Loves Park and Machesney Park sit right between our Roscoe office and Rockford, so we’re on Route 251 and Route 173 just about every day. Martin Exteriors Roofing & Siding is a licensed Illinois contractor (IL license 104.017824), family-owned since 2006, a GAF Master Elite contractor and a four-time Inc. 5000 company. We have been voted What Rocks Rockford Best Siding Contractor, 2021 to 2025. Call (815) 209-9054.
Ranches, Split-Levels and a Lot of Aluminum
Both towns filled in fast after World War II. Loves Park incorporated in 1947, and nearly a third of the homes in Machesney Park went up between 1940 and 1969, many in the old North Park area around North Second Street and Harlem Road. Almost half went up between 1970 and 1999. Walk any of those streets and you’ll see the same thing over and over: one-story ranches and split-levels still wearing their original aluminum or first-generation vinyl.
Aluminum dents from hail and loses its paint until it chalks off on your hands. Early vinyl gets brittle and cracks. Either way, the fix is usually straightforward. A ranch is a simple, low house to side, so most jobs here take 1 to 2 days, and many single-story homes are on the short end of that. Once the old siding is off, we replace any soft sheathing, and most jobs get new house wrap. We handle removal of any old siding, asbestos included, so you don’t have to worry about what’s on there now.
Vinyl or James Hardie on a Ranch?
Vinyl siding from Mastic and Norandex is what we install most here, and it suits a ranch well. It’s easy to keep clean, it never needs paint, and installed right it often lasts 20 to 40 years. A darker color or a board-and-batten accent on the gables can make a plain 1960s ranch look like a different house. Martin Exteriors is VSI certified through the Vinyl Siding Institute.
James Hardie fiber cement costs more, but it’s heavier, non-combustible and handles hail and impact better than vinyl. It’s a good fit if you’re planning to stay a long time, or if your house is on a busy road where stones and debris get thrown at the walls. James Hardie backs it with its own product warranty.
River Lots, Wooded Lots and Open Subdivisions
Where your house sits changes what we’d recommend. Homes along the Rock River and on the wooded lots near Shepherd Hills stay shady and damp, so the north walls grow green film. On those houses we pay close attention to the house wrap and flashing, and we steer you toward a color that won’t show it as much. The open subdivisions out east toward I-90 take the full force of the wind, so we make sure every panel is locked and nailed properly at the bottom so the wind can’t get under it.
Storms have hit here hard. On November 22, 2010, an EF-2 tornado tracked from Loves Park up through Caledonia and Poplar Grove, and on May 15, 2025, penny-size hail fell east of Loves Park. After any storm, we’ll check the siding and roof for free, photograph what we find, and help you with your insurance claim if it’s worth filing. See hail damage repair.
When a storm damaged only one wall, see our Loves Park siding repair page for repairs that replace just the broken boards or sections.
Winter Is Fine
We install siding year-round, winter included. Vinyl is stiffer in the cold, so we cut and handle it with extra care. If your house has been bugging you all fall, you don’t have to wait for spring.
What Customers Say
“The salesman was so knowledgeable and courteous. Their prices are competitive and I was overjoyed with the quality of work. My house looks brand new. I recommend this company to my friend that needed new siding and I’d recommend them to anyone.”
Paula D.
“Great job, great company. Quick, reliable and always professional, from the start with the inspection and estimate right up to the completion and clean up. No complaints or worries.”
Duane Z.
Roofing in Loves Park and Machesney Park
If the roof is as old as the siding, we can do both. See our Loves Park roofing and Machesney Park roofing pages, or read about siding installation.
Newer Homes and Fourplexes in Loves Park
Loves Park is newer than its ranch streets suggest. Census estimates put the median Loves Park home at 1986, and more than a third of the city’s roughly 10,700 homes went up between 1990 and 2009. If a house from those years still has its original siding, that siding is now 15 to 35 years old.
Siding from those years tends to show a few common problems: lighter weight vinyl that has faded on the south and west walls, panels that look wavy because they were nailed too tight to move with the heat, and thin outside corners and trim that have cracked or pulled loose. If only one wall took the damage, replacing those boards may be all you need. When most of the house looks tired, new Mastic or Norandex vinyl in a heavier panel, or James Hardie fiber cement, changes the whole look in a day or two.
Loves Park also has a lot of small multi unit buildings. About 1 in 7 homes here is in a building with three or four units, about 1 in 9 is a townhome or other attached home, and about 4 in 10 homes are rented. If you own a fourplex or a small rental building, re-siding the whole building at once keeps one color and one profile on every wall, and we can plan the work around your tenants. Bring any association or lender requirements to the estimate so the siding we propose fits them.
Siding Prices in Loves Park
A one-story ranch has less wall to cover than a two-story house, so many Loves Park and Machesney Park jobs land on the smaller side for the total, even at the same price per square foot. Here are typical installed price ranges.
- Vinyl siding: about $6.50 to $8.25+ per square foot installed
- Insulated vinyl: about $11.75 to $16.25+ per square foot installed
- James Hardie fiber cement: about $12.00 to $20.00+ per square foot installed
Soffit, fascia and any trim a project needs are quoted separately. Vinyl doesn’t always need trim. With Hardie, trim work can cost as much as the siding itself, so every project has to be seen, discussed and planned before we can quote it.
Want to compare the materials first? The siding installation page walks through each one.
Free Siding Estimate
We’ll measure, check the walls for soft spots, and bring samples so you can see the colors outside next to your roof and trim. Financing is available, with payments as low as $149/month for qualified buyers (see financing).
Book your free inspection with a written estimate or call (815) 209-9054.
Loves Park and Machesney Park Siding FAQ
How long does it take to re-side a ranch house?
Most siding jobs take 1 to 2 days, and many single-story ranches are on the shorter end. Rot under the old siding can add time, and we’ll tell you up front.
Can you put new siding over my old aluminum?
We take the old siding off so we can check and repair the wall underneath and put on new house wrap, which most of our jobs get. We handle removal of any old siding, asbestos included.
Do I need a permit for siding in Loves Park or Machesney Park?
In Loves Park, yes. The city has a siding permit, and its building department does the inspections. Machesney Park lists same-size siding replacement as work that doesn’t need a permit, and when a Machesney Park job does need one, the village issues it and Loves Park’s inspectors handle the inspection under a cooperative agreement. Martin Exteriors pulls and handles all required permits and schedules the inspections. Our guide to roofing and siding permits by town links to each town’s official permit page.
Is vinyl or James Hardie better for a house near the river?
Both work. Shady, damp lots are more about good house wrap, flashing and a forgiving color. Vinyl from Mastic or Norandex cleans up easily, and James Hardie fiber cement is the heavier, more impact-resistant choice.
Do you install siding in the winter?
Yes. We install year-round, winter included.
My Loves Park house was built in the 1990s. Is the siding due for replacement?
Not just because of its age. Vinyl installed right often lasts 20 to 40 years, so look for fading, cracked or loose panels, wavy walls or soft spots underneath. A free inspection tells you whether a few boards or the whole house makes more sense.
Can you re-side a fourplex or small rental building in Loves Park?
Yes. We re-side small multi unit buildings as well as houses, with one color and profile across the whole building. A larger building can take longer than a house, and we go over the schedule with you up front so you can let your tenants know.
What does new siding cost in Loves Park?
Typical installed prices are about $6.50 to $8.25+ per square foot for vinyl, about $11.75 to $16.25+ for insulated vinyl and about $12.00 to $20.00+ for James Hardie fiber cement. A one-story Loves Park ranch has less wall area than a two-story house, so the total is often smaller. We put the exact price in writing at a free inspection and estimate.
