Tips for maximizing aesthetic appeal — siding, capping, etc.
JimR1998
| Posted in General Discussion on
We’re fixing an outbuilding in phases. This summer we’re taking care of the upper half– gable siding, soffit, and capping– and in 2-3 years we’ll cut openings for 2 garage doors (on the gable side) and install siding on the walls. It will be done professionally but I wanted to hear ideas for maximizing aesthic appeal since it’s a focal point of the yard. I don’t want it to look like a mish-mash of materials that aren’t “compatible” or that the work was done in phases.
The current proposal is… cap the rake boards and fascia with aluminum, install vinyl soffit, and put a 2×12 Azek trim board all the way around the building (where the soffit meets the wall). For the gable ends we’re looking at Certainteed Cedar Impressions Perfection Shakes. The CT shakes are vinyl, but they do look NICE and are much more substansial than typical vinyl siding. Still, the word “vinyl” worries me.
Does this sound like a good plan? Are there any details I should request as part of the proposal? I’m not sure about the look of aluminum with azek (painted white). Hardie shakes aren’t much of an upgrade in price, but contractor thinks the CT shakes look better and will be more durable.
Here are some pics. Some of you may recognize the building…original plan was to make it an inlaw suite but the township put the kabash on that. So it will ultimately be a “garage”… half for storage and the other half (where the french doors are) as an outdoor entertaining/play space of some sort (TBD).
I realize what looks good is different to everyone, but I appreciate advice from this board. And also what to look for in terms of a quality install. Thanks.
Replies
The style should match (or at least complement) the style of the house and other nearby buildings.
Building from the 1930's
From what I've been told, the building was built in the late 1930's as a vaction "cabin". This area was pretty much the sticks back then. Housing here is a bit newer, from the late 1940's-1960's. Our house is a brick ranch with wood clapboard siding on the gables.
We thought going with the shake style would still be consistent with the 1930's time period, and since the building is low, it would give it more height than the horizontal clapboards.
Jim
It's a pity the design wasn't looked at a little closer b/4 the roof was shingled. To me (and I'm no designer) the rake ends of the roof could have been extended and the fascia widened a bit. Right now (and it could be because of the lack of siding) it looks like the structure is bottom heavy.
Can you take your picture, print it out in B&W and maybe do some line drawings on it to mimic the siding you have planned? It might help to balance it out b/4 you go any further.
How does that frieze band you plan coincide with the coming garage door tops?
EDIT: Also, I assume you are going to fir out the block to accommodate the siding. How is that going to meet up with what you are doing now?
Yeah, extending the gables would have been a significant improvement.
frieze band
In my opinion, the frieze board and the garage height issue was one of the TBD's to figure out down the road when the walls and doors are done. Although this was the plan:
The 2x12 FB would be on the gable side(sorry, I mistated it initially)-- it follows the plywood cutout you see above the windows. The sides would have a thinner FB under the soffit but it would all be level at the bottom. The thinking was that the FB could act as the trim for the top of the garage door and also as a seperation point between the top and bottom siding types.
The plywood on the gable is about 1/2" outside the block. Adding a 2" FB to that is supposed to allow enough depth for 1x3 furring strips plus ~1.5" of whatever siding we choose.
This is why I'm nervous... :-)
jim
To my knowledge (and that changes hourly), Azek does not come in a 1-1/2" thickness, so you'll have to build it up.
Planning for the next step is important and should be figured to every detail so you don't have to dismantle what you've already done. Have pcs of both the current products used and the proposed finish products so all overlaps, fits and details come together in the end.
And at these changes in levels and thicknesses, figure closely the detail to both shed the water as well as flashing any potential entry points.
Best of luck.
Your post talks about materials as if they, in themselves, are designs. They're not. Materials are simply visual elements that a good designer uses to make an aesthetic statement. Identifying desirable materials is important, but you also need someone who can put them into perspective and order for you. Hire a good house designer or architect. Don't rely on advice (like that of your contractor) that is simply, "I think this kind of shake looks better."
Good points...
You all make good points. I kick myself for not having the gables extended, and when the roof was rebuilt I should have had it lifted about 2ft higher. Live and learn. We do everything in phases because of cost-- sometimes it comes together at the end, sometimes it's a struggle.
I wish I could find somebody to do a sketch and include material recommendations. I was quoted $2500 for a 3-D rendering like you see on HGTV but it's just not in the budget. I like the idea of a large b&w printout. I've also found a few online sites that do this kind of thing... might test out the waters with one of those.
I totally agree with good materials <> good design. We're in a bit of a hurry to pick this, pick that but without a picture of the end result we're really rolling the dice.
Design software
I think there are design software packages out there, that while they are not professional grade stuff, are cpabpe of letting you do renderings of various options. Home Designer is pretty user freindly, and costs about $100 from Amazon.
And, the first thing you need to do is get a designer involved. I know it costs money, and you haven't budgeted for it.
But, having a fully thought through design, not just an asthetically drawn picture, will actually save money in the long run. Particularly when you are trying to do the project in phases, and will have different subtrades doing work that mey be seperated by several years.
When you build in phases, it is critical to have a comprehensive plan of what the end result will be, and how the phases tie together.
cost for design
Sorry to hear that you got that kind of cost quoted for a rendering. I can't imagine what all the architect would do with all that time to do the images. A simple rectangular building with a gable roof wouldn't take very long to draw up for a designer experienced with using good software.
The hip roof and the symmetry of the door and windows remind me of Georgian architecture (a la stone veneer) which might have been charming for a guest house. Maybe in two years the town will change their minds.