Mansard Monday ~ A Mansard roof is not a wall and should not be clad in siding material. Treating a roof surface as a wall surface confuses the design intent and looks particularly egregious on a Second Empire style house, where the Mansard roof is the most important character-defining feature of the style.
Additionally, siding is not designed to function as roofing and will not provide adequate protection from the elements. Siding manufacturer Certainteed’s vinyl siding installation guidelines state, “Important. This product is not designed for roof application. It is designed solely for installation on vertical surfaces.” This is typical guidance from all vinyl siding manufacturers. Water infiltration into the complex framing of a Mansard roof is going to lead to very expensive repairs eventually.
Understanding the style of a house and its character-defining features is essential in developing a restoration plan. Selecting appropriate materials for the different parts of a building is equally important.
These topics are covered in detail in “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.”
Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available from the author in our online shop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
Our shop also carries select preservation and restoration titles by other authors including the classic “A Field Guide to American Houses” by Virginia McAlester. Save on cost and shipping with our multi-book combo packs!
“Restoring Your Historic House is also available in bookstores nationwide and from online retailers.
© Scott T. Hanson 2025.
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