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When siding fails on a home along the DE 14 corridor, it doesn’t just look bad — it lets water in. Once moisture gets behind the panels, you’re not dealing with a siding problem anymore. You’re dealing with rot, mold, and wall damage that costs significantly more to fix than the siding replacement you put off.
Houston sits on flat, open farmland with very little to break the wind coming through during a nor’easter or a hard summer storm. Homes here are exposed in a way that suburban neighborhoods with tree cover and neighboring structures simply aren’t. That kind of sustained wind and driving rain tests every seam, every corner, and every piece of trim on your exterior.
Siding that’s been on a house since the 1980s wasn’t designed to keep passing those tests indefinitely. New siding — installed correctly, with a proper moisture barrier and tight weatherproof seams — changes the picture completely. Your home stays dry. Your walls stay intact. Your heating and cooling bills tend to drop. And if you ever decide to sell, new siding consistently ranks among the highest-ROI exterior upgrades you can make.
First State Roofing & Exteriors Co. is based in Smyrna and has been serving Kent County homeowners for over 22 years. Houston falls squarely in our service area, and we know the housing stock out here — the 1970s and 1980s builds that make up most of the 19954 ZIP code, the older sheathing underneath, and what we’re likely to find when the original siding finally comes off.
We’re licensed, insured, and BBB accredited with an A+ rating. Every project is handled entirely by our own crew — no subcontractors, no day-labor teams showing up at your door. The same people who give you a quote are the ones doing the work.
Houston is a small community, and word travels fast. We’ve built our reputation across Kent County by doing the job right, communicating clearly, and leaving job sites clean. If you’ve asked a neighbor near Milford or Harrington who they used, there’s a good chance our name came up.
It starts with a free consultation. We come out to your Houston home, take a real look at the current siding condition, and walk you through what we’re seeing. If there are signs of moisture intrusion, panel separation, or underlying damage, we tell you upfront — before any work is scoped or priced.
You get a written estimate with a clear breakdown of materials and labor, so you know exactly what you’re agreeing to. Once you’re ready to move forward, we handle all permitting. Exterior siding work in Delaware requires proper contractor registration and typically a building permit. In a smaller town like Houston, that process can feel unclear — we take care of it as part of the job.
Installation itself typically takes two to five days depending on the size of the home and the material chosen. We remove the old siding first, inspect the structure underneath, install the moisture barrier, and then put up the new panels — properly fastened for Delaware’s wind loads and sealed at every seam. When we’re done, the job site is clean and the work is done to last.
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First State Roofing & Exteriors Co. installs both vinyl and fiber cement siding, and we help you choose based on your home’s specific situation — not on what’s easiest for us to install. For most Houston homeowners, vinyl is the practical choice: it’s moisture-resistant, handles freeze-thaw cycles well, requires minimal maintenance, and has a lifespan of 20 to 40 years when properly installed.
If you want something built to last even longer, fiber cement — including James Hardie products — is worth the conversation. It can last up to 50 years, holds paint better, and is virtually immune to the moisture problems that Delaware’s humidity creates over time. For a home in Houston that’s already dealt with decades of open-corridor weather exposure, that kind of longevity has real value.
Every installation includes full removal of the old siding, a moisture barrier, trim work, and sealed seams. If we find rot or structural damage underneath — which does happen with homes from the 1970s and 1980s — we tell you immediately and handle it honestly before proceeding. We also offer financing, so the project cost doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing decision. If the damage to your siding was caused by a storm, we can assist with the insurance claim process from start to finish.
The most obvious signs are visible — cracking, warping, fading that’s gone past the point of cleaning, or panels that have started pulling away from the wall. But the less obvious signs are often more important. If you’re noticing higher energy bills, cold spots on interior walls, or any musty smell near exterior walls, that can indicate moisture has gotten behind the siding and is doing damage you can’t see from the outside.
For homes in the 19954 ZIP code, there’s also a timing factor worth considering. Most of the housing stock in Houston was built in the 1970s and 1980s. Vinyl siding has a lifespan of 20 to 40 years. If your home still has its original siding, the math is pretty straightforward — it’s either at the end of its life or past it. A free consultation with First State Roofing & Exteriors Co. will give you a clear, honest answer about where things actually stand before you commit to anything.
Both vinyl and fiber cement perform well in Delaware’s conditions, but for different reasons. Vinyl doesn’t rot, doesn’t absorb moisture, and handles the freeze-thaw cycles that Kent County sees every winter without cracking or warping the way wood does. It’s low-maintenance and cost-effective, which is why it’s the most popular choice across the state.
Fiber cement — particularly James Hardie products — takes it a step further. It’s designed to be virtually immune to moisture damage, holds its finish longer in high-humidity environments, and can last up to 50 years. For a Houston home along the open DE 14 corridor that takes sustained wind and rain without much natural shelter, fiber cement is worth the additional investment if you’re thinking long-term. The right answer depends on your home’s current condition, your budget, and how long you plan to stay. We walk through all of that during the free consultation.
It often does, yes — but it depends on your policy and how the damage is documented. Most standard homeowners insurance policies cover wind and storm damage to siding, which is relevant for Houston-area homeowners who deal with nor’easters, summer severe weather, and the kind of sustained high winds that come through the open Kent County corridor.
The challenge is that insurance companies require proper documentation of the damage, and the claims process can be confusing if you’ve never done it before. First State Roofing & Exteriors Co. assists with insurance claims for storm-damaged siding. We help document the damage, work directly with your insurance company, and handle the replacement once the claim is approved. You don’t have to navigate that process alone or figure out what counts as covered damage versus normal wear.
Most siding installation projects take two to five days from start to finish. The range depends on the size of the home, the material being installed, and what we find when the old siding comes off. For homes in Houston — many of which are single-family builds from the 1970s and 1980s — it’s not unusual to discover some degree of moisture damage or deteriorated sheathing underneath original siding that’s been on the house for 40-plus years.
When that happens, we address it before installing new panels, which can add time to the project. We’re upfront about this during the initial consultation. If there’s a realistic chance of finding underlying issues based on the age and condition of your home, we tell you before we start — not after the old siding is already off. The goal is that you know what to expect going in, so there are no surprises mid-project.
In most cases, yes. Exterior siding replacement in Delaware typically requires a building permit, and all contractors working in the state must be registered with the Delaware Department of Labor’s Office of Contractor Registration before any work begins. For homeowners in Houston, figuring out exactly what’s required and who to contact isn’t always straightforward.
First State Roofing & Exteriors Co. handles all permitting as part of every siding project. You don’t have to make calls, fill out forms, or track down the right county office. We take care of it, and we make sure the work meets applicable building codes before we consider the job done. It’s one less thing on your plate, and it protects you at resale — unpermitted work can create real problems when it comes time to sell.
The biggest red flags are easy to spot once you know what to look for. Be cautious of any contractor who asks for a large deposit upfront — legitimate contractors typically require 10% or less before work begins, with the balance due at completion. Be equally cautious of vague estimates that don’t break down materials and labor separately, or contractors who pressure you to sign quickly without giving you time to review.
For Houston-area homeowners specifically, storm chasers are a real concern after significant weather events. These are out-of-state or traveling crews that show up after a nor’easter or severe storm, offer quick repairs, collect payment, and disappear before you can evaluate the work. First State Roofing & Exteriors Co. is a locally owned operation based in Smyrna with 22-plus years of history in Kent County. We’re not passing through. Before hiring anyone, verify their Delaware contractor registration, check their BBB standing, and read reviews from actual customers in the area — not just star ratings, but the written feedback that tells you how the job actually went.
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