Cottage Grove, Minnesota
Experienced James Hardie Siding Replacement in Cottage Grove, MN
Shallow eaves are why the hardboard and aluminum on the 1950s and 1960s ramblers in Cottage Grove wear out early, with almost no overhang to keep river wind and rain off the wall. The bottom courses go soft first. James Hardie fiber cement in the HZ5 formulation takes that wetting, but the flashing at the base of the wall and above the windows has to be right underneath it.
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- Licensed and insuredMinnesota exterior contractor
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- Storm and insurance workWe handle the claim with you
- Faith-based, locally ownedRefreshingly honest
Shallow eaves put the water on the wall
On a Thompson Grove rambler the wall is long, low and mostly unbroken, so the crew is not fighting height, it is fighting water. We usually find hardboard swollen along the bottom course, a water table with no flashing over it, and window heads that were never given a drip cap. Hardie HZ5 wants six inches of clearance to grade and a gap above decks and steps, and on this housing stock that alone means rebuilding trim at the base of the wall. Blind nailing every plank matters here, because bluff wind off the river gets under a face nailed butt end and works it loose. Plenty of these houses took hail in the August 2024 storm, and that goes on the claim. If a rambler is a rental or a flip, steel siding replacement is often the more sensible choice, and we will tell you that.
James Hardie Siding Replacement in Cottage Grove
What Changes on a Thompson Grove Rambler
Water Table and Base Trim Rebuilt
The bottom of a rambler wall takes the worst of it. We rebuild the base trim, flash over the water table, and hold the first course of board up clear of the ground.
Drip Caps Over Every Window Head
Windows on this housing stock often went in with nothing over the head casing. Each one gets a drip cap and flashing before the new plank goes on, which is where most of these leaks started.
Blind Nailed Against River Wind
Open bluff and river wind gets under a face nailed plank end and works it loose over a few seasons. Blind nailing puts the fastener under the course above, out of the wind entirely.
Hail Damage Documented for the Claim
If the wall took hail in the August 2024 storm, it gets photographed, measured and written up in a form your insurer can work from, before anything is torn off the house.
Soft Sheathing Replaced, Not Covered
Hardboard that has been wicking water for decades usually leaves damp sheathing behind it. We cut that out and replace it, because new board over rotten plywood is a wasted job.
One Story Means Fewer Days Open
A rambler needs no scaffold, so the crew works off ladders and moves down the long straight runs quickly. Your wall spends less time open to the weather than a two story job.
How We Handle Storm and Claim Work Here
We Work the Claim With Your Adjuster
Storm and insurance work is a large part of what we do. We meet the adjuster on site, show what the wall actually looks like underneath, and keep the scope honest in both directions.
Open 24 Hours, Every Day
When weather comes through at night, the phone gets answered. We can get a wall covered temporarily and come back to do the siding properly once the claim is settled.
Tear Off Hauled, Not Piled Curbside
This city spent weeks clearing storm debris off the curb in 2024. Old siding, felt and nails leave in our trailer the same day they come off your wall.
We Quote the Whole House
Replacing only the damaged elevation leaves you with two colors and two ages of board. We price the whole house as well, so you can see the choice clearly before deciding.
We Only Open What We Can Close
Fiber cement work stops for rain. Each day is planned so the wall is dried in before we leave it, which matters on a long rambler run with no eave to shelter it.
What people near Cottage Grove say
The crew arrived early and spread tarps all around the house to capture every bit of debris. By 3:00 PM, my entire roof was completely finished.
Hazel JamesRoof replacement, Minneapolis, MN Orange Exteriors fixed a minor leak that involved replacing flashing and a few shingles blown off our roof. Timely, quality work. Great ideas to keep our roof going long term.
Jim ThomasStorm damage repair From sales to construction crew to upper management, they helped make an insurance battle a breeze. This is the best contractor interaction I have ever had.
Jim NormanRoof replacement
Questions From Cottage Grove Owners
What people in Cottage Grove ask us about this work. If yours is not covered, call and ask.
Will insurance pay for siding damaged in the 2024 Cottage Grove storm?
It depends on what the adjuster finds. Hail bruising and wind creased planks are usually covered. Ordinary age and moisture failure in old hardboard is not. We photograph the wall, write the damage up in a format insurers accept, and tell you honestly which category yours falls into before you file.
Can new siding go over the aluminum on my rambler?
No. It all comes off. Fiber cement needs a flat, sound nailing surface and a real water barrier behind it, and neither exists under old aluminum. Going over the top also hides the damp sheathing that is often the actual reason the wall is failing, and that is the part worth fixing.
Is James Hardie worth it on a Thompson Grove rambler?
It depends on how long you plan to stay. These houses have shallow eaves, so the wall takes rain directly and thin products fail early on them. If you are staying, fiber cement is the right answer for that exposure. If the house sells next year, we will point you at something simpler.
Get Your Rambler Walls Priced Out
Soft bottom course, dented aluminum, or hail from the last storm. Tell us what the wall is doing and we will come look, photograph what we find, and write the estimate at no charge.
Get Your Free Exterior Estimate
Tell us what is going on with your roof, siding, windows, or gutters. We will take a look and give you a straight answer, including when the answer is that you can wait.
- Phone(612) 600-8529
- Emailadmin@orange-exteriors.com
- Office6600 City West Pkwy Suite 375, Eden Prairie, MN 55344
- HoursOpen 24 hours, Sunday to Saturday
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Rated 5.0 from 217 Google reviews