Siding Installation & Repair in Montclair, NJ

What Covers Montclair’s Houses Today

Montclair’s housing is old: 59.4% of its homes were built in 1939 or earlier, according to the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 survey. Most of those houses were built with wood siding and wood trim, and over the last century many of them have been covered up. On a typical prewar Montclair house we may find:

• Original wood clapboard or wood shingle, sometimes in good shape under paint, sometimes rotted at the water table, under windows and behind gutters.
• Cement-board shingles from the mid-20th century. Many contain asbestos and should be tested before anyone cuts, drills or removes them; removal is a job for properly licensed contractors.
• Aluminum or older vinyl installed over the original wood, often with the corner boards, window casings and cornice wrapped in aluminum as well.

That last point matters. Montclair’s residential design guidelines warn that layering over existing siding and trim can trap moisture and hide deterioration. Before we quote a job, we open a small area to see what is underneath and how the sheathing looks.

Historic District Rules for Siding

If your house is one of Montclair’s 21 local landmarks or is in one of the four local historic districts (Town Center, Pine Street, Upper Montclair Historic Business District or Watchung Plaza Historic Business District), siding is one of the exterior changes the Historic Preservation Commission looks at. Owners in the Pine Street district, which is mostly residential and mixed-use, are the ones most likely to need to know this.

Siding Options and the Permit Picture

Soffits, Fascia, Cornices and Repairs

Big overhangs, deep eaves and decorative cornices are part of what makes older Montclair houses look the way they do. They are also where rot starts, usually from a gutter that overflowed for years. We replace rotted fascia boards and soffits, install vented soffit for attic intake, and wrap fascia in aluminum where that suits the house.

On historic houses, keep in mind that the township’s guidelines favor keeping original wood details and caution that plastic and composite trim can expand and contract more than wood. On a landmark or local district property, covering an original cornice is a change in appearance that needs review. Our soffit and fascia repair page covers the work in detail.

Smaller jobs are welcome too. We repair storm-damaged and cracked sections, replace panels behind a fallen limb, and patch around new windows or vents. Older vinyl fades, so we show you the closest match before cutting anything in. See siding repair.

Siding Questions from Montclair Homeowners

More Exterior Help in Montclair

Our Montclair roofing contractor page covers everything we do in the township. Siding work often goes with roof replacement in Montclair, Montclair roof repair or new gutters on Montclair homes.

Montclair is in our Essex County service area, and our main New Jersey siding services page lists every material. We also install siding in Clifton, Little Falls and Nutley.

Planning a full re-side? Read about siding installation and replacement.