Protecting your home from the harsh weather is your siding’s main job. If your home didn’t have siding, it would become heavily damaged quickly. Keeping your siding maintained can help it last decades, however, it will have to be replaced eventually. Here are some other reasons why you need the right siding on your home.
Protect your home from Mother Nature
Sunlight, brutal wind, rain, snow, sleet, hail, and the bitter cold all can damage your home if it wasn’t for siding.
Without siding, your home would rot very quickly. However, even with siding on your home, those same elements can start to wear it down. For example, if you live where there are tornados or hurricanes, the weather can wreak havoc on the siding faster than other locations that won’t see that type of weather.
During these events, your siding will most likely need at least fixing, if not a complete replacement.
Does Your Siding Need Regular Maintenance?
No matter what type of siding you have, you will need to keep it maintained. Sometimes, maintaining the siding is as easy as power washing the outside of your home.
Whereas, other maintenance can be more difficult, and time-consuming. Doing this yourself can work, but it could be easier for you to hire a professional to come to take a look, and fix it for you. If you’re not sure if something needs to be fixed or replaced, most professionals can do an estimate for you, free of charge or for a small fee.
Depending on what siding you have, this will determine what tools and materials you’ll need to fix it and keep it from deteriorating. Wood siding requires staining, sanding, and sometimes painting.
With some siding, you won’t have to worry about color upkeep, but will still have to keep it clean. Vinyl siding can be cleaned with a 70/30 mix of water and white vinegar with the use of a scrub brush.
What are the Different Types of Siding?
Wood, stucco, vinyl, aluminum, brick, stone, or glass. There are actually 15 different types of house siding, with vinyl being the number 1 choice.
Wood siding is usually the first to begin to rot, and it rots the quickest. Asbestos siding hasn’t been used since the 1960s, but there are homes that still have siding made out of it. If you have asbestos siding, when it needs to be replaced, you’ll need a consultation first before it can be professionally removed. If you live somewhere with high winds, vinyl is the easiest to have replaced, keep this in mind.
Aluminum siding is rust free, unlike steel, and can be painted any color you want it to be. Both aluminum and steel can also be 100% recycled when replaced. If you are choosing log siding, this is the most environmentally friendly option. You can get more siding out of one tree since it doesn’t use the entire log.
What are Signs it is Time to Replace Your Siding?
When your siding is being looked at by either yourself or a pro, make sure to look for telltale signs that you’ll need to replace the siding of your home.
Cracked and gapped panels, panels bulging or warping, rot spots (big or small), drafts inside the home, not keeping it up, and mold/moisture/algae are all signs that it’s time to replace your siding. Some signs inside your home can include peeling paint or sagging wallpaper.
You can replace the siding yourself, but it can become difficult, especially if your home is quite tall. Renting scaffolding can be expensive on top of the money being spent on materials. You also may not have the correct tools to complete the project. Hiring the job out to a professional will put your mind at ease, and can save you money, not to mention your back.
To save yourself a little money, if possible and weather permitting, siding contractors work year-round, and you can get a better deal during the colder months.
How Does Siding Impact Curb Appeal & the Value of Your Home?
When you replace your siding, you’ll get to choose if you want the same type and color, or if you want to change things up.
Matching your siding with the color of your roof or the area you live in can add curb appeal when people pass by your home. Deciding on what material you want can also go with the type of home you have, the location of your home, and the typical weather you live in.
Adding value to your home can start with your siding. Having flush, strong, and lasting siding can keep drafts out of your home. The look of your home can also add value. Good-looking and clean siding can do that for you.
