It is easy to let your home’s siding fall by the wayside in terms of home improvement projects. Most of us don’t spend too much time looking at our facades, therefore we don’t spend too much time noticing our siding. If you do start to notice your siding, that probably means that something is going wrong. To help you recognize the signs of siding that needs replacing, we have come up with a list of major red flags. If you do need to replace your siding, you will want to hire a high-quality contractor, like our friends over at Vancouver Siding, to do the job.
1. Inclement Weather Damage
Weather damage is the most common thing that can take your siding down a notch or two. Hail is the worst offender, as fast-flying ice can really make a dent. If your siding has denting, major scratches, cracks, or chips, you will want to look into replacing the affected boards. By taking care of smaller damage now, you can save a lot of headaches down the road. And while you’re out at, if you’re located in the UK, you may want to look into new windows Bristol.
2. Outdated Appearance
So, your home hasn’t gotten new siding since 1972. That’s a problem. You don’t want to be able to give people directions to your house based entirely on its facade. If you redo your home siding for cosmetic reasons, make sure you pick something with a broader appeal that will help increase its resale value down the road.
3. Blistering and Bending
If your siding is warping or you can see small bubbles beneath the paint, it is time to replace the affected boards. Bending and bubbling are telltale signs that water damage has made its way into your home. To protect the rest of your structure, you will want to make sure that this first layer is as helpful as it can be.
4. Creature Damage
Classic wood siding is highly prone to damage from living creatures. Many of them like to make themselves at home in the walls of your house. Telltale signs are weakening boards or quickly appearing holes. When you do replace this damaged siding, consider installing something that won’t see such damage again. Popular options include vinyl and James Hardie siding, both of which are synthetic materials.
5. Dry Rot
In seeming antithesis to its name, dry rot thrives off of moisture. This fungus quickly infects wooden boards and renders your siding ineffective. You will want to replace your siding as soon as you notice signs of dry rot, and should consider installing a synthetic material to prevent such issues again.
6. Mold and Mildew
Mold and mildew are all excellent indicators that moisture has entered into your home. Siding has the main job of keeping out moisture, so if it is failing, it needs to be replaced. Many kinds of fungus, mold, and mildew can hazardous to human health. Make sure that you have your home tested for these issues.
There are still reasons beyond this that your siding may require replacement, but this list is a good place to start. If you determine that your siding does, in fact, require replacement, you will want to call in an expert. Have a siding contractor give an appraisal and see what the next steps are.
