Siding in Shady Hollow, Austin, TX (April 2023)

Why did this Shady Hollow home need a full exterior redo?

The home dated back to an era when builders leaned on wood-based siding and thin single-pane windows. Years of 100-degree summers and spring hail had worn all of it down. The homeowner wanted one project to fix the whole envelope instead of patching piece by piece.

• Aging siding showed rot and swelling along the lower courses
• Old windows leaked conditioned air and drove up cooling bills
• The roof and gutters were near the end of their life
• Cedar pollen and moisture had settled into worn seams

What did the crew find when we opened it up?

Once we pulled the old siding, we got a clear look at what the walls were hiding. Some sheathing near grade had softened from years of splash-back and trapped moisture, which is common on Shady Hollow homes sitting on shifting limestone soil. We dried it out, made repairs, and set a clean weather barrier before any new board went up. This step matters more than people think, because siding installed over damp or damaged sheathing traps that problem for another decade. A homeowner rarely sees this stage, but it decides whether the new exterior lasts.

What materials did we use, and why?

We chose James Hardie fiber cement for the whole home because it stands up to what Central Texas throws at it. It shrugs off hail, resists warping in extreme heat, and won't feed rot or insects the way wood does. We ran HardiePlank lap across the main walls and switched to board & batten on the front gable for a little character.

• HardiePlank lap on all main elevations
• Board & batten accent on the front gable
• Sherwin-Williams Youthful Coral as the finish color
• Fresh flashing and trim tied into the new windows

How did the windows and door fit into the job?

We ordered the NT Executive windows in early September, but COVID-era delays pushed delivery to mid-December. Rather than stall, we planned the sequence around it. We installed the windows in late January 2023, then moved straight into siding once the openings were framed and flashed. Installing windows first let us weave the siding, flashing, and trim together for a watertight seal instead of caulking around a finished wall later. We also swapped the old back slider for a new vinyl sliding patio door, tying the whole rear elevation together.

• All windows replaced with Texas-built NT Executive units
• New vinyl sliding glass door at the back patio
• Windows set and flashed before siding began
• Tighter frames to cut summer heat gain

What else got replaced on this home?

The project also covered a new roof and gutter system, so the whole exterior finished at once. We laid Owens Corning Oakridge shingles with a RizeRidge high-profile ridge cap for a cleaner roofline. A new rain gutter system pulls water away from the foundation, which helps on this soil.

• Owens Corning Oakridge architectural shingles
• RizeRidge high-profile ridge cap
• Full rain gutter system installed
• Roof, siding, and paint completed by April 3, 2023

What were the results?

The home went from worn and dated to fresh and sealed top to bottom. The coral finish over crisp Hardie board makes it stand out, and the new windows and roof handle Austin weather with ease. Every layer of the envelope now works together.