Vinyl Siding Installation in Raymond, Maine

Vinyl is a practical match for much of Raymond's housing. About 94 percent of homes are single-family detached, and about 45 percent went up after 1960, many as ranches, capes and later colonials on wooded lots. For those simple forms, premium vinyl gives an even finish that does not need paint, which matters to owners of seasonal houses who would rather spend summer on the lake than on a ladder. Thicker panels with a stiffer lock hold up better where lakefront wind pushes against a long wall.

Cold is the other consideration. Standard vinyl gets more brittle in deep winter, and with about 84 inches of snow a year recorded at the weather office in Gray, walls on driveways and paths take hits from snowblowers, shovels and plowed banks. Insulated vinyl, with foam backing, resists denting and adds a little thermal value on a year-round home. The comprehensive plan notes that most of Raymond's historic buildings are not protected by local regulation, so vinyl is an owner's choice here, although many people with a Main Street farmhouse or an old camp prefer a profile that keeps the original lap width and corner board sizes.

Census estimates put Raymond at about 3,050 housing units with a median year built of 1976. About 15 percent predate 1940 and roughly 31 percent predate 1960, while another 23 percent went up between 1960 and 1979 and about 22 percent date from 2000 or later. Around 94 percent are single-family detached houses, and roughly 90 percent of occupied homes are owner-occupied. The standout figure is seasonal use: about 1,010 units are held for seasonal or recreational occupancy, and the town comprehensive plan puts seasonal homes at over a third of the stock. That plan also notes the summer camps, cottages and lodges built along the lakes in the early and mid 20th century, older farmhouses at rural crossroads, and a wave of summer residents who began making Raymond their permanent home in the 1950s, which is why so many camps have been winterized and enlarged.

Raymond is inland lake country, not coast, so salt spray is not the issue. Snow and cold are. The National Weather Service forecast office sits in neighboring Gray, and its 1991-2020 normals show about 84 inches of snow a year, well above the roughly 69 inches recorded at the Portland Jetport. Much of that arrives from December through March, with repeated thaws and refreezes in between. Houses on the shore of Sebago Lake take the wind that builds across miles of open water, and because Sebago does not reliably freeze over, that open water stays exposed deep into winter. Wooded lots elsewhere in town stay damp and shaded, so north walls, roof valleys and deck boards are slow to dry after rain or melt.

Permits run through the Raymond Code Enforcement Office at the town office on Webbs Mills Road, which uses an online permitting system and books meetings by appointment. The town building code page lists building a deck as work that needs a permit, and says residing, reroofing and same-size window replacement do not, as long as no structure or required egress is changed. Allow about 48 hours for processing. Raymond enforces the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code, including the 2021 IRC. Work within 100 feet of the high water mark should start with a call to the Code Enforcement Officer, since shoreland rules, and sometimes a state DEP permit, apply.

Premium vinyl siding is the fastest way to a tight, low-maintenance exterior. Today's thicker panels come in clapboard, Dutch lap, board-and-batten and shake profiles and in colors that were not possible a generation ago. The projects shown on this site include CertainTeed Monogram vinyl siding, used to replace rotting wood clapboards and 1970s metal siding on Portland homes. Vinyl moves with temperature, so how it is hung matters as much as which panel you pick.

• Old siding is removed and the wall is checked for soft sheathing and past leaks.
• House wrap and flashing go on first, with extra care around windows, doors and roof-to-wall joints.
• Starter strip, J-channel and corner posts are set straight and level so every course lines up.
• Panels are nailed in the center of the slots and left loose enough to expand and contract through a Maine winter and summer.
• Trim is wrapped or replaced with low-maintenance millwork so there is nothing left to paint.

• You are tired of repainting wood clapboards every few years
• The existing vinyl is faded, cracked, or loose after wind storms
• The budget needs a whole-house result rather than one premium wall
• You want an insulated panel to take the edge off drafty walls

• Panel grade and thickness, and whether it is insulated
• Profile: clapboard, Dutch lap, board-and-batten or shake
• Amount of trim, soffit and fascia wrapped or replaced
• Tear-off and sheathing repairs
• House height and access

Every job is priced from a free on-site visit. Typical ranges for the trade are on our siding page, and the details of this service are on the vinyl siding installation overview.

Back to the Raymond exterior services overview, or see every town on our Cumberland County service areas page.