Architecture/home siding

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Expert: - 8/6/2007


Question
We recently purchased a house we said we would never buy, multi-story, cedar sided.  We are at the point where we will need to deal with the siding.  Are there any people, professionals, ANYBODY, who could take pictures of our home and be able to visually show us what it would look like with vinyl siding, engineered wood, etc.  Could they also offer suggestions as to what their ideas would be.  We live in Kansas.  Our home sits on a bluff with a great view.  We love it except for the siding!  Thanks for any help you can give us.

Answer
Hi Sally - thanks for your question!

Just about any Architect, designer, or drafter with a computer and a digital camera can do this for you.  You can find Architects at www.aia.org and residential designers at www.aibd.org.

Or, there are several consumer-oriented software products out there that allow you to import photos and edit them.  There are some inexpensive titles that you can "build" your house in, then play around with different materials endlessly.

Finally, there are several online paint selector tools that let you "paint" your uploaded house photo; you can't change the siding type, but you can change the color and that might get you started.  Try the "personal color viewer" at this site: http://www.benjaminmoore.com/bmpsweb/portals/bmps.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=f...

Hope this helps!

Richard Taylor, AIA
www.rtastudio.com
www.rtaplans.com

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Richard Taylor, AIA

Expertise

Ask me about all aspects of house, remodeling. , and room addition design and construction. Ask me about historic homes, renovation, and restoration. Ask me about materials and techniques, and about how you can get the best value for your design and construction dollar. Ask me how you can make your home a very special place. I can't, however, answer specific structural engineering questions in this forum - that's something you'll need on-site observation for.

Experience

I own a full-service residential architectural firm, and have been designing custom homes, remodelings, and room additions across the country since 1983. Check us out at Richard Taylor Architects and RTA Plans. I have written and been published extensively on the subject of residential architecture.

Organizations
American Institute of Architects, City of Dublin Architectural Review Board, Vice Chair of City of Dublin Planning and Zoning Commission, American Planning Association, Board Member Historic Dublin Business Association, Past Editor of SPLASH (a software forum), Past Editor of Open Directory Project, Assistant Scoutmaster, Boy Scouts of America

Publications
Business First of Columbus, Suburban New Publications, About.com, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Columbus Dispatch Residential Architect Custom Home Architect Remodeling Architect

Education/Credentials
Bachelor of Environmental Design (Architecture) Miami University 1983
For more about home design, check out my blog at Sense Of Place and join the conversation on our Facebook Page.

Awards and Honors
2010 Dublin Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year

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