“My husband, Tony, and I were downtown Chicago when I received a text from my neighbor saying we had experienced high winds/rain in Sugar Grove, Illinois, and our home had some damage. When we arrived home, there was a good portion of the siding on the chimney missing.”
When that unexpected windstorm threw Renee Rodriguez and her husband lemons that day, they made lemonade.
The siding they lost was part of the original aluminum siding when the home was built. They considered simply replacing the lost siding but instead decided to see it as an opportunity. They replaced the whole exterior siding, composite trim, insulation, windows, and roof.
“The house was at this point 24 years old, so we wanted to make sure our home was going to stand for another 50 years.”
Deciding on a Product
“Many of the homeowners in our subdivision over the last couple years had their siding replaced, and they’ve all used vinyl siding. Our neighbor across the street just had her siding replaced about a year ago, and she already has dings, dents, and even a piece of siding missing.”
Diamond Kote® siding stood out in their research for its durability, craftsmanship, and warranty.
“Going with Diamond Kote we knew we were going to increase the value of our home because it is such a high-quality product. It even has the 30-year warranty on the paint. You can see the quality in each board—one of the best products on the market.”
Choosing a Color
Now that they’d chosen a product they trusted, it was time to pick a color they’d love for years to come.
“We had tan siding before, so we wanted to try something different. We checked every color. I really wanted to be careful not to pick a color that I might get tired of. We were very conservative when we had our house built in 1995 and picked that siding color. So this time we wanted to go a little bold.”
Renee relied on samples to help her see how a color would look with the stone porch, tan back deck, and brick.
“I grabbed a few samples at a time—no colors were left behind. I would lay them down on our front porch then move on to the back of the house and see how they looked on our deck.”
To her surprise, a bold navy kept getting her attention. But she didn’t rush.
“It took us a couple of weeks to even decide. We would bring it home, look at it for a couple of days, look at different times of day to see. Then that blue kept pulling me back. I just kept coming back to the blue.”
The warm, rich color didn’t disappoint.
“After we had it put up, it was the best decision we made, with the blue, it’s beautiful. You don’t know colors can vary in different sunlight and if it would change the tone, but the color was true to navy. We are both so happy with it. Our house just really stands out.”
Installing the Siding
Now that they had a winning color, they were ready to start the final phase. Because of the height of their home, they decided to go with a contractor.
“It ended up where my husband was the superintendent/foreman on the project. Tony is very handy and has done all of the remodeling that we have done in our home. There are tons of YouTube videos, so he watched many and really prepared himself on how the job needed to be done. We did end up hiring a contractor and in retrospect he agreed that he could have installed it himself.”
The work itself went quickly. Installation took about a week.
“Start to finish, it was about a 4- to 5-day process. The boards are lap siding and nailed, and each board overlaps each other. The product is made so well—it really is quick and easy if you educate yourself and have a little construction knowledge under your belt.”
To alleviate their first-time siding jitters, they had a Diamond Kote rep inspect the installation after it was completed.
“After the installation I reached out to a Diamond Kote rep, and he was out our way one day and was able to stop by and inspect the project. He assured us that installation was done correctly.”
Enjoying Their Updated Home
It’s been more than two years since their siding project was completed.
How has it stood up to the Midwestern weather?
“It looks like the day we had it installed. The best part of Diamond Kote is it can withstand the elements, like hail and wind. We live in what we call a wind-tunnel, so it has been so nice to not have to worry about siding damage when we get our frequent Illinois storms. We truly have the best house in the subdivision.”
To anyone looking to replace their siding and add value to their home, Renee can’t say enough about their Diamond Kote siding:
“It is just a fabulous product. Diamond Kote will give your exterior not only the beauty of this fabulous wood product but strength, durability, and total peace of mind.”
