Siding in Hagerstown
Hagerstown has a long history. The state's historical chronology records that Elizabethtown, later Hagerstown, was laid out by Jonathan Hager in 1762. Washington County was created from Frederick County on September 6, 1776, and Hagerstown was incorporated in 1813. A town that old has houses from many periods, and a siding job on one of them often starts with a question about what's already on the walls.
What's on the wall now
Before anyone prices new siding, find out what you have. An older house may have its original wood clapboard under one or two later layers. Ask each contractor:
- whether they plan to strip the old siding or cover it, and why;
- how they'll check the sheathing and framing once the old layers are off;
- how they'll handle old painted surfaces, and what precautions they take on a house of that age;
- whether the trim, corner boards and window casings will be kept, wrapped or replaced.
Covering over a problem is cheaper today and usually more expensive later. A bid that includes tear-off should say how rotten sheathing or framing will be priced.
No weather figures on this page
Other pages on this site quote NOAA engineering weather data. NOAA's set has no station near Hagerstown; the nearest is Baltimore, about 65 miles away, which is too far to stand in for local conditions. So this page gives no design temperatures or freeze-thaw counts. Ask each bidder what winter and summer conditions they plan around and how their installation changes in cold weather.
Keeping water out of the wall
Whatever the material, siding sheds most water, and the layers behind it handle the rest. A bid should cover:
- the water-resistive barrier and how its seams are lapped;
- flashing above every window and door, and kick-out flashing where a roof edge meets a wall;
- the bottom of the wall: clearance above soil, patios and steps, and a way for water to drain out;
- the seal around meters, vents, lights and hose bibs.
Choosing a material
- Vinyl is the most common replacement and the least work to keep up, but it needs room to expand and contract and can look wrong on a historic house.
- Fiber cement can be made to look like painted clapboard. It's heavy, and its cut ends must be sealed.
- Engineered wood looks like wood and is lighter, but needs sealed ends and good clearance at the bottom.
- Real wood keeps an old house's character and needs regular paint.
If your house is in a historic district, ask the city what review applies before you choose a material.
Hagerstown's water
Hagerstown's city water is surface water from two city-owned plants: the R.C. Willson plant on the Potomac River and the W.M. Breichner plant on the Edgemont Reservoir. The city's 2025 water report says Edgemont and Breichner are off-line for dam and plant repairs, so all water was coming from the Willson plant at that time. Whatever the source, aim lawn sprinklers away from the walls; daily spray keeps the lowest siding courses wet.
The Maryland Home Improvement Commission
Maryland's Home Improvement Law defines home improvement as the addition to or alteration, conversion, improvement, modernization, remodeling, repair or replacement of a building, or part of one, used as a residence. The Maryland Home Improvement Commission lists siding, roofs, waterproofing, doors and windows among the services it covers, and offers a public license-status check for contractors and salespeople.
Ask the contractor and any salesperson for their MHIC numbers and check them with the commission's search before you sign.
Comparing bids
Ask each bidder to price the same items in writing: tear-off or overlay, disposal, the product and grade, weather barrier, flashing, trim, soffit and fascia, sheathing and framing repair rates, any permit and both warranties. Compare line by line, not by the total.