Buffalo, Minnesota
Straightforward James Hardie Siding Replacement in Buffalo, MN
Water covers better than a quarter of Buffalo, and the open fetch across Lake Pulaski and Buffalo Lake pushes rain sideways into gable ends that a calmer lot never has to shed. Fiber cement handles that, but only if the joints, the flashing and the gap behind the board are detailed for a wall that gets hit flat instead of from above.
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Lakeside walls fail at the joints first
Buffalo splits into two jobs. Around the 1856 courthouse plat the houses are older and smaller, with narrow lap and wood trim we have to match in a fiber cement profile. Out on Buffalo Lake and Lake Pulaski the walls face the water, and that is where careless work shows up. Rain driven flat into a gable end finds every butt joint that was caulked instead of backed, every window head without a drip cap, and every board butted tight to a horizontal flashing. We back the joints, leave the flashing gap open, furr the wall where the exposure earns it, and keep the bottom edge above grade and above the deck boards. The shoreland overlay means the permit comes first. Homeowners who want a lighter wall on a lake elevation sometimes ask about steel siding replacement, and on the water side that is a fair conversation to have.
James Hardie Siding Replacement in Buffalo
The lake side needs more than board
A drainage gap behind the board
On the windward elevations we furr the wall so water that gets past the lap has somewhere to go and the back of the board can dry. Flat to the sheathing is fine on a sheltered side.
Butt joints backed, not caulked
Every butt joint on a gable end gets flashing behind it and lands on a stud. Caulk alone opens in the first freeze and then the wall wicks water on every windy rain.
Head flashing over every opening
Windows and doors on the lake side get a metal drip cap and a gap above the trim. That single detail is the difference between a dry header and rot found six years later.
Shoreland permits handled first
Buffalo runs a shoreland overlay on Buffalo Lake and Lake Pulaski, with permits required for decks, additions and other structures. We sort out what your siding scope triggers before anyone starts tearing off.
Deck ledgers flashed while open
Lakeside houses carry big decks bolted through the wall. Tear off is the one chance to flash that ledger properly, and we take it rather than siding up to the old bolts.
Fastened for open water wind
Wind coming off a mile of open water pulls at a lap edge. We hit framing rather than sheathing alone and tighten the nailing pattern on the exposed elevations.
Why homeowners on both lakes call us
We walk the water side twice
The lake elevation gets its own look, in weather if we can. What a wall does in a driving rain tells you more than what it looks like on a still afternoon.
Scope written elevation by elevation
The north side of a Lake Pulaski house and the sheltered street side do not need the same detailing. We quote them separately instead of writing one number for four walls.
We say no to bad candidates
A lakeshore house with a soft rim joist needs framing repair before siding goes on. We scope that first, and we will turn the job down rather than cover it up.
Windows and siding on one contract
We hang windows too. If the units are being replaced anyway, doing it while the wall is open means the flashing is continuous instead of patched into old siding.
Cleanup off the shoreline
Board offcuts and nails do not belong in a lake lot. We tarp below the wall, sweep with a magnet and leave the water side of the house clear at the end of each day.
What people near Buffalo say
Orange Exteriors did an excellent job with my new roofing install. Very professional, on time and hard working crew. Completed the job in one day.
Dick JohnsonRoof installation We live in Eden Prairie. Orange did an excellent job on our siding replacement and provided great customer service all the way through.
Thomas DeSutterSiding replacement, Eden Prairie, MN Fantastic guys to work with, did an excellent job of fixing our siding. You can tell it’s a high integrity company. Definitely recommend.
Carolyn MillerSiding repair
Siding questions from around Buffalo Lake
What people in Buffalo ask us about this work. If yours is not covered, call and ask.
Does the shoreland overlay affect a siding replacement on Lake Pulaski?
Replacing siding on the same footprint does not add impervious cover, so the cap is not usually the issue. The permit still is. Buffalo requires permits for decks, additions and other structures inside the overlay, and if your scope touches a deck, a bump out or anything structural, that gets sorted before tear off.
Will fiber cement hold up to rain blowing straight at a gable end?
Yes, if the wall behind it is built for that. The board itself does not care about wind driven rain. What fails is caulked butt joints, missing head flashing and a house wrap that was never taped. On a windward Buffalo elevation we treat the wrap as the water barrier and the siding as the first screen.
Can we start with the wall facing the lake and do the rest later?
You can, and on some houses that is the sensible order because that wall fails years before the other three. Two things to know: the color you order now has to be matched later, and mobilizing twice adds time to the second job. If the rest is close behind, do it together.
Walk your lake side with us
Send the address and which lake you are on. We will look at the gable ends, the window heads and the grade line, then quote it free with no obligation.
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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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