Is there a reason that you're putting up vinyl siding and not just having the existing siding prepped and painted?

I suggested that, hubby over-ruled.

However, if I WAS to convince him to paint, what color???

I agree with you that white would be unappealing. I think a forest green would look very nice, and I really have no objection to the red that's on there now. If your husband isn't a fan of color, maybe a more neutral tan, one that harmonizes with the brick? (Tan comes in a zillion undertones; yellow, green and red. Pick one that looks good with your bricks.)

But I'm biased. My husband and I just painted our old house green and we love it!

Thanks vjrnts,
I like green as long as it doesn't turn out too Christmas-ie.
Alcoa Lakeshore Fern appears to be a nice choice on my pc but we probably need to look at it on site as the colors can differ greatly.
My husband will go along with any color I pick, he just doesn't want to paint.
Is it not possible to post photos within html text now?

Here is a link that might be useful: Scroll down to

Our house is the same brick, and we painted the wood siding a black with brown undertones. Before it looked pretty good in grey. So I'd pick that darkest one timberstone.

If you go through the albums on American Bungalow's website, you'll be able to see color options on "real, live homes".

However, I would not put vinyl on that home. I hope you don't cut off the brackets and rafter tails to get the siding on. If you do, I believe it will ruin the integrity of the bungalow.

Have you thought about stripping the paint and then staining the shake siding?

Here is a link that might be useful: American Bungalow albums

Patser,
Believe me, I was sick when I saw those little blocks of wood (bracket tails) on the ground when I went on site to check on the work.... but what could I do? The damage was already done.
Alcoa makes a shake cedar grain look vinyl siding that we're considering, Natural Cedar.

Oh no. Not the brackets too? Those brackets are structural as well as aesthetic; if they're not replaced, your roof is in trouble.

Does your husband realize that putting vinyl siding up is going to lower the value of the house to some buyers? Although I guess some folks are more likely to buy vinyl because it doesn't need painting. Still, it's a sad thing to do what looks like a really nice house.

What is the inside like? Is there a lot of original detail left?

vjrnts, No, not the brackets... (my husband is familiar with weight bearing and roof integrity) the roof is safe. He took off about a 2 inch tip so the facia board would fit over it; if you look closely at the photo you can see.
The original siding is weathered and splitting, falling apart, really.
Except for the worn out kitchen and bath (only 1 bath), the inside will be left original. The hardwood floors and stairway need refurbished.

I second Forest Green.

Possibly a nice Pacific Blue, as well.

I love your house. I really like the red and white that is on it .I go look at a simular house this summer that was hunter green with dark brown or black trim(I don,t remember) that was really nice as well. I looked at the links and liked the creamy yellow as well. I have heard so much negative about vinyal warping and fading I would hesitate to put it on such a nice older home. We used hardi board grain side down on our older home and it looks alot like wood plank siding.

I think a beige or greyish beige would look nice with the red. It allows the red to standout, but without as much contrast as the bright white. I think more "earthy" tones would look great with your craftsman gem!

Please don't encase it in plastic!!! You WILL lose value in the houseIf you're going for neutral, a nice tan (agree with matching the undertones. Restore the shingles, PLEASE!

edselpdx, I agree with your feelings, but I don't think you're right when you say that the house will lose value. From buyers like you and me, yes, it will lose. But there are a whole lot more people out there for whom the need to paint is a deal-breaker; they want the vinyl siding.

I think it's a sad thing, but it's the truth. Unless the house is in a neighborhood where all the houses need periodic painting; then the people who are looking know they're going to have to paint. But, to tell the truth, I love my wood-sided house, but I dearly wish I could find some kind of permanent paint! It cost a lot to paint my house this spring, and I don't look forward to doing it again.

There is an article in our local paper today from an old house afficianado who wrote (and has written in the past) about the drawbacks of vinyl siding, including not being able to assess possible damage underneath, not mimicing real wood in appearance - aside from some expensive varieties, being able to notice that it is not real wood from down the street, provides a place for insects/bees to nest, must be installed properly to allow for contraction/expansion, easily damaged, fades in color with time .... He did suggest that newer wood siding is less durable than older wood siding, since it is made from rapid growth trees. The article in today's paper was about fiber-cement siding, a modern version of asbestos siding, that has some of the virtues of vinyl (does not have to be painted, is durable) but looks more like real wood, does not fade as readily, and is paintable.

atheymd : I don't know if you already chose a color, but I just used lakeshore fern on my new house and I love it. I can send you a picture if you like.

I love the red color that is on there now... I'm sad about the vinyl. I think it's a huge mistake. There are fake wood shingles that would look so much better. Maybe DH could glue the 2" tips back on and call it a day!

The red brick with dark mortar is very nice but the killer is the bright white trim. Sadly, sometime in its past this house lost its identity. I hope you will give it back. I'll bet Mom and Pop would be proud.

If the shingles are in reasonable shape it would not be wise to cover them with PVC simulated clapboard siding and simulated cornerboards (ouch). This house should have natural materials like cedar shingles that wrap around the corners and ideally they should be unfinished but an warm/earth color stain would be OK and a similar acrylic paint color would do if that has already been done.

Think natural and look around your yard and neighborhood for inspiration; not the house colors but everything else.

Do some research on the Craftsman and Shingle Styles, but not the ubiquitous bungalow sub-style, you have a full-sized house with some personality.

Never take a sandwich to a banquet.

I'll echo what others have said - PLEASE don't wrap that beauty in plastic. Have you had a reputable painter give an estimate? I bet with a proper power washing, some repair & sanding that house will make a stately appearance -

GL

In our neighborhood it's illegal to install vinyl siding. We worked hard to get our HPOZ (Historic Preservation Overlay Zone), and both stuccoing and vinyl siding over wood are forbidden. Not only do they both destroy the historic character of the architecture, they reduce the value of the house and will mask possible future damage. Why buy an old house just to put vinyl on it?

Oh no. Not another one.

Every situation is different, but for us, the cost of removing all the vinyl from our house and restoring the victorian detail is a nightmare...but we're still doing it. Better than suffering our neighbor's fate: Removed siding, clapboards underneath were rotting. Removed clapboards, sheathing underneath was rotting. Removed sheathing, structural members underneath were rotting. Vinyl and old houses don't mix well. It's just a matter of time before someone has to pay the piper. Of course, the siding companies love it!

I can't bear to watch this thread either.

atheymd,

While I agree with most of the other posters about the siding issue, I also know that for some, siding isn't just an option, but is the only option. My in-laws have a sided house and they did vinyl siding that looks like shingles and it's really nice. I think the main idea with any old house is that you keep as much of it original or as it was as possible, but give a nod to being in the 2000's as well. We live in a 1898 house and are not planing on getting rid of electricity to go back to gas lights. Also, in our current economic climate, it's actually cheaper to side a house than paint. While I would rather see people keep the original siding to their house or replace it with the same things than side, I'd actually rather someone side the house to free up time saving the inside, which it sounds like atheymd is doing.

I'd ask people to definitely mourn, definitely educate, but also encourage-

Love the house- and I so love that it was your grandmothers, what a treasure for you and your family! I hope you'll share interior photos, I'm sure it's amazing on the inside.

Check out my house! It's based almost on the same design as your house. Ours may be a tad larger but our houses could be cousins!

Scroll down to the bottom to see the outside of our house.

Here is a link that might be useful: House Cousins

Does it have to be vinyl?They have some really nice wood and wood looking siding,We have some beaded,wood siding we stained transparent gray ,you can still see knots,grain pretty

Op has not responded since Oct - so that house might be all wrapped up by now :(

Biting my tongue and chewing my nails.

Hopefully they have decided to sell the house to someone that will have a bit more respect for it.