A Minnesota Siding Field Guide
Straight answers about siding for Minnesota homeowners.
No sales pitch. No scare tactics. Just what 25 years of Twin Cities jobsites taught us about hail damage, repairs, replacements, and hiring well — written down so you can make good decisions, whether or not you ever call us.
Minnesota Siding Field Guide Siding Guru Notes Storm & Hail Education ITEL / Discontinued Siding
Improve Your Siding is an educational siding resource published by Northern Exteriors Minnesota Inc., a licensed Minnesota exterior remodeling contractor (MN License #BC297099).
Where Are You Right Now?
Have storm damage? — Start with the hail guide → Wondering repair vs replacement? — The three questions → Dealing with discontinued siding? — ITEL, explained → Comparing LP SmartSide vs vinyl? — The honest matchup → Wondering what it costs? — 2026 Minnesota cost guide → Told to wait until spring? — Winter installs, explained →
Start Here
Decide
Repair or Replace?
The three questions that decide it — including when the honest answer is “keep your money.”
Storm & Hail
Hail Damage Guide
What hail actually looks like on every siding type, and what not to sign afterward.
Insurance Process
Discontinued Siding & ITEL
Your siding doesn’t exist anymore? The claim process nobody explains, explained.
From the field: Read Jason’s notes on winter siding installs and Minnesota siding costs. The Siding Guru video series is planned; episodes will be added when they are ready.
Minnesota Siding Problems, Solved in Plain English
Materials
LP SmartSide vs Vinyl
An installer’s honest comparison — bias disclosed in the first sentence.
Materials
Wood Shake: Save or Say Goodbye?
The flex test, the three real options, and the insurance wrinkle nobody mentions.
Decide
What an Inspection Covers
The 45-minute walkthrough, what you should receive, and the red flags of an ambush.
Siding Color & Curb Appeal Inspiration
These images illustrate color and design ideas. They are not presented as Northern Exteriors project records. See the separately captioned project example below for our work.
See all color ideas for Minnesota homes →
Looking beyond color? Northern Exteriors’ design guide explains where board and batten fits an older Minnesota house, and when another profile makes more sense.
Real Exterior Transformation Example
For a separate project with the siding product and trim identified, see Northern Exteriors’ Cottage Grove before-and-after siding project.
Want eyes on your actual house?
This site is written by the team at Northern Exteriors Minnesota Inc. — family-owned, licensed, and on Twin Cities exteriors since 2001. If you’d like a professional opinion instead of a general guide, that’s what we do all day. Learn about Northern Exteriors siding services, request help with your house, or call 651-230-5103.
All Guides
Decide: Repair vs Replacement · What Siding Costs in Minnesota (2026) · What Happens During an Inspection · 12 Questions Before You Hire
Damage & insurance: Hail Damage · Discontinued Siding & ITEL · ITEL Says “No Match” · Siding Matching & Insurance · Documenting Hail Damage · 12 Photos to Take After Hail · Storm Damage: Repair or Replace
Timing: Installing Siding in Winter
Materials & style: LP SmartSide vs Vinyl · Best Colors for Minnesota · Wood Shake Options
The site: Get Siding Help · About & Disclosure