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Woodhouse Builders LLC
Exterior Siding That Holds Up to Maine Winters

Portland Local

Exterior Siding That Holds Up to Maine Winters

Clapboard, cedar shake, and lap siding installed right the first time by Scotty Woodhouse.

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Exterior Siding for Maine's Toughest Conditions

Exterior siding on a Maine home does more than look good. It's the first line of defense against freeze-thaw cycles, driven rain off the Atlantic, and the kind of sustained cold that finds every gap a careless installer left behind. When we install or replace siding, the goal is a weathertight envelope, not just a new face on the house. Scotty Woodhouse has worked on homes across Greater Cumberland County and knows exactly where Maine siding jobs fail: at the corners, around windows, and anywhere a seam wasn't properly flashed. If your current siding is showing rot, buckling, or persistent moisture intrusion, the problem rarely fixes itself. Call us and we'll tell you honestly what you're dealing with.

Siding cost depends on a handful of variables: the square footage of the wall area, the material you choose, what's underneath (sound sheathing versus rotted boards that need replacement), and how much detail work is involved around windows, doors, and trim. Cedar shake runs higher than vinyl or fiber cement because it takes real skill to install correctly and the material itself costs more. Clapboard, done right, is a classic choice for New England homes and holds paint well when the substrate is prepped properly. We don't cut corners on housewrap, flashing, or nailing patterns, because those are the details that separate a siding job that lasts twenty years from one that starts failing at the seams after two winters. Every job is different -- contact Woodhouse Builders LLC for an accurate estimate.

Siding Materials We Install

The right material depends on your home's architecture, your budget, and how much maintenance you want long-term.

01

Clapboard Siding

The traditional choice for New England homes. Wood clapboard accepts paint well, looks authentic on older homes, and can last decades when properly primed, installed with correct overlap, and maintained. We won't install it over a compromised substrate.

02

Cedar Shake Siding

Cedar shake gives a home texture and character you can't fake with a synthetic product. It's a more labor-intensive install, and it rewards the investment when nailing patterns and spacing are correct. Scotty handles cedar shake work on projects across Falmouth, Yarmouth, and the surrounding area.

03

Fiber Cement Siding

Fiber cement holds paint longer than wood, resists rot and insect damage, and won't warp in the humidity swings Maine sees between July and January. It's a solid option for homeowners who want the clapboard look with less ongoing maintenance.

04

Lap Siding

Horizontal lap profiles work on a wide range of home styles and are available in multiple materials. We'll walk you through the options and tell you what each one actually requires in terms of upkeep before you choose.

Our Process

How a Siding Job Actually Works

Most homeowners don't know what happens between the quote and the finished wall. Here's the honest sequence.

  1. 01

    Assessment and Substrate Check

    Before a single piece of siding goes up, we inspect the sheathing and framing underneath. Rotted boards get replaced. Housewrap gets inspected or installed new. Any flashing around windows, doors, and penetrations gets checked. If the foundation isn't sound, we tell you before the work starts, not after.

  2. 02

    Installation with Correct Detailing

    Nailing patterns, overlap dimensions, corner treatments, and trim integration all matter. These aren't optional steps. A siding job that skips proper corner flashing or uses incorrect nail spacing is going to fail at those exact spots, usually within the first few winters. We follow the manufacturer specs and Maine's climate demands.

  3. 03

    Cleanup and Final Walkthrough

    We clean up the site before we leave and walk the finished work with you. If something isn't right, we fix it. Scotty isn't a middleman who passes off problems to a sub -- he's the one doing the work and standing behind it.

Why Siding Jobs Fail in New England

  1. 01

    Skipped or Wrong Flashing

    Water gets behind siding at transitions: where siding meets a window, a door, a roofline, or a penetration. Without proper step flashing and kick-out flashing, that water channels into the wall cavity and rots the framing. By the time you see a stain on the interior, the damage is already extensive.

  2. 02

    Installing Over Rotted Substrate

    New siding over rotted sheathing is a short-term cosmetic fix that fails fast. The nails won't hold, moisture continues to migrate, and the rot spreads under the new material. We've seen siding jobs that looked fine at install and were failing within eighteen months because the wall behind them was already compromised.

  3. 03

    Incorrect Nail Depth and Spacing

    Overdriven nails crack the material and create stress points. Underdriven nails let siding shift in wind. Neither failure is obvious on day one, but both become visible after a season or two of thermal expansion and contraction. Proper nailing isn't fast -- it's the kind of detail that separates a craftsman from someone moving as quickly as possible.

Full-Scope Work on Home Improvements

Exterior siding rarely happens in isolation on a well-maintained home. We often replace siding alongside carpentry work on trim, fascia, and soffits, or tie it into a broader residential construction or renovation project. Homes in Scarborough, Cape Elizabeth, and the coastal communities west of Portland take a beating from salt air and winter moisture, and the repairs those homes need tend to be interconnected. Replacing siding and leaving rotted trim in place doesn't solve the problem. We scope the full picture, tell you what's urgent versus what can wait, and do the work in the right order so you're not calling two different contractors to coordinate around each other.
Home renovations

Siding Questions We Actually Hear

What is exterior siding and what does it actually do structurally?
Siding is the outermost layer of the wall assembly. Its job is to shed water, block wind-driven moisture, and protect the sheathing and framing underneath. It is not, by itself, a structural component, but when it fails or is installed incorrectly, it allows moisture into the wall cavity, which compromises the structural elements behind it. Maine's freeze-thaw cycles make that moisture pathway especially damaging.
How much does siding cost for a 2,000 square foot house?
Material choice, substrate condition, and detail complexity all drive the number significantly. Cedar shake on a two-story colonial with multiple dormers costs more than fiber cement on a straightforward ranch. Any contractor who quotes a flat rate per square foot without seeing the house is guessing. Every job is different -- contact Woodhouse Builders LLC for an accurate estimate.
How do I know if my current siding needs full replacement or just repair?
Localized damage, a few cracked boards, or a section of rot around one window often warrants targeted repair rather than a full re-side. Signs that replacement makes more sense: widespread buckling or cupping across multiple walls, siding that's separating from the substrate along its full length, or multiple moisture intrusion points that indicate systemic installation failure. We'll tell you which category your house falls into, honestly.
Does new siding need to be painted or primed before installation?
Wood clapboard and cedar shake should be back-primed on all four sides before installation, including the back face and cut ends. Skipping back priming is one of the most common reasons wood siding fails prematurely -- moisture enters through the unprotected back face and causes the material to cup and peel within a few years. Fiber cement products come from the factory primed; the seams and cuts need field priming after trimming.
Can new siding be installed directly over the old siding?
In some cases, yes. Fiber cement over existing wood clapboard is done when the existing surface is flat, sound, and properly fastened. But installing over existing siding adds thickness to the wall assembly, which changes how windows and doors sit relative to the casing and trim. It also hides the substrate, so any existing rot gets buried rather than addressed. We assess whether over-installing is appropriate or whether a tear-off is the correct call before recommending either approach.
How long does a siding job take from start to finish?
A straightforward single-story re-side with no substrate surprises typically runs three to five days. Multi-story homes, complex rooflines, or significant substrate replacement extend that timeline. Permit requirements in some municipalities add lead time before work can begin. We give you a realistic schedule at the estimate stage and don't start work we can't finish properly.
Does new siding need to be back-primed before installation?
Wood clapboard and cedar shake should be back-primed on all four sides before installation, including the back face and cut ends. Skipping back priming is one of the most common reasons wood siding fails prematurely -- moisture enters through the unprotected back face and causes the material to cup and peel within a few years. Fiber cement comes factory-primed; the seams and cuts need field priming after trimming.
How long does a siding replacement job take?
A straightforward single-story re-side with no substrate surprises typically runs three to five days. Multi-story homes, complex rooflines, or significant substrate replacement extend that timeline. Permit requirements in some municipalities add lead time before work can begin. We give you a realistic schedule at the estimate stage and don't start work we can't finish properly.

Ready to Stop Patching and Start Over Right?

Scotty Woodhouse works throughout Greater Cumberland County and responds seven days a week.

Call now (207) 544-3126 Call Scotty Now

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