Anacortes Siding Old Town Anacortes Is a Different Kind of Siding Job
Old Town Anacortes sits close to the water, on older residential blocks with a mix of early-1900s and mid-century homes. Many of these houses were built long before anyone thought about wind-driven rain ratings or rainscreen gaps, and a lot of them have already been re-sided once or twice. That history matters. A siding job here isn't just "measure the walls and order material" — it's understanding what's underneath the current siding, how the house has handled decades of Skagit County weather, and what it will take to make sure the next 30-50 years go better than the last one.
We treat Old Town Anacortes as its own project type, not a generic siding tear-off. The approach below is what we've found actually holds up on these lots, given the climate and the age of the housing stock in this part of Anacortes.
What the Local Climate Actually Does to Siding
Anacortes sits on Fidalgo Island, surrounded by salt water on multiple sides, and Old Town's proximity to the shoreline means homes here take a more direct hit from marine weather than houses further inland in Skagit County. Three things do most of the damage over time:
Salt Air and Corrosion
Airborne salt accelerates corrosion on fasteners, flashing, and any exposed metal trim. Cheap or under-spec'd fasteners rust and streak the siding face long before the siding material itself would ever fail. This is one of the most common causes of premature-looking siding we see on older homes near the water — it's not the wall material failing, it's the hardware holding it up.
Driving Rain
Storms coming off the water hit exposed walls at an angle, not straight down. That means rain gets driven up under laps, into butt joints, and behind trim on any siding that wasn't installed with correct clearances and flashing. On a wall that takes this kind of exposure, installation detail matters more than the brand name on the box.
A Long Moss Season
Between the shade from mature trees on many Old Town lots and the region's extended damp season, siding here can stay wet for days at a stretch. That's an environment where moss, algae, and mildew take hold fast on porous or absorbent materials, and where any trapped moisture behind the siding has plenty of time to do real damage before anyone notices.
Why Older Old Town Homes Need Extra Diligence
Houses in this part of Anacortes often have layers of history behind the current siding: original wood siding, a layer of asbestos-cement shingles from a later remodel, maybe an aluminum or vinyl layer after that. Before any new siding goes on, we want to know what's actually against the sheathing, because it changes the job:
- Older lap and shingle siding may conceal rotted sheathing or framing that has to be repaired before new siding goes up — not covered over.
- Pre-1978 homes may have lead-based paint on the existing siding or trim, which changes how tear-off has to be handled.
- Older asbestos-cement siding requires careful, compliant removal rather than a standard demo approach.
- Walls that have been re-sided more than once are sometimes out of plane, which affects how trim and corner details need to be built out.
None of this is a reason to avoid re-siding an older Old Town home — it's the reason to do the tear-off and inspection carefully instead of rushing straight to the new material.
What a Correct Fiber Cement Installation Requires
We install James Hardie fiber cement exclusively, and in this climate zone that means the HZ5 product engineering — Hardie's formulation built for regions with freeze-thaw cycling and sustained moisture, which fits Anacortes better than the HZ10 line built for hot, humid climates. But the product line is only half the job. Correct installation is what actually determines whether a house handles the next few decades of salt air and driving rain well.
| Detail | Why it matters here |
|---|---|
| Bottom clearance from grade, decks, and roofing | Keeps the siding edge out of standing water and snowmelt runoff common on shaded Old Town lots |
| Weather-resistive barrier behind the siding | Gives wind-driven rain a drainage path instead of a route into the wall assembly |
| Flashing at windows, doors, and butt joints | The single biggest factor in whether driving rain stays out of the wall |
| Corrosion-resistant fasteners | Prevents the rust streaking and fastener failure salt air causes on lesser hardware |
| Factory ColorPlus finish vs. field-applied paint | A baked-on factory finish resists the fading and moss growth this climate is hard on |
Our Process for an Old Town Anacortes Siding Job
- On-site assessment. We look at the existing siding, wall condition, drainage around the foundation, and shade/exposure before quoting anything.
- Tear-off and sheathing inspection. Old siding comes off and we inspect what's underneath for rot, soft spots, or old material that needs proper handling.
- Repair before cover. Any damaged sheathing or framing gets replaced. New siding never goes over a compromised wall.
- Weather-resistive barrier and flashing. Installed at every penetration, window, door, and transition before a single piece of siding goes up.
- Hardie installation to manufacturer spec. Correct clearances, fastening pattern, and joint treatment — not shortcuts that only show up as problems years later.
- Trim, caulk, and final walk-through. We check every detail against spec before calling the job done, then clean the site thoroughly.
Cost Factors on an Old Town Anacortes Project
Every quote is specific to the house, but these are the variables that actually move the number on jobs in this neighborhood:
| Factor | Why it changes the price |
|---|---|
| Number of existing siding layers | More layers to remove and dispose of, more labor before install even starts |
| Sheathing or framing repair needed | Rot found during tear-off has to be fixed, and older homes near the water see this more often |
| Trim and architectural detail | Older homes often have more corners, trim boards, and roofline transitions than a simple modern box |
| Lot access and setback | Tight older lots with mature landscaping can slow material staging and require more hand work |
| Siding profile and color selection | Lap widths, shingle patterns, and ColorPlus color choice all affect material cost |
Maintaining Fiber Cement in This Climate
Fiber cement is low-maintenance compared to wood, but "low-maintenance" doesn't mean "no maintenance" — especially with this much salt air and shade in the mix.
- Rinse siding once or twice a year to clear salt residue and organic buildup before it takes hold.
- Keep gutters clear so runoff isn't sheeting down the siding face during storms.
- Trim back vegetation that keeps walls shaded and damp longer than necessary.
- Check caulking at trim joints and penetrations every year or two — caulk fails long before the siding does.
- Watch for moss or algae starting in shaded corners and address it early rather than letting it spread.
Why Local Experience Matters on This Job
A crew that already works Old Town Anacortes has seen how these specific lots behave — which walls take the worst of the driving rain, which older homes tend to have hidden rot under the second or third layer of siding, and how much shade and moss pressure a given block actually gets. That's not something you can fully account for from a set of blueprints alone. It shows up in smaller decisions on-site: where to add extra flashing, how much clearance to build in at grade, which trim details need reinforcing given what this climate has already done to the house once before.
Why We Only Install James Hardie
We standardized on James Hardie fiber cement because it's non-combustible, holds up to sustained moisture and salt air better than wood-based or vinyl alternatives, and carries a factory ColorPlus finish that doesn't rely on field paint to hold its color. It also comes with a strong transferable warranty backed by a manufacturer that engineers specific product lines for exactly this kind of marine climate. We don't install LP SmartSide, vinyl, or cedar — not because those products have no merit, but because we've made a professional call about what performs best on homes exposed to Anacortes weather, and we'd rather put our name behind one system we know inside and out.
If you're weighing a siding replacement on an Old Town Anacortes home, we're happy to take a look and give you a straightforward, no-pressure estimate — just fill out the form below.