It’s been over a year since I first posted about vinyl siding, so I thought it was high time to take a look at some more houses which are shrouded in it. Vinyl is often used to conceal the scars that result when window openings are unfortunately reduced or porches are unfortunately removed. But sometimes the structure is a relatively new one which was not very well thought out. While it typically looks awkward on older houses, it makes more sense visually on new construction which anticipated its use initially.
The following structures all have “issues” of one sort of another. Another thing they all have in common is that vinyl has been added long after the house was first built:
Not only has this house lost its front porch, but many of its windows have been reduced in size or eliminated completely. Vinyl conceals the surgery, but leaves uncomfortably blank areas which draw attention to the losses.
This new garage addition presents a vast wall of vinyl to the street with no windows or doors to relieve the monotony. How would you like to live across the street from this and have this as your “view”?
Hail storm aftermath. Karma at work?
Vinyl wraps a porch enclosure… including a few brick porch supports. Photo from Zillow.com.
This mid-century modern ranch house no doubt looked very different prior to the installation of vinyl siding. Photo from Zillow.com.
This faux-Mansard roof has had its shingles covered in vinyl! Photo from Zillow.com.
Rectangles beneath the upper level windows of this 1950’s split-level house have been curiously fitted with vinyl installed diagonally. Photo from Zillow.com.
One can only imagine what this house looked like prior to its receipt of vinyl.
A modified A-frame has been given a horizontal emphasis through the miracle of vinyl. Photo from Zillow.com.
Three additional examples showing dormer windows obliterated with replacement siding, an all-too-common occurrence:
The most prominent feature of this modest Craftsman bungalow is now a vinyl polygon.
This siding appears to be aluminum or steel, but is just as mind-numbing.
Why?!?!?!?! Image from Zillow.com.
Vinyl siding is to houses what velour track suits are to humans…
That is so perfectly descriptive; Merriam-Webster could not possibly have done better!
Ouch, that vinyl-entombed MCM is particularly egregious.
My favorite (in the ironic sense) vinyl install is dormer windows sided over. I’m surprised how often I see it, most commonly on Foursquares with unfinished attics (where ironically, the dormer and window are there purely for exterior aesthetics).
I see the covered-over dormer quite a bit, also! I’ve added three bungalow examples to the bottom of this post for your amusement.
Haha, yes, those are good ones (one, good enough for your banner photo!).
I call them “eye patches for houses”.