Eastside Harvest House Week 24: George Ostrow's New Green Design Project

With the weather enclosure of the house complete, the siding can be installed. It is very exciting to see the final exterior go on!

Most of the siding is prefinished steel, to meet the homeowner’s request for durable, affordable, and zero maintenance. We chose a corrugated panel with fairly narrow ribs for a more elegant and less industrial look, Custom Bilt Contour. The ribs are oriented vertically both for looks and to let rain run down easily. The color is baked on, like an automobile, and should never need repainting.

Various trim shapes (L, Z, J) are employed where the corrugated siding meets windows, corners, or another material. Each shape has to be lapped over the one below so that rain is shed down and away. While the metal siding will repel most rain on its own, any rain that does get behind it will then be stopped by the building wrap. This double barrier approach is essential in the rainy Pacific Northwest.

At the corners of the house and garage, we used a back-to-back J trim to keep it visually narrow. It is common to see corners with a single L that covers both walls with a wide—and to my eyes unsightly—trim.

The key to metal siding is to have a craftsperson install it. Done right, it will look beautiful, especially up close, and will be the most durable. The crew from Consolidated Roofing, the same folks who installed the metal roofing, is doing a beautiful job.

George Ostrow is principal of VELOCIPEDE architects and member of Northwest EcoBuilding Guild, U.S. Green Building Council, Passivehouse Northwest and Built Green.