What You Need to Know Before You Replace Your Home’s Siding
Your siding is a very important part of your home. There are specific things you should look for when determining to replace your home’s siding. In this article we’ll go over these as well as some tidbits that you need to know before you replace your home’s siding.
One sign that you need to replace your home’s siding is that the home needs frequent painting. If your home needs to be repainted every 5 years, then it probably needs to be replaced. Healthy siding should keep its shape and color for about 10 years or longer. Siding which chips, peels or cracks should tell you that there’s a problem with your current siding.
Your home’s heating and cooling bills are high. Poorly performing siding and low-grade wall insulation can cause your home’s heating and cooling costs to go up. If you do an inspection and you see that the siding is an issue, then it’s a no-brainer – you need to get new siding.
You notice rotting or warping of your siding. Use a screwdriver to poke under any rotted or warped pieces of siding to see how solid the underlayer is. If that layer is soft, then you need to upgrade your siding immediately.
Do you have cracked, broken, or loose pieces of siding? Just a few may not be cause to replace your home’s siding although you will have to replace those that are affected. However, if this is a systemic problem, then you will need to redo your home’s siding in its entirety.
Other signs that you may need to replace your home’s siding include, but are not limited to:
- Peeling paint or loose wallpaper inside the home,
- Fungus, mold, or mildew,
- Faded siding,
- Bubbles in the siding,
- Holes in the siding,
- And dry rot.
Now, that you know when you need to replace your siding, here are some factors to consider when doing so.
Weather
High winds, and hot and cold temperatures can all impact siding. You should look for a product that can withstand these conditions (see Hardie board siding pros and cons). No matter where you live, this should be a consideration as weather patterns have become more extreme everywhere.
Environmental Impact
You want improved energy efficiency so choose a siding that is insulated. This will prevent loss of cool air in summer and warm air in winter.
Maintenance
No matter what material you choose, it will require some upkeep. Some siding materials only require soap and water to keep them clean. Others require more maintenance.
The best thing is to do your research on your siding before you have it replaced. We will be happy to help you with this research. At 21st Century we are siding experts. Give us a call today at 512-219-0342 for more information.