Caledonia is about 15 minutes from our main office at 11704 Main St in Roscoe. We’ve been family owned since 2006, someone picks up the phone 24/7, and we were voted Rockford’s best siding contractor five years running (What Rocks, 2021 to 2025). Call (815) 624-6278.
A Village Full of Old Houses
Caledonia is small, and it’s old. Census estimates for a village this size are rough, but they show about two-thirds of Caledonia’s homes were built before 1940. Along Main Street, Front Street and Randolph Street, and out on the farms along Route 173 and Caledonia Road, a lot of houses are wearing their third or fourth exterior.
That makes siding here more of a discovery job than it is in a new subdivision. We’ll tell you what we expect to find at the estimate, and we’ll tell you again once the first wall is open.
What We Find on Caledonia Farmhouses
On a farmhouse that has been around since before the Depression, it’s common to find original wood clapboard under a layer of aluminum or vinyl. Many mid-century owners also covered their houses in asbestos cement shingles, which were sold as a fireproof, no-paint upgrade. We’re licensed for asbestos siding removal and do that work with our own crews, so you’re not hiring a separate company or waiting on one.
Old walls are rarely straight. With the old siding gone we can see the sheathing, swap any soft boards, even out the walls and wrap the house before the new panels go on. On a big two-story farmhouse with porches and trim, plan on more than the usual 1 to 2 days. We’ll give you a realistic schedule up front.
Wind Off Open Fields
Most Caledonia houses don’t have a neighbor or a tree line between them and the weather. The wind comes straight across the fields, and on an old house with loose siding, that’s how panels end up in the yard. Out on open farm ground, we lock each panel in and leave it room to move, so it rides out a storm and stays flat in July heat.
Two Tornadoes in Recent Years
NOAA’s Storm Events Database lists an EF1 tornado on August 10, 2020 that ended on the east side of Caledonia, south of Route 173. On March 31, 2023, another EF1 touched down southwest of the village and damaged the roofs and siding of a few homes in Candlewick Lake. More recently, 1-inch hail fell near Caledonia on May 15, 2025.
After any storm, we’ll inspect the siding and roof for free and take photos. If it’s worth a claim, we help with your insurance claim. We’ve helped thousands of Rockford-area homeowners through roof claims. More on storm damage repair.
James Hardie or Vinyl on an Older Home
James Hardie fiber cement is what we suggest most often for Caledonia’s farmhouses. It looks like painted wood lap siding, which fits the house, and it’s heavy and holds up to hail and wind better than vinyl. It’s the pricier board, and it carries James Hardie’s own product warranty.
Vinyl siding from Mastic and Norandex is the budget-friendly option and never needs paint. Insulated vinyl is worth a look on an old house with little or nothing in the walls.
Permits in and Around Caledonia
Martin Exteriors pulls and handles all required permits, inside or outside the village limits. If you’re redoing the roof too, see our Caledonia roofing page, our nearby Belvidere siding page, and the siding installation overview.
Free Siding Estimate in Caledonia
We’ll walk the whole house with you, look at the trim, porches and foundation line, and bring samples so you can see them outside. Ask about financing; payments start as low as $149/month for qualified buyers.
Schedule your free estimate or call (815) 624-6278.
Caledonia Siding FAQ
My farmhouse has asbestos shingles under the vinyl. Can you take it off?
Yes. On a farmhouse with asbestos cement shingles, our own licensed crews pull them off as part of the same siding job.
How long does it take to re-side an old farmhouse?
Most siding jobs take 1 to 2 days, but large older homes with several layers, porches or uneven walls can take longer. We’ll give you a realistic schedule at the estimate.
Who issues siding permits in Caledonia?
Martin Exteriors does. We pull and handle all required permits, inside or outside the village limits, so you have nothing to file yourself.
Is James Hardie a good fit for a Caledonia farmhouse?
Usually, yes. It has the look of painted wood lap siding and holds up to wind and hail better than vinyl. Vinyl is the lower-cost choice.
Did the 2023 tornado damage siding near Caledonia?
Yes. NOAA’s Storm Events Database says the March 31, 2023 EF1 damaged the roofs and siding of a few homes in Candlewick Lake. We inspect storm damage for free.
