Revitalizing a Multi-Family Retirement Community

Challenge

In 2016, Carolina Exteriors was contacted by the Director of Building Operations at Carolina Meadows, a not-for-profit retirement community in Chapel Hill. The 166-acre campus, which features 300 villa-style homes and 10 apartment buildings, was starting to show signs of deterioration due to the age of the multi-family property. 

The villas were built in 1994, with masonite siding, which is prone to rotting, blistering, and pest, among other issues. At Carolina Meadows, squirrels were wreaking havoc on the siding, making their way into the attics of the villas. The apartment buildings, which had been built in 1985 and re-sided in 2005 with vinyl siding, were also showing signs of wear and tear. The siding was warped from sun damage and the Director of Building Operations knew it was time for a higher-quality siding product. 

They opted to install James Hardie fiber cement siding because it is resistant to damage from critters like squirrels and because it comes with baked-on color from the factory, which saves the step of painting it during the installation process. 

Replacing the siding on buildings across such a large property was no easy feat, and Carolina Meadows entered into a long-term partnership with Carolina Exteriors to complete it in phases, starting with a portion of the villas and updating the apartments and remaining villas down the line. 

The goal was to replace the siding with minimal disruption to the property’s residents and maintain the property’s aesthetics so it continues to be an attractive place for those looking to retire in Chapel Hill. 

Solution

Carolina Exteriors worked with Carolina Meadows to develop a siding replacement plan, starting with the 104 phase three villas that had the most damage. We completed that installation in 2020, under Director of Building Operations, Robert D. Poteete, Jr. 

In 2021, Poteete coordinated with our team again for the next phase of the project: replacing the vinyl siding on the 10 apartment buildings. We have now completed that installation as well, replacing the old siding with James Hardie. 

Next up, we plan to complete a James Hardie siding replacement on the remaining 34 units in another section. 

Poteete says about the experience, “Carolina Exteriors has done a great job for us. A business is only as good as the people that come out to represent it and Roberto and his crew have done an excellent job. With the new James Hardie siding, our buildings look more modern and residents are happier. Results from a recent resident satisfaction survey put Carolina Meadows in the top 10 places for people in the country to retire and we know that wouldn’t be possible without Carolina Exteriors helping us maintain our buildings’ appearance.”

Author – Wesley Newton

Co-Founder & Owner, Carolina Exteriors

A construction‑industry veteran with more than two decades of experience, Wesley leads Carolina Exteriors’ mission to deliver exceptional customer experiences on every project across the Triangle.

Read Wesley’s full bio →