Siding & Windows in Milwood, Austin, TX (August 2023)

Why did this Milwood home need new siding?

The old cladding had taken years of Austin punishment. Summer heat and spring hail leave older exteriors cracked, faded, and warped. This homeowner wanted something that would stop the cycle of repairs.

• Home dates to the 1980s, common for the Milwood area
• Original siding showed weathering typical of decades in 100-degree summers
• The client was a returning customer who trusted our earlier work
• Goal was a low-maintenance exterior, not another patch job

What materials did we use, and why?

We chose James Hardie Primed Select Cedar Mill in the 8.25" width for a reason. Fiber cement does not soften or swell the way wood and older composites do when the thermometer sits above 100. It also stands up to hail and cedar pollen better, so it stays looking clean with far less upkeep. The Cedar Mill texture gives the home a natural wood-grain look without the rot and repainting cycle real cedar demands in this climate. The primed boards let our painters lock in a finish that bonds tight and resists Texas UV.

• 8.25" exposure for clean, modern lap lines
• Fiber cement rated for the freeze-thaw and heat swings of Central Texas
• Primed surface prepped for a full paint finish
• Paint applied by our crew shortly after siding wrapped

What happened with the windows and kitchen door?

We pulled every old window and the kitchen slider, then hauled it all off. The new Simonton Daylight Max windows went in over multiple days in late April. The bigger job was the kitchen: we changed the opening height and width to fit a new 60" wide by 80" tall Alside sliding patio door.

• Full removal and disposal of old windows and doors
• New Simonton Daylight Max units for lower heat gain
• Kitchen opening reframed to 60" x 80"
• Standard sliding patio door install at both 5' and 6' sizes in scope

How did the timeline work?

This job ran on the homeowner's schedule, not ours, and that shaped the pacing. We ordered windows in mid-March and had them by late April, then installed shortly after. The client asked us to hold off on siding until later in the summer, so we returned in mid-July to install the boards over several days and paint right after. Splitting the work this way is unusual, but it let the homeowner manage the project around his own timeline without rushing either trade.

What were the results?

The home now has a sealed, uniform exterior and a brighter, more open kitchen entry. Heat gain is down, the finish is fresh, and there is far less maintenance ahead. Everything was completed and invoiced by August 10, 2023.

• Tighter envelope for cooler summers and lower energy loss
• Reworked kitchen slider that opens the room to the yard
• A painted James Hardie shell that shrugs off hail and UV
• Project value in the $50k–$60k range