Conditions first, product second
House wrap condition, flashing at windows and trim, existing sheathing, and how a wall assembly manages moisture matter as much as the siding profile or color chosen.
What belongs in a full scope
- Existing conditions and likely cause
- Preparation and protection
- Materials, compatibility, and installation details
- Permits, testing, cleanup, and restoration
- Exclusions, warranty terms, and change-order process
Lexington context
Lexington's cladding question is almost entirely a question of era, and the 1958 urban growth boundary is what makes the eras so legible. By concentrating construction inside a defined urban service area from the 1960s through the 1990s, it produced a large ring of housing whose original wood, hardboard and aluminum cladding is now reaching the end of its service life at roughly the same time -- which is why whole streets tend to face this decision within a few years of each other. The older in-town neighborhoods are a separate category, with masonry and early wood detailing where matching a profile matters more than selecting a product. What does not much apply here is the geology: karst limestone and the county's springs and sinkholes govern ground and water, and a wall assembly touches none of it. What governs a siding outcome is the water-resistive barrier and sheathing behind the cladding, plus an Ohio Valley winter that cycles through freeze and thaw repeatedly and drives moisture into any gap in the detailing.