Illinois Condo Community Undergoes Dramatic Transformation

Illinois Condo Community Undergoes Dramatic Transformation by Mixing and Matching CertainTeed Exterior Products

The Streams is a well-established development in Wheaton, Illinois, featuring a combination of single-family homes, townhouses and two and three story condominiums. Just 35 minutes from Chicago, this charming suburban neighborhood has numerous amenities, including tennis courts, a variety of beautiful parks and playgrounds, and the beloved "Prairie Trail" for biking, walking and jogging nearby.

Although the quality of life in the neighborhood can’t be beat, the homes needed some exterior work to continue attracting new families and provide protection from the harsh Midwest climate. 

Mostly built in the ‘70s and ‘80s, the homes represent a wide range of styles, some of which were becoming outdated. By 2008, one homeowners association (HOA) knew it was time to consider replacing the exterior of one of the development’s oldest properties: the condominiums at Streams Condominium No. III Association (Streams III).

To get the ball rolling the HOA board members commissioned a reserve study on Streams III in which an engineering firm detailed the condition and life expectancy of each common element used on the homes. The study’s findings indicated the need to look into siding and trim replacements different from the original wood shakes installed, due to their high ongoing maintenance costs. The study also recommended that the original asphalt shingle roofing be replaced within the next decade.

Upon exploring an extensive list of options, the HOA chose CertainTeed products because of the superior style selection, durability and warranty. Also, the benefit of partnering with a 115-year-old manufacturer offering a one-stop-shop for siding, trim and roofing with the widest color palette in the industry, provided peace of mind and streamlined contractor and architect punch lists.

“I’ve done consulting work for both siding and roofing divisions before, and I was very impressed with CertainTeed’s level of commitment to its products’ quality, as well as the territory manager Andy Scott’s knowledge of the market,” said Donna Richmond, treasurer of the Streams III HOA. “CertainTeed also had the styles, color range, price and warranty we wanted.”

After two years of planning with Erick Roldan of RS2 Architects, Streams III moved forward in 2010 with renovating the siding on all eight condo buildings and garages, which span about 6 1/2 acres of the neighborhood. Overseen by general contractor Cicero Development, exterior remodeling firms ZLC Inc. and McQuade Siding Inc. installed more than 650 squares of CertainTeed and Vytec siding (a CertainTeed affiliate product) and over 28,750 lineal feet of trim.

The teams first installed a protective weather resistant barrier of CertainTeed CertaWrap^TM house wrap, followed by a carefully curated mix of siding profiles and colors – vertical siding on one side of each building and horizontal siding on the other side – to achieve the architect and HOA’s desire for a more modern, eclectic look. Two of the buildings are clad with CertainTeed 8-inch Board & Batten vertical siding in Granite Gray color and Vytec Prestige® double 4 1/2-inch vinyl clapboard in Harbor Blue color. Another two have Board & Batten vertical siding in Natural Clay color and the Vytec Prestige in Redwood color. The third profile pairing is Board & Batten in Cypress color and Monogram® double 5-inch vinyl clapboard in Buckskin color. The final pairing is Board & Batten in Savannah Wicker color and Monogram in Oxford Blue. In addition, CertainTeed Restoration Millwork® woodgrain trim and stone veneer flats, corners and sills bring the whole look together.

The project took about six months to complete and ran mostly on-schedule.

“It changed the entire look of the buildings, and brought the complex into the 21st Century,” said Ellen Curtin, property manager for Streams III. “Our architect redesigned the buildings with two different colors and styles of siding on each to minimize the impression of their length, as well as four different color schemes to differentiate buildings.”

“I love how this project turned out,” said Roldan. “I’m glad the association was open to mixing and matching the profiles and colors because it really did create a unique presentation.”

According to Richmond, residents responded very positively to the redesign, and the products has held up very nicely since the project’s completion in 2011.

“We’re now going on nine years since the renovation, and we have had minimal upkeep,” she said.

Now, the buildings have received a roofing update as well, completing the exterior makeover. The HOA board had hired an engineering firm to write specs for a roofing request for proposal, but it was very complicated and would have cost the association thousands of dollars to execute. Instead, the HOA worked closely with CertainTeed roofing territory manager Dave Lewis to simplify the plan and determine which roofing products would be best.

They decided to renovate the roofs of all buildings and garages, installing 550 squares of Landmark® laminated asphalt shingles in the color Weathered Wood, as well as CertainTeed static vents for balanced attic ventilation.

“The shingle color we chose both compliments and has great contrast with the siding, and is much more attractive than some of the competing shingles that we considered,” said Scott Hendrickson, president of the HOA. “We liked the way CertainTeed stood behind their siding, so we decided to work with them again on the roofing.”

Peterson Roofing of Mount Prospect, Ill., a credentialed CertainTeed SELECT ShingleMaster™, completed the installation in October 2019. There were venting issues that needed to be resolved, yet the work was carried out quickly and smoothly.

“Overall, I'm able to highly recommend Peterson and its crew,” said Richmond.