin windows and were able to properly paper with HardieWrap weather barrier and taping in order to maintain proper moisture protection. Next, aluminum coil flashing was installed above the bulk head to prevent further water intrusion and maintain proper 2″ clearance. The owner decided on 6 1/4″ Select Cedarmill HardiePlank siding in Evening Blue with Arctic White HardieTrim and HardieSoffit. We also squared off the porch and garage doors, which updated the house as well. For the final touch, we added new Mid America shutters in black along with new seamless aluminum gutters in white to set off the evening blue siding. PRODUCTS USED: 6 1/4″ Select Cedarmill HardiePlank lap siding in Evening Blue with Arctic White HardieTrim and HardieSoffit, Marvin windows, HardieWrap weather barrier, Mid America shutters in black, Seamless aluminum gutters in white

Kensington, NH

admin — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 07:25:22 +0000


This ranch home in Kensington, NH was in desperate need of new siding and windows. When the homeowners bought the house about 3 years ago they knew the house was going to need eventual repair. They saw the house’s masonite siding progressively deteriorate rapidly over time. The sheathing below the siding needed to be replaced in some areas. The backside of the house, which received the brunt of the weather damage attributed to the rot and mold we found. Also, no clearances were noticed around the house, which attributed to the failure of the siding. The windows also were not energy efficient and were molding in some areas. During the installation of the new JELD-WEN double hung window with new HardieTrim boards, we installed our trim using concealed fasteners, which requires less fasteners on the outside. We installed a new Hardiewrap weather barrier around the house after all the siding was removed. They chose to install James Hardie HardiePlank lap siding and Hardieshingle siding in Boothbay Blue. We added new HardieShingle straightedge siding to the gables to add character to this 1950′s ranch home. The homeowner is proud to come home to their new home, which is now more energy efficient a great benefit during the winter months. PRODUCTS USED: HardiePlank lap siding and Hardieshingle siding in Boothbay Blue, HardieTrim Fascia, JELD-WEN box bay window, Hardiewrap weather barrier

Hampton Falls, NH

admin — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 06:45:56 +0000


This 1894 home was in need of a facelift to return it back to its original glory with new low maintenance products. It was important to the homeowners to recreate the original concept for this home, which was lost over the years, when it was covered in aluminum siding. When removing the siding we discovered rot behind the siding. The main problem occurred when the previous installer covered their siding with aluminum to hide problems. The aluminum siding was also dented in many places. You can see the fascia, crown and gable returned have all been wrapped with aluminum, trapping moisture behind it. Once the aluminum was removed we discovered that most all of the gable returns were completely rotted. When we removed the aluminum siding, we also discovered the original clapboards beneath contained lead paint which we removed according to EPA Lead Law standards. We added Green Fiber blown in insulation around the house before the siding was installed. Then the new HardiePlank lap siding, trim and soffit were installed. We added a pitch to the door awning with a copper roof so the water would drain properly. We needed to rebuild the crown and roof detail with PVC trim, you can barely even tell the difference from the original. The house was completed with new dentil moulding in the gables, which really added a classic design in the detail found on the front bay window. For the final touch, we installed all new Classic Louvered Atlantic Premium Shutters in Black including the S hooks for added character. PRODUCTS USED: HardiePlank lap siding, Hardietrim, Hardiesoffit panels and crown moulding in Arctic white, JELD-WEN window, Classic Louvered Atlantic Premium Shutters in Black, Green Fiber insulation

Atkinson, NH

admin — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 03:23:35 +0000


This home in Atkinson, NH was build with vinyl siding about 19 years ago and when you look at it all of the siding appears blue. The front of the house had mostly brick with siding accents on the second story. You can see the change in color from fading on the left side of the front gable, even though the original color was more of a reddish brown color. Reflection from the window on the side of the house had actually melted the siding on the other wall. We also discovered while removing the siding that the windows were not flashed properly. We installed James Hardie HardiePlank siding in Timberbark and Hardietrim in Khaki Brown with proper joint flashing along with a new Timbertech railing and Fibron deck creating an amazing home. PRODUCTS USED: 6 1/4″ Select Cedarmill HardiePlank siding in Timberbark and HardieTrim in Khaki Brown, Timbertech railing and Fibron deck, Hardiewrap weather barrier

Andover, NH

admin — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 03:15:49 +0000


The homeowners in Andover, MA originally had Masonite siding installed on their home. However Masonite/composite siding does not withstand the climate of the Northeast. You can see around the house where water destroyed the siding especially along the roofline and along the water table. The original siding is installed right onto the roofline, which allowed snow and ice to deteriorate the siding. Masonite siding rots when it gets wet especially if some of the siding needs to be re-nailed at some point. Also, the windows were not properly flashed above the window which degraded the plywood underneath. Homescapes of New England, LLC installed new HardiePlank lap siding in Monterey Taupe with Arctic White Hardiesoffits. In the garage area we removed the siding that went in between the garage doors with PVC Trim and squared off the sides giving it a cleaner modern finish. We also cut in two new lights above the garage doors. We also included new seamless aluminum gutters and Atlantic Premium Shutters, which added a finishing touch to this beautiful home. This is a home that will last for many years to come without needing additional exterior maintenance. PRODUCTS USED: 6 1/4″ Select Cedarmill HardiePlank lap siding in Monterey Taupe with Arctic White Hardiesoffits, Seamless aluminum gutters and Atlantic Premium Shutters in Charleston Green, PVC Trim

Home Exterior Design Tips: Using Color

admin — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 23:14:21 +0000

Using siding color as an exterior design tool can significantly increase the value of your home. But where do you start? How do you select siding colors and use them effectively to enhance the appearance of your home?

The following tips can help you throughout the color selection process. Keep in mind there’s no set formula for using siding color. Use this list as a point of reference and not a set of rules.

Don’t be afraid to use siding color.
It seems today that houses are sided in almost every shade of beige known to man. Don’t fear color. Use it to differentiate your home. Look at the homes in your neighborhood to determine the color palette for your area. Often, the nicest homes are the ones that use color as an exterior design tool.
Don’t be afraid NOT to use siding color.
As much as color can add to a house, sometimes it looks best not to use any at all. Don’t be afraid to have an all-white house. White reflects light and will actually appear to vary in tone throughout the day.
Keep it simple.
The desire to differentiate one’s home from others on the street is very normal. A common practice is to add design elements and excessive materials to the house. The result is the exact opposite of what was intended — everything starts to look the same. Keep design elements on the house simple and use siding color as an exterior design tool to differentiate your home. Fewer elements and materials will not only be more affordable to build, but also result in a more architecturally sound home.
Avoid using materials and color like wallpaper.
Take care when mixing colors, textures and materials on a house. Avoid unnecessary combinations that look like wallpaper was applied to a home’s exterior. Use combinations that change in horizontal bands, rather than vertical stripes.
Tips for homeowners.
Think about how your house fits into the streetscape and community as a whole. Differentiating your home can add value, but do so with restraint.

Windows Buying Guide

admin — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 02:26:57 +0000

Your goals for replacing windows are to improve your home’s beauty, performance and operation.

When it’s time to replace worn out windows or you just want a new look for your home, it’s time to go shopping for windows. There are countless options for new windows from inexpensive off-the-shelf models to custom versions.

The key is to match the style of your new windows to the style of your home. You will also want windows that are energy efficient, easy to operate and low-maintenance meaning they are easy to clean, paint and repair.

Traditionally, wood windows were the best choice. They came in many different styles from classic Colonial to sleek and modern but older wood framed windows were leaky as they aged allowing cold air to enter the house in winter. Over the years, new versions of wood, aluminum, vinyl and composite construction windows have evolved so now you can get the same classic look in a material that is insect and rot proof and will help save you money on your energy bills.

HardieShingle® – Timeless Style. Lasting Durability.

admin — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 19:59:05 +0000

James Hardie, the world’s leading manufacturer of fiber cement building products, announces the standard market release, including job packs, of all 23 colors of 5″ Exposure HardieShingle® Straight-Edge Panels and Individual Shingles with ColorPlus® Technology in the New England area.

With 5″ Exposure HardieShingle® Straight-Edge Panels and Individual Shingles with ColorPlus Technology, architects, builders, contractors and homeowners can achieve a look characteristic of Eastern white cedar shingles, while capitalizing on the long-lasting, low-maintenance benefits of a complete James Hardie exterior. Similar to cedar shingles, these new products provide true keyways between shingles and can be used to create woven/laced corners, creating an authentic cedar shingle look and feel.

Like all James Hardie siding products, HardieShingle is Engineered for Climate™, providing lasting durability and protection from heat, rain, humidity, snow and other regional specific climate conditions. Through its proprietary ColorPlus Technology, James Hardie applies multiple coats of paint to its siding products in the factory to optimize paint adhesion and slow fading, revealing a consistent, long-lasting finish in more than 20 colors.

5″ Exposure HardieShingle Straight-Edge Panels and Individual Shingles are backed by James Hardie’s standard 30-year non-prorated, limited product warranty. Plus, superior paint performance with ColorPlus Technology is backed by a 15-year limited finish warranty.®

Click to view a few examples of HardieShingle® being used by homeowners in your area.
All examples were installed professionally by Homescapes of New England.

Burlington, MA
Edgartown, MA – Martha’s Vineyard
Pelham, NH

Melting Siding

admin — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 19:36:43 +0000

What’s going on with the vinyl siding on these houses? It’s bumpy and bubbly and distorted and can affect one side of your house, but not the other.

What’s causing this melt down? And could your home be next? Check out the video to see more.

WHDH-TV –