Triple-decker siding in Somerville and Medford; Chestnut Hill is about 25–35 minutes away
Siding Repair & Replacement in Somerville & Medford, MA
Triple-deckers an arm's reach from the neighbor, vinyl hung over clapboard decades ago, a third floor no ladder reaches: siding repair in Somerville and Medford starts with staging. We bring it, fix cracked panels and the rot behind them, and replace whole walls when the wood under the vinyl is gone. From Chestnut Hill the drive is about 25–35 minutes.
- Davis Square or Medford Square: about 25–35 minutes away
- Triple-deckers and two-families, vinyl over old clapboard
- Staging for narrow side yards and third-floor walls
- Free estimate from photos of the wall and side yard
- Every day, 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Houses in Somerville and Medford
Somerville is mostly triple-deckers and two-families, from Davis Square across to Winter Hill. Almost all started as wood clapboard; many were covered with vinyl or aluminum between the 1960s and 1990s, often with no housewrap. Medford is more mixed: Victorians and colonials in clapboard and cedar shingle in West Medford, two-families and post-war capes around Medford Square.
Both cities share the tight lot: houses a few feet apart, a fence and a driveway in the gap, no room for a ladder.
What we fix most often here
- Cracked vinyl along the driveway side, at car-door height.
- Rot in the clapboard under the vinyl, found when a damaged panel comes off.
- Rear porches on triple-deckers, where splash from the deck rots the siding and trim.
- Loose panels on the third floor that nobody could reach.
Cracked panels and bent J-channel come under vinyl siding repair. Wood and cedar houses in West Medford: wood and cedar siding repair and painting.
Repair or replace?
With vinyl over wood the question is what is under the vinyl. If the clapboard is sound, a cracked panel is a siding repair and nothing more. If the wood is gone along a whole wall, we strip it to the sheathing, add housewrap and flashing, and re-side it. When every wall looks like that, read about siding replacement and new installation.
Permits and historic districts
Both are cities, so a full re-side usually needs the city’s building permit; swapping a few panels or boards normally does not. Some older streets in both may fall in a local historic district: before changing siding material or trim on a street-facing wall, check with the town’s historical commission.
How it works
- Text (857) 245-9588 or call. Send photos of the damage and of the side yard, for the staging.
- Free estimate at the house. We lift a panel, check the clapboard behind it, and tell you what the vinyl has been hiding.
- Staging, then the work. The staging goes up first, and the driveway stays clear.
- Staging down. Third floor checked with you from the street, lot left as we found it.
Where in Somerville and Medford
Davis Square, Winter Hill and the rest of Somerville, then West Medford and Medford Square, are the longest drive of the towns we list: about 25–35 minutes from Chestnut Hill. Between here and there lie Allston-Brighton (about 15–25 minutes), Cambridge (about 20–25 minutes) and Belmont and Arlington (about 20–30 minutes). The service area page has the whole ring.
The flat roof, gutters and windows of the same triple-decker are handled under other exterior services.
Get a free estimate with a few photos attached, or call or text (857) 245-9588.
Questions homeowners ask
My Winter Hill triple-decker is four feet from the next house. Can you reach the third floor?
Yes. A ladder is useless in a gap like that, so we set pump jacks or pipe staging in the side yard; if the only room is on the neighbor's side we ask them first. Staging adds setup time, and it is in the estimate.
A panel came off my two-family near Medford Square and the clapboard under it is black and soft. What now?
The usual story with vinyl over wood: it hid a leak for years, often from a window with no head flashing or a wall that never got housewrap. We open the wall to dry wood, replace the rotted clapboard and sheathing, flash and wrap the repair, and re-hang the vinyl. If the rot runs the whole wall, we say so.
Our West Medford Victorian is painted clapboard. Can you do the carpentry and the repainting on the same job?
Yes, one crew and one estimate. The question is color: a wall painted many times over rarely takes a patch invisibly, so we carry the new paint to the nearest corner board or trim line rather than feathering it in. Cedar left natural gets a clear coat instead.
Can you quote from photos when the damage is on the third floor?
Partly. Photos of the damage tell us repair or replacement, and a shot down the driveway shows what staging will fit; we confirm both in person. Third-floor photos from the street are fine. The visit is free whether or not you hire us.
Get a free estimate
Tell us what you see on the wall, or just leave a phone number and we will call back. Calls and texts: (857) 245-9588, also on WhatsApp. E-mail: [email protected].
Based at 115 Grove St, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467. Open 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM every day.