1-2-3-4 new back windows, siding and more

The framing guys finished installing the HardiePlank today on the rear of the house, along with the trim around the windows. I think it looks fantastic. I’m not crazy about the placement of the upstairs windows and it’ll probably bug me for years, but they did exactly what we asked them to. Rachel would accept nothing less than 6 windows up there, and we saved space at the south end for a potential future master bathroom. Looks fine from the inside though.

This color for the exterior siding has always been my favorite house color. Especially combined with the big blocky white trim. My favorite home styles have always been the Crafstman, Arts and Crafts and bungalows from the teens to the 30s, and there’s nothing better looking to me than one of those homes in this color. Since we have a 1920s classic DC rowhouse made of brick, it’s not really an option for us on the front of the house. But the back is the place that doesn’t really have an established style with most rowhouse types, since almost all of the rowhomes had porches and additions added through the years. So I got my favorite color and style in one place on our house at least.

It’s come quite a way in two weeks, don’t you think?

Tomorrow they’ll start on reframing and rehanging the garage doors and building new porch stairs. To meet code, stairs this steep require a landing at the top, so we’ll have a 30-48″ landing at the top outside the door, and we’re shifting the stairs to the right to run as close to the fence/property line as possible. It’ll help open up more space in the backyard and make the entrance to the basement more open.

Hoping that the back of the house will be more or less finished by the end of Friday. The master bedroom? That’s another story.