How to Know When to Replace Your Siding
Siding is a wonderful way to protect your house from pests, weather, and other damage. It’s also a great way to give your house a beautiful look. When your siding is damaged, it’s not doing either job!
If you need to replace your old siding, you want to hire a team to do it correctly and with the right materials, like our favorite, James Hardie siding, so you only have to replace it once! Replacing old siding before it’s too damaged can save you money down the road, if your home or multifamily property isn’t protected, rot, insect infestation, and other times of damage can be far more expensive and time consuming to repair.
You may be wondering how to know when to replace your siding? We have 7 signs it’s time to replace your siding so you can protect your property.
1. Continual Maintenance
Just like with your vehicle, as your siding ages, you will find yourself making repairs more frequently. And just like with your vehicle, skipping regular maintenance can lead to compounding damage, so the tendency is to skip minor repairs that seem tedious or minor, but this can cause your underlying wood structure to become damaged and rotted. If you find your siding is needing frequent maintenance or repairs, it’s time to replace it!
2. Loose or Fallen-off Siding
If you notice loose siding, or siding that falls off or even just flaps in a Texas storm, it’s not protecting your home! Excessive moisture and pest damage becomes a serious concern. If your siding sounds like a haunted house when it’s windy, you have sign that it’s time for replacement!
3. Damage From Pests
Frequent pest issues – hello termites, woodpeckers, and rodents – are a serious issue for your investment. Siding, especially siding made from pest-repelling materials like cement fiber or metal, can deter this critters and keep them from eating or nesting in your property.
4. Faded Colors
Sometimes it’s not only about damage, but curb appeal! No one wants to be the neighbor that causes property values to drop. While faded colors isn’t an emergency, it’s generally a sign that your siding is aging and nearing replacement time. This gives you a little more flexibility to learn about new materials and consider your color options.
5. Warped, Cracked, Buckled, or Sagging Siding
Not only is discolored siding an eyesore, but warped and sagging siding makes your home or commercial building look unkempt and uncared for. If your siding is relatively new, you may be able to replace a few pieces, but if the misshapen and buckled siding is widespread, it’s more than likely time to replace all of it to prevent more damage overall.
6. Rotted or Crumbling Siding
As a protectant of your underlying structure, siding takes a beating on behalf of your house. Water damage, excessive heat, and freezing temperatures can cause your siding to start crumbling and warping, allowing moisture to seep in and cause rot! If you find soft, crumbling areas on your home or apartment building, you can bet moisture is working its way in. If caught early enough, replacing your siding can keep the moisture from rotting your frame. You’ll need a full inspection to make sure the damage doesn’t extend beyond the exterior of your building.
7. Bubbling or Blistered Finishes
Just like with rot, the Texas heat can cause bubbling and blistering on your siding, which might mean your siding material isn’t as resilient or durable as it needs to be for our extreme temperatures. Small bubbles and blisters can lead to cracks, which as we know by now can lead to all manner of damage from rot to pest invasion, so it’s time to get ahead of the game and replace your siding with something more durable like a fiber cement product like the James Hardie materials with ColorPlus® Technology.
How Long Should I Expect Siding to Last?
Siding is a long-term investment and you should expect it to last for a very long time. The type of material, the manner in which it was installed, and other reasons, such as element and weather exposure, can all factor into the lifetime of your siding. It’s important to hire a qualified team, like Classic Construction, for installation to ensure it’s done correctly the first time. Contact us for a free estimate for your siding repair or replacement.
Now You Know When to Replace Your Siding – Find the Right Team
While you don’t need to think about your siding all the time, an annual walk around your property should help you know if you need to hire an expert for a closer look. Note any changes from the previous year, and any places you find holes, cracks, or loose panels. Classic is available in the DFW, Austin, and San Antonio areas for all your exterior maintenance needs!