Commercial and Multi-Family Siding Replacement in SW Washington and the Portland Metro

Large-scale siding replacement in multi-family and commercial buildings is not a cladding swap. It is a building envelope restoration program. The siding is the outermost layer of a wall assembly, which also includes a weather-resistive barrier, flashing details, and, in many cases, structural sheathing, that has been compromised by whatever caused the original siding to fail. Replacing the siding without addressing the underlying layers results in a new cladding system installed over the same conditions that caused the previous one to fail. Pacific Building Solutions is licensed in Oregon (License #215897) and Washington (License #PACIFBS831MK) and has executed large-scale siding replacement programs for multi-family apartment communities, condo associations, HOA-governed properties, and commercial buildings throughout the Portland Metro and Southwest Washington region since 1996.

We work exclusively on commercial and multi-family properties. We do not replace siding on single-family homes or perform small residential repairs. Our siding replacement practice is structured for projects that span multiple buildings, require scheduling across occupied properties, and require documentation and oversight discipline that large-scale commercial siding programs demand, from HOA boards and property managers to construction attorneys and forensic consultants.

Why Siding Replacement in the Pacific Northwest Is Always a System Scope

Siding in the Pacific Northwest fails because of what happens behind it, not just to it. The region’s sustained wet climate keeps building envelopes under continuous moisture pressure from October through May. Siding systems with small gaps at joints, deteriorated caulk at penetrations, or missing integration with the weather barrier behind them allow water to continuously enter the wall cavity during those months. Over time, that moisture saturates the sheathing, degrades the weather barrier, degrades flashing details, and, in sustained cases, reaches the structural framing.

When we open a wall to replace siding on a Pacific Northwest multi-family building, what we find behind the cladding determines the full scope of the restoration program. A wall with an intact weather barrier and dry sheathing is a straightforward siding replacement. A wall with a deteriorated barrier, wet sheathing, and failed flashing requires a full envelope restoration that addresses each of those layers before the new siding goes on. We assess what is behind the siding before we scope the replacement, and we do not close a wall over conditions that will cause the new cladding to fail.

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Siding Systems and Products We Install

  1. James Hardie Fiber Cement Siding

    James Hardie fiber cement is the most common siding replacement product we install on Pacific Northwest multi-family buildings. It is resistant to moisture, rot, and insect damage, carries a manufacturer’s warranty appropriate for the climate and exposure conditions in this region, and is available in product profiles that match or replace LP siding, wood siding, and other legacy products. We are an experienced installer of the full James Hardie product line and install in accordance with manufacturer specifications on every project.

  2. Cedar Siding

    Cedar siding remains appropriate for certain multi-family and commercial applications where the building type, architectural requirements, or HOA specifications call for natural wood. We install cedar siding systems with weather-barrier integration, back-priming, and flashing details required to perform in the Pacific Northwest’s moisture conditions. Cedar siding that is not properly detailed and maintained deteriorates faster in this climate than fiber cement alternatives, and we are explicit with clients about the maintenance requirements of wood siding systems before installation.

  3. Craneboard and Engineered Composite Siding

    Craneboard and engineered composite siding products offer performance characteristics appropriate for specific multi-family applications where cost, weight, or installation profile requirements differ from fiber cement. We install these products to the manufacturer’s specifications, with appropriate weather-barrier integration and flashing details for the Pacific Northwest climate.

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  1. Stucco and EIFS Systems

    Stucco and EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems) remain in use on commercial and multi-family buildings throughout the Pacific Northwest. When properly detailed with drainage space, secondary weather barriers, and correct flashing integration, these systems can perform in this climate. When those details are absent, which is common in 1980s and 1990s applications, Stucco and EIFS systems are among the most significant sources of construction defect claims in multi-family buildings. We install new Stucco and EIFS systems with the drainage and weather-barrier details required for performance in the Pacific Northwest, and we document those details for forensic and legal oversight.

  2. Weather Barrier and Drainage Plane Restoration

    Regardless of the replacement siding product selected, every siding replacement scope we execute includes assessment and restoration of the weather-resistive barrier and drainage plane behind the cladding. The weather barrier is the primary defense against water intrusion in the wall assembly. Installing new siding over a failed or inadequate barrier creates a new cladding system with the same water-intrusion vulnerability as the system it replaces. We do not skip or shorten the weather barrier restoration step.

  3. Flashing System Integration

    Every siding replacement program we execute includes assessment and repair or replacement of all flashing details at windows, doors, deck ledgers, roof-to-wall transitions, penetrations, and horizontal offsets. Flashing failures are the most common single cause of water intrusion in Pacific Northwest multi-family construction, and they are almost always present in buildings that are undergoing siding replacement. We integrate new siding with restored flashing systems rather than reinstalling siding over unchanged flashing details.

Who Engages Pacific Building Solutions for Siding Replacement

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  • HOA boards and condo associations that have received a forensic assessment or reserve study identifying siding system failure and need a contractor with the documentation depth, phased scheduling capability, and professional communication their governance environment requires

  • Multi-family property managers managing siding replacement programs across occupied apartment or townhome communities, where phased scheduling, resident coordination, and weather protection throughout the scope are active requirements

  • Construction attorneys who need a licensed contractor to execute siding replacement scopes in construction defect programs under legal oversight with full documentation
  • Building envelope forensic consultants who have specified a siding replacement and envelope restoration scope and need a contractor to execute it accurately with complete field documentation
  • Owner representatives and asset managers overseeing multi-family portfolio rehabilitation programs where siding replacement is a capital improvement component requiring documented execution and warranty

FAQ: Questions HOA Boards and Property Managers Ask About Siding Replacement

How do we know if our building needs siding replacement or can be repaired?

The answer depends on what is behind the siding, not on the siding’s surface condition. A building with a siding system showing surface deterioration but an intact weather barrier and dry sheathing behind it may be a repair candidate. A building with a siding system that has allowed water to enter the wall cavity, saturate the sheathing, and compromise the weather barrier is a replacement candidate regardless of how the siding looks from the exterior. The only way to assess this accurately is to open representative sections of the wall assembly and observe actual conditions. We do not scope siding replacement without that assessment step.

What is the difference between LP siding replacement and standard siding replacement?

LP Outer-Seal siding is a documented failure product that was widely installed in Pacific Northwest multi-family construction from the mid-1970s through the late 1990s. It is the subject of class-action litigation and well-established remediation protocols. When LP siding is present, the replacement scope almost always includes more extensive weather barrier and sheathing repairs than standard siding replacement, because LP siding’s failure mode involves moisture absorption that, over an extended period, deteriorates the materials behind it. We are experienced with LP siding replacement and the additional scope items it typically involves.

How long does a siding replacement program take on a multi-building apartment community?

Scope and schedule depend on the number of buildings, the extent of underlying repairs required, weather windows, and the phasing requirements of the property manager and HOA board. Multi-building communities typically phase siding replacement across one or more construction seasons to manage budget, scheduling, and resident impact. We develop phasing plans with property managers and HOA boards before work begins and provide regular progress reports throughout the scope of work.

Is Pacific Building Solutions licensed to perform siding replacement in Oregon and Washington?

Yes. We hold Oregon Contractor License #215897 and Washington Contractor License #PACIFBS831MK. Both are active and current. We are fully licensed and insured for commercial and multi-family siding replacement throughout our service area.

Commercial and Multi-Family Exterior Contractor

Our Commercial and Multi-Family Services

Water Intrusion Repairs | Pacific Building Solutions

Water Intrusion Repairs

System-level water intrusion repair for multi-family and commercial buildings. We identify the envelope failure source, repair the system, and document every phase.

Commercial Building Repairs | Pacific Building Solutions

Construction Defect Repairs

Construction defect repair programs for HOA communities and commercial properties, executed under forensic consultant and attorney oversight with legal-standard documentation.

Mold Remediation Repairs | Pacific Building Solutions

Mold Remediation

Mold remediation integrated into the envelope repair scope that addresses the water intrusion source — not a surface treatment that allows mold to return.

Structural Repairs | Pacific Building Solutions

Structural Repairs

Rim joist, bottom plate, sheathing, and stud repair caused by envelope failure — executed as part of the envelope repair scope, not passed to a separate structural contractor.

Forensic Envelope Consulting | Pacific Building Solutions

Forensic Envelope Consulting

Expert building envelope assessment, failure analysis, repair scope development, and litigation support for attorneys, HOA boards, and owner representatives.

Commercial Building Repairs | Pacific Building Solutions

Commercial Building Repairs

Imagine your commercial building as a living organism requiring regular maintenance and attention to stay in optimal condition.

Capital Improvements | Pacific Building Solutions

Exterior Capital Improvement

Multi-year, reserve-funded exterior capital improvement programs for HOA-governed communities and commercial properties. We phase siding, window, envelope, and painting work across construction seasons in alignment with reserve fund availability and coordinate documentation for reserve study updates.

Commercial Siding

Commercial and Multi-Family Siding

Large-scale siding replacement for multi-family and commercial properties, executed as envelope restoration programs that restore the weather barrier and flashing behind the cladding before new siding is installed. We replace James Hardie fiber cement, Cedar, Craneboard, Stucco/EIFS, and LP Outer-Seal siding systems.

Commercial Exterior Painting

Commercial Exterior Painting

Exterior coating programs for multi-family and commercial properties, coordinated with siding and envelope remediation scopes as the final phase of a restoration program. All exterior painting includes substrate assessment before coating application. Because paint failure in the Pacific Northwest is almost always a moisture signal, not a paint quality problem.

Commercial Interior Painting

Commercial Interior Painting

Interior painting for multi-family common areas and commercial buildings, including post-water-intrusion and post-mold-remediation painting with stain-blocking primers on all affected surfaces. We coordinate interior painting within larger repair and remediation programs as the final phase rather than as a separate scope.

Window systems

Window System Replacement

Phased replacement of window systems in occupied multi-family and commercial buildings, with every installation including sill pan flashing, head flashing, and full weather barrier integration at the rough opening. We install Andersen, Jeld-Wen, Marvin, Cascade, Milgard, and triple-pane systems.

Exterior Envelope Remediation

Exterior Envelope Remediation

Systematic restoration of the full building envelope as a functioning weather protection system, from cladding through weather barrier, flashing, sheathing, and structural framing. Exterior envelope remediation is our primary practice. Every process we have is built around executing it in occupied multi-family and commercial buildings.

Consultants and Attorneys

Consultants and Attorneys

Dedicated information for forensic building envelope consultants and construction attorneys on how Pacific Building Solutions operates within consultant-managed and attorney-directed remediation programs: scope execution as specified, field condition reporting, legal-standard documentation, and communication protocol compliance.

Multi Family Exterior Services

Multi-Family and Commercial Exterior

A full overview of every exterior service Pacific Building Solutions provides for multi-family and commercial properties, including why managing all exterior systems under a single contractor with envelope expertise produces better outcomes than dividing the work across multiple vendors.

Planning a Multi-Unit Exterior Project?

If you represent a multi-family property management group, HOA board, or commercial ownership group with an interior painting scope in Oregon or Washington, Pacific Building Solutions welcomes the opportunity to discuss your project.

Phone: 360-907-1128

Email: info@pacificexteriorsnw.com

Licensed in Oregon (#215897) and Washington (#PACIFBS831MK). Serving the greater Portland Metro area and Southwest Washington.