GAF ArmorShield II Roof & James Hardie Siding Replacement on County Road 30 in Fort Collins, CO - Historic Homestead Restoration

The Problem

Abby and Tyler's home on County Road 30 in Fort Collins, CO is the original house on a historic homestead property, and it wears its age in two distinct sections. The original portion of the home dates back to the early 1900s, roughly a century old, while a newer addition was built about 20 years ago. The roof was covered in aging T-lock shingles, two layers deep, with the older section hiding spaced decking and a layer of wood shake underneath. The siding told a similar story: two layers on the historic portion, one layer on the newer addition - both worn out and ready to go.

Why It Needed Replacing

There was no storm damage driving this project, no hail hits and no wind blow-off. This was simply a home whose original materials had reached the natural end of their life: layered construction, aging decking, and worn siding that no longer protected the structure the way it needed to. A full inspection confirmed replacement was the right call, and since there was no damage to point to, this moved forward as a retail project rather than an insurance claim.

What We Did

Because this home is the centerpiece of a historic homestead, Abby and Tyler wanted the finished exterior to honor that ranch and farmhouse character rather than modernize it away. The design process took real time and multiple rounds of review, including virtual walkthroughs and rendered previews, before landing on a final look: all-white James Hardie siding with white belly bands, white board and batten in the gables, white fascia and soffit, paired with a charcoal roof and black shutters for contrast.

On the roof, we tore off both existing layers of T-lock shingles, performed a partial re-deck to correct the spaced decking found on the older section, and installed GAF ArmorShield II shingles in Charcoal, a Class 4 impact-resistant product, backed by GAF Leak Barrier at the eaves and valleys, new Eave IntakePro vents, and a Snow Country ridge vent. The detached shed received its own new roof in matching Charcoal shingles.

For the siding, we removed all existing layers down to the sheathing and installed 7" lap Cedarmill siding in Arctic White across the main walls, with Board and Batten Cedarmill panels in Arctic White finishing out the gables. Trim, corners, belly bands, fascia, and soffit were all finished in Arctic White for a clean, cohesive look. New black shutters were added throughout, custom-sized to match each window opening rather than pulled off a standard size chart, and new Arctic White seamless gutters and downspouts completed the exterior. The existing porch columns were left in place to preserve the home's original character.

This project ran through the winter of 2020 into early 2021, right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that added its own layer of scheduling and supply challenges to projects across the industry. Despite that, the team kept the project moving and saw it through to completion.

Project Details

This project covered a full roof and siding replacement across the main home, its historic and newer sections, and a detached shed on a homestead property in Fort Collins, CO. Scope included a two-layer roof tear-off with partial re-decking, new ventilation, a full siding tear-off across both original and addition sections, custom-fit shutters, and new gutters. The project was completed in March 2021.

Materials Used​

• GAF ArmorShield II Shingles in Charcoal (Class 4 impact-resistant, main house)
  
• GAF Timberline HD Shingles in Charcoal (detached shed)
  
• GAF Leak Barrier (eaves and valleys)
• Eave IntakePro vents and Snow Country ridge vent
  
• James Hardie 7" Lap Cedarmill Siding in Arctic White
  
• James Hardie Board and Batten Cedarmill in Arctic White (gables)
  
• Arctic White trim, corners, belly bands, fascia, and soffit
  
• Black board and batten shutters, custom-sized per window
  
• Arctic White seamless gutters and downspouts
  

The Result

Abby and Tyler ended up with an exterior that respects the character of their home's homestead history while giving it modern durability: a Class 4 roof built to handle Colorado weather and fiber cement siding that won't need the kind of replacement this project addressed for decades. The all-white siding against the charcoal roof and black shutters gives the property a clean, classic farmhouse look that fits its story. Projects like this are less common than a standard reroof or reside, since they involve real design collaboration and historic character to preserve, but they're some of the most rewarding work WestPro takes on.

Price Context

For a project combining a full roof and full siding replacement across a home and detached structure, pricing scales with total scope. GAF ArmorShield II, a Class 4 impact-resistant shingle, typically runs $6.75 to $8.50 per sq. ft. installed, while James Hardie siding generally runs $19 to $23 per sq. ft. installed for a standard project. Older homes with multiple existing layers of roofing or siding, partial re-decking needs, and custom design work, like the shutter sizing and board and batten detailing on this home, typically land above those baseline ranges. An accurate price requires a full site inspection. Schedule your free inspection here.