New York Landmarks Conservancy
Vol. 11, No. 1/ May 1995
Common Bond

"How one congregation analyzed the proposed application of vinyl siding and found it wiser both financially and aesthetically to repaint."

FIRST REFORMED CHURCH OF COLLEGE

The buildings constructed in 1872-74 to serve the First Reformed Church of College Point in Queens, New York are recognized as architectural gems that reflect the rural character of nineteenth-century College Point. The Sunday school building is a rare and well-preserved example of the Eastlakian Gothic style in New York City, and the church has fine Italianate features.

With a small congregation of 150 and a modest endowment, the church found it difficult to maintain the buildings, which required painting every six or seven year. In the spring of 1992 the Property Committee decided to investigate vinyl siding, hoping to reduce long-term maintenance costs. "Our goals were to minimize impact on the historic appearance of the buildings and to save the church money in the future," says Bill Cisneros, Committee Chair.

The Committee sought proposals from contractors to repair and repaint the decorative wood trim and apply vinyl siding only over the horizontal wood siding. This labor-intensive installation method involves cutting the siding to fit next to decorative trim. The preferred contractor proposed removing some of the trim and reinstalling it after applying the vinyl siding. This, however, increased the risk of damage during removal, possibly requiring replacement of original material. In addition, caulking would be needed to prevent water infiltration at those joints where vinyl siding would abut the wood siding. The typical bid for this approach was $135,000.

Several concerns about future maintenance and costs were identified during the Committee's research:

· Frequent maintenance and recaulking would be required at joints between vinyl siding and wood trim, as the two materials have different rates of expansion/contraction.

· Wood trim would still require periodic painting. In addition, possible impact from ladders and painting operations might damage and mar the vinyl siding, resulting in repair costs for the vinyl, too.

· Painted wood and vinyl siding would weather differently (color fading, gloss, staining, and soil patterns), resulting in an unsightly mismatch of surfaces.

The Queens Historical Society sought information concerning vinyl siding from the New York Landmarks Conservancy. Information about vinyl siding was passed on to church leaders, along with the Conservancy's recommendation to simply repaint. The Committee then obtained bids from three contractors for repainting the entire church and school, including necessary wood repairs, and found that this would cost only $35,000.

At a meeting at which the Committee presented its findings, the congregation decided to repaint the buildings, principally for economic reasons. Adding vinyl siding would cost nearly four times as much as just repainting! Contrary to initial assumptions, the use of vinyl siding would also result in higher long-term costs than simply maintaining the wood exterior. In three months, $27,000 was raised from the congregation, and with an additional $8,000 from church reserves, the project proceeded.

In 1994 the New York Chapter of the Victorian Society of America awarded the church a Citation of Merit for opting to repair and repaint the buildings, preserving the fanciful ornament. Most importantly, says the Reverend William Cameron, the paint job is holding up well.

VINYL SIDING

Usually the application of vinyl siding is considered as, a. way to reduce long-term maintenance costs. It is important to analyze the installation cost durability and maintenance costs of vinyl siding compared to the maintenance costs of the original wood materials before assuming that vinyl siding will save money over several decades.

Practical disadvantages to vinyl I siding include:

· Concealment of moisture. Problems in the underlying building fabric.

· Vulnerability of siding to damage from impact (especially, in cold weather) and color fading.

· Deformation and-cupping from faulty installation.

· Difficulty of obtaining matching replacement siding

· Limited manufacturer's warranties covering only product defects, not the use and installation- related problems, which are commonly encountered.

The covering of details, removal of trim, and change, of scale or texture due to, inappropriate, siding dimensions or textures will destroy a buildings architectural and historic character. Even in the most sensitive installations authenticity is diminished.

The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Preservation Projects recommend against resurfacing frame buildings with new material, which is inappropriate or was not available when the building was constructed. Local regulations may restrict the use of vinyl siding on a historic frame building.