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There’s a point where aging siding stops being a cosmetic issue and starts being a structural one. For many homes in Hickory Dale Acres, that point has already passed. The panels have been through forty-plus Delaware winters — freeze-thaw cycles cracking the seams, summer storms driving rain behind the boards, and humidity sitting against the wall year-round. What looks like faded siding from the curb can mean moisture has been working its way in for years.
When you replace it properly, you’re not just updating the look of the house. You’re closing off the entry points that have been letting water in, giving the walls a real moisture barrier, and putting material on the home that’s built to handle what Delaware actually throws at it. Vinyl siding done right lasts 20 to 40 years. Fiber cement can go 50. Either way, you’re done worrying about it for a long time.
For homeowners in Hickory Dale Acres — established, owner-occupied, mid-market homes with real equity on the line — that’s not a small thing. A siding replacement done well protects what you’ve built up in this house. And if you’re thinking about selling at some point, fiber cement siding nationally recoups an average of 88% of project cost at resale, and vinyl comes in around 80%. That’s not a bad return on something you needed to do anyway.
First State Roofing & Exteriors Co. is based in Smyrna, about 15 miles north of Hickory Dale Acres on Route 13. That’s not a coincidence. Kent County is the market we’ve been working in for over two decades, and the Hickory Dale Acres area has been part of that from the beginning. We know the housing stock here. We know what 1970s construction looks like when the old siding comes off. We know what Delaware’s climate does to an exterior over time, and we know what it takes to fix it properly.
Every project we take on stays in-house. No subcontractors, no day-labor crews, no strangers showing up at your door that we hired that morning. The same trained, insured team handles your job from the first inspection to the final cleanup. We’re also BBB accredited with an A+ rating and carry a 5.0 out of 5 from over 63 verified reviews — not because we market aggressively, but because we show up, do the work, and leave the job site clean.
It starts with a free consultation and a real inspection — not a quick walk around the house, but an actual look at what’s going on with your current siding. For homes in Hickory Dale Acres that were built in the 1970s, this step matters more than most people realize. When old siding comes off, there’s sometimes moisture damage, outdated insulation, or soft spots in the sheathing underneath. We identify all of that before any work begins and walk you through what we find. No mid-project surprises, no scope changes that weren’t discussed upfront.
From there, you get a detailed, itemized estimate. You’ll know exactly what material is going on the house, what the labor covers, and what the full cost is before you commit to anything. If you decide to move forward, we handle the building permit with the City of Dover — that’s part of the job, not an add-on. You don’t have to call the permit office or track inspections yourself.
Once work starts, most siding projects on a home the size of a typical Hickory Dale Acres ranch take two to five days. The crew works through it cleanly and consistently — no disappearing for days between sessions. When the job is done, the site gets cleaned up completely. That’s the standard, not the exception.
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Every siding project with First State Roofing & Exteriors Co. includes full removal of the existing siding, installation of a moisture barrier, and new siding installed with weatherproof seams and properly sealed trim. We don’t put new panels over old ones and call it done. Removing the old material is how you find out what’s actually going on underneath — and in a neighborhood where homes have been standing since the 1970s, that inspection step is worth doing right.
For Hickory Dale Acres homeowners, we offer both vinyl and fiber cement siding. Vinyl is Delaware’s most popular choice for good reason — it handles moisture well, doesn’t rot, and holds up through the freeze-thaw cycles that Kent County gets every winter. Fiber cement is the longer-term investment, with a lifespan of up to 50 years and better resistance to impact and fire. We’ll help you choose based on your home’s needs and your goals, not based on which one is easier for us to install.
If your siding has been damaged by one of the storms that roll through the Dover area — and Dover has logged severe weather warnings nearly 40 times in the past year alone — we also assist with insurance claims. A lot of homeowners don’t realize storm-damaged siding can be a covered loss. We help you navigate that process so you’re not leaving money on the table. Financing is also available if you’d rather spread the cost out rather than pay it all upfront.
The honest answer is that if your home was built in the 1970s and still has its original siding — or siding that hasn’t been replaced since — it has already exceeded its expected lifespan. Vinyl siding from that era typically lasts 20 to 40 years under normal conditions. Delaware’s climate is not normal conditions. The combination of high humidity, freeze-thaw cycles in winter, and the kind of storm activity Dover sees regularly accelerates wear significantly.
Visible signs to look for include cracking or splitting panels, siding that has started to warp or pull away from the wall, chalky or faded color that won’t clean up, mold or mildew growth that keeps coming back, and any soft spots or bubbling near seams or window edges. That last one — softness near seams — often means moisture has already gotten behind the panels and is sitting against the wall. By the time you can see it from the outside, there’s usually more going on underneath. A free inspection from First State Roofing & Exteriors Co. is the only reliable way to know for sure what you’re dealing with.
Both materials work well in Delaware’s climate, but they serve different needs. Vinyl siding is the more affordable option upfront, it requires almost no maintenance, and it handles moisture exceptionally well — which matters in a state that averages over 44 inches of rainfall per year. It won’t rot, it won’t attract insects, and modern vinyl holds its color far better than the original vinyl installed on homes in the 1970s and 1980s. A well-installed vinyl job can last 20 to 40 years.
Fiber cement — James Hardie is the most recognized brand — costs more upfront but offers a longer lifespan of up to 50 years, better resistance to impact from hail and debris, and a higher return at resale. Nationally, fiber cement siding recoups an average of 88% of project cost when the home sells, compared to around 80% for vinyl. For Hickory Dale Acres homeowners who plan to stay in their home long-term, fiber cement is often the stronger investment. For those who want a durable, cost-effective upgrade without the premium price tag, vinyl is a completely legitimate choice. The right answer depends on your home, your budget, and your timeline — and that’s exactly what the free consultation is for.
Yes. Siding replacement in the City of Dover requires a building permit. This is not optional, and skipping it is not a risk worth taking — unpermitted work can create real problems when you go to sell the home, and it can leave you liable if something goes wrong during or after the project.
When you work with First State Roofing & Exteriors Co., permit handling is included as part of the job. We’re registered with the Delaware Department of Labor’s Office of Contractor Registration as required by the Delaware Contractor Registration Act, and we manage the City of Dover permitting process from start to finish. You don’t have to call the permit office, submit paperwork, or track inspections. That’s on us. It’s one less thing you have to deal with, and it means the work is done correctly on the record — which protects you both now and when it’s time to sell.
It can be, and more often than homeowners realize. Dover, Delaware has logged severe weather warnings nearly 40 times in the past year, with hail detected by doppler radar on dozens of occasions. High-wind events, hail, and storm-driven rain can all cause siding damage that qualifies as a covered loss under a standard homeowners insurance policy — but the damage isn’t always obvious from the outside. Dented panels, cracked seams, and compromised moisture barriers don’t always look dramatic from the curb.
First State Roofing & Exteriors Co. offers insurance claims assistance as part of our storm damage services. We inspect the siding, document the damage, and help you understand what you have before you file a claim. We’re not insurance adjusters, but we know what storm damage looks like on a Delaware home and we can help you make sure you’re not leaving a legitimate claim on the table. If the damage is covered, the out-of-pocket cost to you can be significantly lower than you’d expect. A free inspection is the right place to start.
For a typical ranch-style home in Hickory Dale Acres — which generally runs between 1,500 and 2,000 square feet — most siding installations take two to five days from start to finish. The exact timeline depends on the size of the home, the material being installed, and what’s found when the old siding comes off. If there’s moisture damage or soft sheathing underneath, addressing that properly adds time — but it’s time worth spending. Skipping it just means the problem continues under brand-new siding.
The crew works through the project consistently without disappearing between sessions. Late spring through early fall is the ideal window for exterior siding work in Delaware — stable temperatures and lower precipitation make for better installation conditions and faster curing on sealants.
The Dover area — like most of Delaware — sees its share of traveling contractor crews that show up after storms, offer quick quotes, and disappear once the deposit clears. Knowing what to look for before you hire anyone is the most important step you can take.
Start with the basics: verify that the contractor is registered with the Delaware Department of Labor’s Office of Contractor Registration. This is a legal requirement in Delaware, and any legitimate contractor can provide their registration information without hesitation. Ask for proof of liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage. If they can’t produce those documents quickly, that’s a red flag. Check their Google and BBB reviews — not just the star rating, but the actual content of the reviews. Look for consistent mentions of communication, on-time completion, and clean job sites.
Be cautious of contractors who ask for a large deposit upfront. A legitimate contractor typically requires 10% or less before work begins, with the balance due on completion. First State Roofing & Exteriors Co. is based in Smyrna, has been working in Kent County for over 22 years, and carries an A+ BBB rating. That kind of track record doesn’t happen by accident.
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