Project Description
The homeowners had concerns about selling their stucco home when they put it on the market in a couple of years. Further, they had LP siding (Louisiana-Pacific wood composite siding) in the back of the home. Both of these types of cladding have their negative stigmas attached to them and these homeowners were wide-open to a positive change. Stucco is a product that was really designed for the Southwest where there is dry air. In the 90’s many homes in the Southeast were built with stucco and with the high levels of humidity here, problems would arise. Stucco, especially synthetic stucco, became a cause for concern for both homeowners and those considering the purchase of a stucco home. Many homeowners were dealing with up-keep on cracks, mold and mildew issues and more. After researching James Hardie siding products, the Marietta, Georgia homeowners were confident that these products would not only look the best by provide stunning curb-appeal, but also offer a low maintenance, long-lasting product on the home. “Truth be told; this was not a tough sale. They were mostly there already,” explains Mike Kennedy, Exterior Consultant. “This renovation turned out to be a dramatic change and unique to the entire neighborhood. They live in an older Marietta neighborhood with quite a few stucco and LP siding homes. There’s not a lot a lot of new homes or makeovers in the neighborhood. Recladding the exterior of a home like this created an eye-catching transformation. The Hardie lap siding along with the shake shingles made a dramatic difference from where they were to where they are now. This is probably the biggest plus of the entire project.” The homeowners leveraged the expertise of SuperiorPRO Exterior’s Master Color Consultant Patsy Overton. They chose a paint palette that allowed the home blend well in the neighborhood while giving it a fresh new look. Patsy also helped them with a new front door, an accent that made quite a difference as well. One of the biggest surprises the team came across in this project was the sheathing beneath the stucco. Sheathing is basically the “backing material” that can be found underneath the various layers of stucco and it’s a common substrate for stucco. However, it is not an acceptable substrate for Hardie. Even though that turned out to be an additional investment for the homeowner, they were grateful for our expertise and sharing this with them. Fixing the substrate to Hardie’s specifications was critical. Without this change, the Hardie project would not have been warrantable. If someone didn’t know better or didn’t want to charge more in fear of losing the job, this could have been a big problem down the road. The homeowners were very pleased with the outcome and speak highly of it. They explained that they are getting a lot of people in the neighborhood stopping by and asking about it. The stucco to Hardie transformation is really becoming a common exterior remodeling request in the Atlanta market. We look forward to doing more of these exciting makeovers.