I hear you about the vinyl wraps—mine started peeling after one summer, and it looked like my gutters were shedding their skin. Ended up scraping it all off and going back to good old-fashioned paint. Takes more elbow grease, but at least the colors stay put. Still not sure if my 1912 house is meant to sport neon stripes, but hey, at least it’s a conversation starter...
Neon stripes on a 1912 house—now that’s a bold move. I’ve always been skeptical about vinyl wraps for exteriors, especially with weather swings. Paint’s a pain, but at least you know what you’re getting, and touch-ups are way easier down the line. Did your HOA give you any pushback when you switched back to paint? I’ve run into issues where the “approved” materials list is weirdly strict, even if the alternatives hold up better long-term...
Yeah, the HOA here is notorious for nitpicking the tiniest things. When I switched back to paint, they wanted a full sample board and a “historically appropriate” color swatch, which was a headache. I get wanting to keep things looking nice, but sometimes it feels like they’re just making up rules as they go. Did you ever try appealing their materials list, or is it just not worth the hassle?
Tried appealing once when they wanted me to use a specific type of trim that was double the price—total waste of time. They just bounced it back with some vague “community standards” excuse. Unless you’ve got a ton of patience (and maybe a lawyer), it’s usually not worth the headache. I just stick to their list now and save myself the back-and-forth. The hoops they make you jump through are wild, though...
“The hoops they make you jump through are wild, though...”
Wild is right. I tried to swap out my mailbox for something that didn’t look like it survived the Jurassic era, and they wanted me to submit a 3-page form and a color swatch. I swear, next time they’ll want a DNA sample. At this point, I’m just grateful they haven’t mandated matching garden gnomes... yet.
