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When siding fails on a Kenton home, it rarely fails all at once. It starts with a warped panel here, a gap near a window there, and before long you’re dealing with moisture behind the wall, mold creeping into the framing, and repair costs that dwarf what a replacement would have run two years earlier. Getting ahead of that is the whole point.
For homes in and around Kenton’s Historic District — many of them built in the 1870s and 1880s — the stakes are a little higher than they are for a newer subdivision. These structures have history underneath them. When old siding comes off and something unexpected turns up, you want a contractor who tells you about it clearly and gives you options, not one who disappears or inflates the scope without warning. That’s what a thorough inspection before any work begins actually looks like in practice.
Kenton also sits in open agricultural Kent County farmland with no real windbreak. Nor’easters and summer thunderstorms hit these homes directly, and siding that was installed with loose seams or inadequate fastening won’t survive that exposure the way properly installed siding will. When the job is done correctly — moisture barrier in place, seams sealed tight, panels fastened for Delaware wind loads — you stop thinking about your exterior every time a storm rolls through on Route 42.
We’re based in Smyrna — the same town you pass through heading west on Route 300. That’s 6.5 miles from Kenton’s center. When Kenton homeowners call us, they’re not reaching a regional contractor headquartered 40 miles north in Newark who added this area to a service list. They’re reaching a Kent County business with over 22 years of experience working on the full range of homes in this area — including the older, historic structures that make up much of Kenton’s residential character.
Melissa and Richard McCain own and operate First State Roofing & Exteriors Co. directly. We hold a BBB accreditation with an A+ rating, carry a 5.0 out of 5 star rating across 63 or more verified reviews, and are fully licensed and insured per Delaware’s contractor registration requirements. Every project is handled in-house — no subcontractors, no day-labor crews, no surprises about who shows up at your door.
It starts with a free consultation and a detailed inspection of your existing siding. For older Kenton homes, this step matters more than people often expect. When siding has been on a structure for 30 to 50 years — which is common for homes in and around the Kenton Historic District that received vinyl or aluminum retrofits in the 1970s through 1990s — what’s underneath can tell a very different story than what’s visible on the surface. The inspection gives you a clear, written scope of work before any commitment is made.
From there, we handle all permitting. Kenton operates under Kent County’s regulatory framework, and siding replacement typically requires a building permit. You don’t have to figure out what forms to file or which inspections to schedule — that’s handled as part of the job. Most siding installation projects run two to five days depending on the size of the home and the material selected.
The installation itself follows a specific process: full removal of the old siding, moisture barrier installation, new panel placement with weatherproof seaming, trim work, and a full site cleanup when the crew leaves. If storm damage is involved and you’re navigating a homeowners insurance claim, we provide assistance through that process as well. When the job is done, you get a finished exterior — not a punch list of things to follow up on.
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We install both vinyl and fiber cement siding, and the material conversation is one worth having before anything else. Vinyl is the most popular choice in Delaware for good reason — it resists moisture, doesn’t rot, handles wind and rain well, and has a lifespan of 20 to 40 years when installed correctly. Fiber cement, including options like James Hardie, pushes that lifespan closer to 50 years and is particularly well-suited to Delaware’s humid climate. For Kenton homes with significant age and historic character, fiber cement’s durability and dimensional stability make it worth the conversation.
Either way, what’s included goes beyond just the panels. Every siding project from us includes full removal of the existing siding, a structural inspection of what’s underneath, moisture barrier installation, weatherproof seaming, trim work, and complete site cleanup. For a town like Kenton — where open farmland on all sides means wind-driven rain hits exterior walls with nothing to slow it down — the moisture barrier and seam quality aren’t optional details. They’re what separates siding that holds for decades from siding that starts failing after the first hard nor’easter.
We offer financing for homeowners who need it. Given that full siding replacements are a significant investment, the option to spread that cost out makes it possible to address a real problem now rather than deferring it until the damage underneath gets worse.
The most obvious signs are visible — warping, cracking, fading that’s gone beyond normal weathering, or panels that have started pulling away from the wall. But in Kenton, where a lot of the housing stock includes older homes that received vinyl or aluminum siding retrofits decades ago, the more important question is often about age. Vinyl siding has a lifespan of roughly 20 to 40 years. If your siding went up in the 1970s, 1980s, or even the early 1990s, it’s at or past the end of its functional life regardless of how it looks on the surface.
The subtler signs are worth paying attention to too — higher heating or cooling bills than you’d expect, moisture or mold appearing on interior walls, or paint that keeps peeling near the roofline or foundation. These can all point to siding that’s no longer doing its job as a moisture barrier. A free inspection from us gives you a clear answer based on what’s actually happening with your home, not a generic checklist.
Vinyl is lighter, less expensive upfront, and easier to install quickly. It resists moisture well and doesn’t rot, which makes it a strong performer in Delaware’s humid climate. For most homeowners, it’s the practical choice — especially when budget is a real factor. The tradeoff is longevity. Quality vinyl lasts 20 to 40 years, and the performance gap between cheap vinyl and a better product is significant. Thin, low-grade vinyl fails faster in exposed conditions, and Kenton’s open farmland setting gives it nowhere to hide from wind and driving rain.
Fiber cement — James Hardie being the most recognized brand — lasts closer to 50 years and holds up better against Delaware’s freeze-thaw cycles, humidity, and the salt-laden air that prevails inland from the Delaware Bay. It also maintains its appearance longer, which matters for homeowners in and around Kenton’s Historic District who care about the character of older structures. The upfront cost is higher, but the extended lifespan and reduced maintenance often make it the stronger long-term investment. We install both and will walk you through which makes more sense for your specific home before any work begins.
It often does, and more homeowners than you’d expect don’t pursue it because they assume it’s a cosmetic claim that won’t qualify. In Delaware, siding damage from wind events, hail, and nor’easters is frequently covered under standard homeowners insurance policies — but the process of documenting the damage, filing the claim, and working with the adjuster is where things get complicated for most people.
For Kenton homeowners, this is particularly relevant. Kent County’s open agricultural setting means nor’easters and summer thunderstorms hit exterior surfaces hard, and wind-driven damage to siding is not unusual after a significant storm. We provide insurance claims assistance as part of our storm damage services — we can help you document the damage, understand what your policy covers, and work through the claims process so you’re not navigating it alone. If you’ve had a recent storm and you’re not sure whether the damage qualifies, the free inspection is the right starting point.
Yes, in most cases. Siding replacement in Delaware typically requires a building permit from the local municipality or county, and any contractor performing the work must be registered with the Delaware Department of Labor’s Office of Contractor Registration before work begins. These aren’t optional requirements — hiring an unregistered contractor puts you at legal and financial risk, and unpermitted work can create problems when you go to sell the property.
Kenton operates as an incorporated town with its own Town Hall, and permit requirements apply here just as they do in larger Delaware communities. The practical reality for most homeowners is that navigating this process is confusing and time-consuming. We handle all permitting as a standard part of every siding project — you don’t have to figure out which forms to file, which inspections to schedule, or whether your project meets local code. That’s part of the job.
Most siding installation projects run two to five days from start to finish, depending on the size of the home, the material being installed, and what’s found during the removal phase. For a straightforward replacement on a mid-sized home, two to three days is common. Larger homes or projects involving significant structural findings underneath the old siding can run closer to five days.
For older homes in Kenton — particularly those in or near the Historic District — the removal phase sometimes surfaces issues that weren’t visible beforehand: rotted sheathing, moisture damage, or old insulation that needs to be addressed before new siding goes up. Our process includes a detailed inspection before any work begins, so the scope is as clear as possible upfront. If something unexpected does come up during removal, you’ll hear about it immediately and get a clear explanation of the options before anything changes. No surprises added to the bill without your approval.
In a town of a few hundred people where most residents know their neighbors, the idea of a traveling crew from northern Delaware showing up to work on your home carries a different weight than it does in a large suburban area. When something goes wrong — or when you have a question six months after the job is done — you want to be able to reach the people who did the work, not a regional call center.
We’re based in Smyrna, on the other end of Route 300 from Kenton. That’s the same road that runs directly through the center of town. Melissa and Richard McCain have operated this business in Kent County for over 22 years, serving the full range of communities in this area — including the older crossroads communities and historic neighborhoods that make up a significant part of Kent County’s residential character. We’re not a company that added Kenton to a service list. We’re the contractor your neighbors in Clayton, Cheswold, and Seven Hickories have already called.
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