Project case study: Max M., Olathe, Kansas. Cover photo shows the home before siding replacement. Finished siding photographs are pending.
Project: Whole-home siding and exterior refinish
Location: Olathe, Kansas
Homeowner: Max M.
Primary material: 7-inch reveal primed LP lap siding, field painted
Exterior colors: Dark blue body with white trim
Max M. was not dealing with one catastrophic siding failure. He was seeing smaller problems in several areas of the house.
After getting multiple consultations, he decided that continuing to repair one problem at a time did not make sense. The better approach was to address the exterior as a complete system rather than keep applying temporary fixes and pushing the larger project down the road.
That decision turned this into much more than a siding color change.
We replaced the siding and trim, addressed deteriorated areas around rooflines and horizontal trim, rebuilt the chimney chase where its relationship to the roof was creating unnecessary water risk, replaced the soffit and fascia, replaced the gutter system, and refinished the exterior in dark blue and white.
The Starting Condition
The existing exterior had several smaller failures spread across different sides of the home.
The siding deterioration we encountered was concentrated in places we commonly pay close attention to during exterior renovations: roof intersections and horizontal trim areas where the existing flashing details were not managing water correctly.
Importantly, we did not find structural framing rot.
The deterioration was associated with the existing siding and exterior sheathing areas. That allowed us to address the damaged portions without turning the project into an unexpected structural-framing repair.
Max’s decision was to deal with those conditions together instead of continuing to repair individual symptoms as they appeared.
The Scope: Approximately 3,400 Square Feet of Siding
The project involved approximately 3,400 square feet of exterior siding.
We installed 7-inch reveal primed LP lap siding around the home and inside the new room area. Because the siding was supplied primed rather than factory finished, the exterior was painted after installation.
The finished color scheme was:
- Dark blue body
- White trim
- White soffit and fascia
The foundation was also included in the painting scope so the completed exterior would read as one coordinated refinish.
We Addressed the Wall Before Covering It
New siding should not simply hide what is underneath it.
On this home, portions of the original panel siding could remain as the existing boxing/backing. Where deterioration had occurred, we repaired and filled the affected areas with OSB as needed before installing the new exterior system.
A new housewrap layer was then installed before the lap siding.
That sequencing matters because siding is only one part of the wall’s water-management system. Flashing and the water-resistive barrier need to work together to direct incidental water toward the exterior.
Window and Door Trim Was Reworked Without Replacing the Windows
This was not a window-replacement project.
The existing windows were insert windows and remained in place, as did the doors.
We did, however, replace the exterior trim around the windows and doors throughout the house, including the cedar trim on the front. As those areas were opened up, foam was added around the window and door openings before the new trim was completed.
That allowed us to address the exterior detailing around the existing units without selling Max windows and doors he was not replacing.
Correcting the Roofline at the Chimney Chase
One of the more important details involved the chimney chase.
The existing chase extended past the roofline in a way that needed to be corrected. As part of the project, we shortened the chase and corrected the roof transition so the remaining assembly pitched away from the house.
This was not simply an appearance change.
The revised chase and roofline reduced the opportunities for water to collect or work into that transition, helping lower the chance of future leakage in an area where roof and wall systems come together.
That type of detail is why we look at siding projects as exterior systems rather than just square footage of new material.
Soffit, Fascia, Columns, and Gutters Were Part of the Same Exterior Plan
The project also included removing and replacing the soffit and fascia.
We replaced the deteriorated bases of both columns at the front porch and incorporated them into the new exterior finish.
The gutter system also had to come down for the fascia work. The existing gutters were attached with older gutter spikes, which meant they were not realistically salvageable for reinstallation without a high likelihood of damage.
Rather than remove damaged gutters and attempt to put them back, the completed project received new:
gutters, gutter guards, and downspouts.
One of the previous downspout conditions above the front door was also corrected as part of the new drainage layout.
No Structural Rot Was Found
One thing homeowners understandably worry about when old siding is opened is what might be hiding behind it.
On this project, we found localized siding and sheathing deterioration, but no structural framing rot.
That distinction matters.
We repaired the exterior areas that needed attention and moved forward with the planned siding system instead of manufacturing a larger structural problem that was not there.
A good exterior renovation should identify what actually needs to be repaired—and just as importantly, what does not.
Why Max Chose a Complete Exterior Refinish
Max had already recognized the pattern before construction started.
There were small failures on multiple facets of the home. Any one of them could have been treated as a repair project, but after multiple consultations he concluded that continuing to put band-aids on different areas would only postpone the larger decision.
He chose to address the exterior comprehensively.
That allowed us to coordinate siding, trim, soffit, fascia, gutters, drainage, painting, column repairs, and the chimney-chase correction as one project rather than having different repairs accumulate over time.
The Result
The finished home received a complete exterior refinish with a dark blue body and white trim.
But the result was not limited to color.
The project also addressed the failed areas around rooflines and horizontal trim, renewed the wall assembly where deterioration was present, replaced the soffit and fascia, replaced the gutter and drainage system, refreshed the window and door trim, and corrected the chimney-chase roof transition.
The finished exterior looks substantially different, but the more important work is in the details behind that appearance.
That is the approach we want on a whole-home siding project: identify why the old exterior is failing, correct those conditions, and then install the new finish.
Project Scope at a Glance
- Approximately 3,400 square feet of siding
- 7-inch reveal primed LP lap siding
- Field-applied exterior paint
- Dark blue body with white trim
- Replacement of window and door trim
- Foam added at window and door openings during trim work
- Existing windows and doors retained
- Deteriorated exterior areas repaired with OSB where required
- New housewrap installed
- Full soffit and fascia replacement
- Front porch column-base repairs
- Chimney chase shortened
- Roofline at chimney chase corrected
- New gutters
- New gutter guards
- New downspouts
- Foundation painting
- No structural framing rot discovered
- No siding permit required for this project
Thinking About Replacing Siding in Olathe?
Not every failed piece of siding means an entire house needs to be replaced.
But when problems are showing up in several areas, it is worth looking at the exterior as a whole before spending money repeatedly repairing individual symptoms.
Acumen Renovations works with homeowners throughout Olathe and the Kansas City metro to evaluate siding, flashing, trim, soffit, fascia, gutters, windows, and the other systems that meet at the exterior of the home.
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For more about water management, read Caulk Is Not Flashing and explore our siding services.
