Siding Repair in Wedgwood

Wedgwood went up fast between the 1940s and the 1960s, and the rambler is the dominant form: single story, shallow eaves, hardboard or cedar lap, and very little in the way of flashing detail. The plateau keeps it drier than the lake neighborhoods, but the fir canopy still puts north walls in deep shade for months.

Licensed and insured James Hardie preferred contractor 20+ years Free estimates Same-week scheduling

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Why Wedgwood houses fail the way they do

Wedgwood sits on the northeast plateau between Lake Washington and Lake City Way, built out rapidly in the 1940s through 1960s as Seattle expanded after World War II. The neighborhood's elevation keeps it drier than the lake-adjacent neighborhoods to the west, but exposed north-facing walls still spend months in deep shade under mature Douglas fir canopy.

The dominant housing form is the post-war rambler — single-story 1940s-60s tract homes with shallow eaves, hardboard or original cedar lap siding, and minimal flashing details. The neighborhood also has a growing stock of 2000s-2010s infill townhomes and split-entry homes built on subdivided lots, typically clad in fiber cement or engineered wood.

Aging hardboard is the core Wedgwood repair. It absorbs at the edges, swells, and delaminates, and no amount of paint reverses it. Where an elevation has gone we replace it outright, and we do the flashing that the original build skipped — head flashing over openings, proper clearance at the bottom of the wall, and sealed penetrations.

The newer split-entry and townhome infill on subdivided lots fails differently. Those are usually fiber cement or engineered wood, in good condition, leaking at the trim details — window heads, deck attachments, and the junctions between materials. Those repairs are small and worth doing early, because the cladding itself is fine and the damage is all behind it.

Landmarks we work around here: Wedgwood Rock (glacial erratic at 28th Ave NE & NE 72nd), Meadowbrook Playfield and Community Center and Eckstein Middle School on 75th Street.

How rot gets into a Wedgwood home

Aging Hardboard and Masonite Failure

Many Wedgwood ramblers were re-sided in the 1970s and 80s with hardboard products like Masonite. These composite sidings are now swelling, delaminating, and rotting at base courses where ground moisture wicks up. Once hardboard begins to fail, splicing is ineffective — full-wall replacement with fiber cement or engineered wood is the only durable solution.
Inadequate Mid-Century Moisture Protection

Post-war homes in Wedgwood were built quickly with minimal weather barriers — often nothing more than tar paper under the siding, with no house wrap or modern flashing at windows and doors. When siding is removed during repair, we routinely find rotted sheathing and rim joists from decades of unchecked moisture infiltration.
North-Facing Exposure Under Tree Canopy

Wedgwood's tree-lined streets provide beautiful shade, but north-facing walls under mature firs never fully dry between rain events. Original cedar siding and trim on these elevations develop surface decay, moss growth, and paint failure even when the wood structure remains sound, requiring careful cleaning and sealing during repair.
Townhome Trim Detail Leaks

The newer infill townhomes along Wedgwood's side streets often feature flat fiber cement trim at garage headers and window surrounds. When caulk joints fail or trim is installed without proper back-priming, water infiltrates behind the siding panels, causing hidden rot in OSB sheathing that only becomes visible when the siding is removed.

What we rebuild with in Wedgwood

Three materials, chosen for how they behave on a wall that stays damp — not for what is fastest to hang.

Not sure which one belongs on your house? The materials comparison lays out the trade-offs, and the siding repair page for Seattle covers how we work citywide.

Seeing something on a Wedgwood wall you cannot place?

Describe it or send a photo. We will tell you whether it is a board, a section, or something structural before anyone books a visit.

Mon–Fri, 7:00am – 5:00pm

(425) 517-1751

Siding Repair near Wedgwood

Worth reading before you decide

Who is coming out

Seattle Trim Repair

8338 20th Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98117

(425) 517-1751
Mon–Fri, 7:00am – 5:00pm

Our shop is in Ballard, so Wedgwood is a local run rather than a trip across the region. Find us on Google Maps.

Book a Wedgwood inspection

Free, no obligation, and you get a straight answer about what the wall is actually doing. Same-week scheduling on most repairs.

(425) 517-1751 Free Estimate

Mon–Fri, 7:00am – 5:00pm · Free estimates · Same-week scheduling

Wedgwood questions we get asked

Should I replace the hardboard siding on my 1950s Wedgwood rambler, or can it be patched?

Once hardboard begins to swell and delaminate — common on Wedgwood ramblers re-sided in the 70s and 80s — patching is not a durable solution. The material absorbs moisture across the entire wall, not just at visible failure points. We recommend full replacement with LP SmartSide or James Hardie fiber cement, both of which resist moisture far better than original hardboard and come with transferable warranties.

How much does it cost to re-side a typical Wedgwood rambler?

A single-story 1,200-1,500 square foot Wedgwood rambler typically costs between $18,000 and $32,000 for full siding replacement, depending on the material chosen, the condition of the underlying sheathing, and whether trim and fascia need rebuilding. James Hardie fiber cement runs at the higher end of that range; LP SmartSide engineered wood is more affordable while still offering excellent durability. We provide itemized written estimates after inspecting your specific home.

Do I need to upgrade the moisture barrier when replacing siding on a 1960s Wedgwood home?

Yes. Most mid-century Wedgwood homes have only tar paper behind the original siding, with no modern house wrap or flashing at windows and penetrations. When we remove old siding, we install a drainable weather-resistive barrier like Tyvek DrainWrap and add proper pan flashing at every window and door. This upgrade adds minimal cost but dramatically extends the life of your new siding by preventing the hidden moisture damage that destroyed the original wall assembly.