In a message dated 03/10/2000 11:12:49 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

> I agree with most of the responses on vinyl siding - it's icky, cruddy
stuff.
>   But I can't help feeling that the preservation movement is unnecessarily
>  isolating itself by holding vinyl siding at arms length while holding its
>  nose.  The people who are butchering their nice old three deckers are
>  unlikely to be brought into the preservation fold right away, especially if
>  the price of admission is a hefty first time painting & repair bill.
>
>  I am surprised that (some part of) the preservation movement does not
> embrace
>  these owners and try to work out some guidelines for helping them do a good
>  (or just not-so-bad) vinyl job.

There are several communities in New Jersey that allow vinyl siding within
historic districts; so I don't think it's a total rejection of the industry.
However, usually this is accompanied by guidelines that stipulate the siding
must match the reveal of the original clapboard, and that during installation
the other architectural elements on the building must not be obscured or
destroyed.

The problem is.... when you have a really complicated house, it's going to
cost more to do 'visually compatible' vinyl siding that doesn't wreck the
architectural elements... which effectually negates the impetus for siding in
the first place, because most people want a cheap fix-up.

I've never minded siding in theory, but the people who are siding their
houses rarely take the initiative to find visually compatible siding.  It's
usually the cheapest, most convenient siding providers-- which usually means
that they choose an inappropriate siding size, which changes the whole
balance of the exterior. And there is a cumulative effect that happens when
the architectural elements get stripped away, one by one. Like in some of the
suburban bungalows from the 'teens here in town: in a  charming neighborhood
of 50 - 60 bungalows, only 1 has an intact bracket. That's pretty sad.

I'd be much happier with the siding industry if
1) they touted their product as a product, not a miracle cure
2) the product was repairable (i.e. what Wm. Rose said)
3) low prices and standardized product weren't the main objective

Sign me,
Bracketless in NJ
(I do have copies of some of those architectural guidelines, if you are
interested.)