Three-Decker Siding in Worcester: Re-Siding the City's Signature Homes

Worcester has one of the largest collections of three-deckers anywhere, and they bring their own set of siding challenges. Each one is three full stories of wall, stacked porches on the front or back, bay windows on the side and, very often, a neighboring building only a few feet away. Getting the cladding right on one of these takes more planning than a single-family house.

What Makes Three-Deckers Different

• Height: the upper walls need staging, pump jacks or a lift, set up so the porches and entrances stay usable.
• Tight side yards: in Main South, Union Hill, Vernon Hill and Greendale, the gap between buildings can barely fit a ladder, so access is worked out in advance.
• Porches: stacked porch ceilings, columns, rails and the walls behind them all need trim and flashing that ties into the new siding.
• Tenants: three households need to come and go safely while work is underway.

Our Approach

We start by walking all four sides and the porch levels with the owner, noting rot at bay window bottoms, failing porch-roof flashing and any old asbestos or asphalt siding that will need to be handled separately. The job is then sequenced one face at a time, so only one side of the building is open at once and the rest stays weather-tight.

Siding Options for Three-Deckers

• Vinyl lap siding with matching porch ceiling and soffit panels
• Insulated vinyl for owners trying to cut heating bills for every unit
• Fiber cement or wood on the street face where the original look matters
• Aluminum or PVC trim wrap for window casings, corner boards and porch beams

Owner-occupants and landlords both get a clear schedule up front, and we coordinate notice to tenants before staging goes up. For smaller patch jobs on a three-decker, see our siding repair service.