Siding in Dittmar-Slaughter, Austin, TX

What did the Dittmar-Slaughter siding project include?

The siding scope reached both the front and back of the home. It also went beyond the broad wall areas: the crew wrapped the garage door jambs and installed cedar posts. Those smaller details matter because a fresh siding face can make unfinished edges stand out.

• The main wall material was 8.25-inch Select Cedar Mill fiber cement siding.
• The scope included primed Select Cedar Mill pieces as well as the main siding installation.
• Lap-and-gap cedar siding formed a separate part of the exterior work.
• The cedar-post work included an 8-by-8 post item.
• Painting covered the siding and other listed exterior surfaces, not just one elevation.

A homeowner comparing siding bids should check those detail areas, not just the wall material. On this Austin project, garage jamb wraps, cedar work, and paint each had a place in the scope. That gave us a clear way to plan the finish instead of treating those pieces as last-minute additions.

What did we check before planning the work?

The homeowner reached out after an online search on September 23, 2024. We inspected the home and began the estimate on September 26, well before the April installation. The front and back siding areas, garage opening, and existing gutters all needed attention in the plan. We also had to account for paint on the fascia and soffit, where the siding work meets the roof edge.

That inspection shaped how we separated the trades. Existing gutters had to be disposed of, while new gutters and downspouts belonged with the finished exterior. Painting was its own part of the job, including the lap-and-gap cedar siding. On homes that have lived through years of Austin sun and hail, it is easy to focus only on the largest wall. This scope called for a closer look at the edges and roofline too.

• The homeowner approved the project on October 31, 2024.
• The estimate included front and back work rather than describing the house as a single siding area.
• Garage door jamb wraps were listed separately, including a double-jamb item.
• The gutter plan called for removal of the existing system by linear foot.

Why use these siding and gutter materials in Austin?

We used the specified James Hardie fiber cement for the main siding areas and kept the cedar features as distinct details. That distinction matters: the Select Cedar Mill profile has a wood-grain look, but the main boards are not cedar. A homeowner could easily mistake the finish name for the material and make the wrong comparison between bids. The 8.25-inch profile also set the siding's visible pattern across the wall areas.

Austin's 100°+ summer days put exterior finishes under sustained heat. Fiber cement was the material selected for the broad siding work, while Sherwin Williams Super Paint was specified for the painted siding. The crew also had paint or stain work for the lap-and-gap cedar. Keeping those material and finish tasks separate helped us address each part of this mixed-material exterior.

The gutter choice followed a different need. Five-inch seamless aluminum sections serve the roof edge, while 3-by-4-inch downspouts carry water down the single-story walls. Austin's limestone soil makes runoff placement worth discussing at any home. Gutter size alone does not tell you where water will land, so the downspout layout deserves attention during an assessment.

How did the four days on site unfold?

The crew worked from April 5 through April 8, 2025. This was a multi-day siding, painting, and gutter installation—not a same-day replacement. We coordinated the exterior tasks so the finished surfaces and roof-edge work could be handled within that window.

• Siding installation included the main Select Cedar Mill boards and the primed pieces in the scope.
• The crew installed cedar posts and addressed the garage door jamb wraps.
• Painting included siding, fascia, and soffit areas up to 24 inches, plus other listed surfaces.
• The gutter work replaced the old system with seamless aluminum sections and single-story downspouts.
• The final scope included punch items and two yard-cleanup entries.

That last line is more useful than it may sound. A job involving siding, cedar work, paint, and gutter removal creates several kinds of debris and finish details to check. The punch and cleanup work gave the crew a defined finish to the on-site job on April 8.

What changed on the finished exterior?

The home received new siding across the planned front and back areas, with paint tying the listed surfaces into the work. New gutters replaced the existing ones, and the garage jamb and cedar-post details were included in the completed scope. For the homeowner, the result was a coordinated exterior update rather than three disconnected trade visits.

• The main siding retained the specified Select Cedar Mill appearance.
• Cedar lap-and-gap work remained a distinct feature of the project.
• Painted fascia and soffit areas addressed the roofline alongside the gutter change.
• Three-by-four-inch downspouts completed the single-story gutter scope.

The useful lesson from this Dittmar-Slaughter job is to look at the whole exterior when planning siding. Wall boards are the largest visible piece, but openings, roof edges, and drainage affect how the finished work comes together. Here, those elements were part of the same approved project and on-site installation.