The situation
From the yard this Columbia home looked fine. Up close, the measuring tape told the real story: window sills soft enough to press a thumb into, rot running through the framing around a bay window, fascia and soffit sections gone spongy, and a dormer that needed rebuilding rather than repainting. Water had been getting in slowly for years, and slow water is the expensive kind, because by the time you see it, it's been eating wood for seasons.
What we did
This was a carpentry project as much as a roofing one, planned in phases so each repair was done right rather than rushed:
- Documented every rot location in the initial inspection, with measurements, so the scope was written down before work started
- Cut out the rotted window framing and sills and rebuilt them in new lumber
- Rebuilt the dormer: new framing, new sheathing, new moisture wrap, and a new properly flashed window
- Replaced failed fascia and soffit sections around the house
- Finished everything to match, so the repairs disappear into the house
The result
Sound wood everywhere water had been winning, a rebuilt dormer that looks original to the house, and an exterior that's protecting the home again instead of absorbing into it. Full restoration scope: about $15,000 across the phases. The "Exteriors" in our name isn't decoration: siding, fascia, windows, and structural carpentry are how a roof's edges actually stay dry. If you can press a fingernail into your window sills or your fascia is staining, get it looked at before another season of water gets there first.
The job, in photos
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