A Wayland 1953 Cape Cod on a quiet street — original wood shingle siding, three prior paint cycles over 70 years. The owners had bought 18 months earlier and wanted the exterior refreshed before their first New England winter cycle.
The challenge
Wood shingle siding at 70+ years has differential adhesion across elevations. South + west walls (heavy UV) have failing paint on most shingles. North-facing shaded walls have biological growth but the prior paint is mostly sound. Spec needs to vary per elevation.
What we did
- Per-elevation paint failure grading walk-through
- Soft-wash with mildewcide on north-facing walls
- Heavy elevations (S + W): scrape, oil-bond prime bare wood
- Light elevations (N + E): pressure-wash, sand transitions
- Full caulk replacement at every trim joint
- Two coats BM Aura Exterior, back-brush after spray on shingle texture
- Original wood shutters refinished off the building, rehung
The result
Cape Cod character preserved, shingles get another 12+ years before next cycle, owners hit their winter deadline by a week.