Golden Valley to consider steel siding

A Golden Valley couple think they've found a perfect replacement for the damaged vinyl siding on their home: a rust-resistant, high-end corrugated steel that resembles the rippled silver-colored metal commonly seen on corn bins and farm buildings.

Michael Rice and Katja Linfield say the recyclable metal is environmentally friendly, dent-resistant, won't rust for at least 20 years and, unlike the white vinyl siding they despise, will complement the soaring verticality of their unusual home.

Golden Valley officials aren't so sure.

The couple's request to re-side the entire house with metal has prompted the city to reconsider an ordinance that bans the use of sheet metal for exterior facing on buildings. But it also has led to deeper discussion. Environmentally, metal siding has a leg up on vinyl, which is rarely recycled and doesn't degrade. Yet city officials want to preserve appearance standards to make sure use of metal on houses doesn't change neighborhood character.

Bob Shaffer is an architect and a member of the Golden Valley City Council. He said modern homes increasingly feature copper cladding and prefinished metals that are durable and attractive.

But Golden Valley doesn't have a design review board. Unable to write an ordinance that allows city officials to pick and choose what they like on individual projects, Shaffer said, the city has to write rules that cover all eventualities and prevent the "worst case" from happening. He said he doesn't know what the city will decide. But the council discussion hinted at what might be coming.

"We figured it made sense to allow metal as accent materials," Shaffer said. "I think we might get a negative reaction from neighbors if we let people put it all over the house."

Neighbors side with Rice

Rice made computer mock-ups of what his house would look like with corrugated metal siding, gave them to the city and showed the images to neighbors. He said everyone on the street signed a petition supporting the transformation of what he calls "the big ugly white plastic house."

"We really like our home," he said. "We think this will enhance the aesthetic of the house. It's architecturally unique, and we think it would look really cool with that siding."

The couple bought the house on Georgia Avenue in 2002, when Linfield was three months pregnant with triplets and they were frantic to find a home that was big enough for their instant family of three girls. With tall, south-facing windows, an open floor plan and a big yard, the all-white home -- at the time it had white walls and carpet, too -- seemed right.

The 1983 house was designed by architect Paul Madson as his residence. Rice said the house originally had redwood siding that was damaged by woodpeckers and replaced with vinyl. After Rice and Linfield moved in, two severe hail storms dinged the aluminum wrap on the house and cracked the siding. As avid composters and gardeners who say they want to do what's best for the environment, they do not want to put vinyl on the house again.

Expert opinions

Rice wants to use a product called Galvalume, which contains one-third recycled steel and can be totally recycled if it ever were removed from the house. He said he believes the cost would be roughly equivalent to using vinyl.

Bryan Anderson, an associate architect at SALA Architects in Minneapolis, has used Galvalume on a house in south Minneapolis.

"It's extremely durable, very long lasting, and it's a very inexpensive metal product that's a very good value," he said. "The corrugated product diffuses the light enough that it takes on a matte finish. It doesn't read as very metallic. It looks almost white."

One of Anderson's colleagues, architect Wayne Branum, used Galvalume on his own home in western Wisconsin. Most of the first story is yellow stucco; a three-story tower features the corrugated metal to fit a "mini-grain elevator" feel. From ground level, Branum said, it looks gray.

Branum said he proposed using corrugated metal on a home addition in Golden Valley, but the homeowner decided to go with wood.

"As we go forward in time, I think you'll see wood used less and less," he said. "The thing is, with metal it's maintenance-free. You really don't have to do a thing."

Golden Valley rules

Golden Valley's 1988 ordinance bans use of sheet metal in both commercial and residential settings, but officials concede that the rule was overlooked until Rice made his request. A few homes and some large commercial buildings already are partially sided with metal, said Mark Kuhnly, chief of fire and inspections.

The city is polling other cities to see what their rules are on metal siding. St. Louis Park allows up to 40 percent of a building to be covered with prefinished metal. If it's unfinished, it can cover only 10 percent.

"In Northeast it's kind of cool and funky and it fits," Shaffer said. "It would not fit into Golden Valley."

City staff is expected to draw up a new ordinance next year. Kuhnly said any new rules -- there may be separate ones for commercial vs. residential -- probably wouldn't reach the council until spring.

Mary Jane Smetanka • 612-673-7380