Your siding plays several important roles simultaneously. It protects your house, it serves as a thermoregulator, and it even boosts the aesthetic curb appeal of your home. It’s natural for all types of home siding to suffer from wear and tear over time; power washing and spot fixes can help prolong your siding lifespan, but at a certain point, it will be time to undergo a full replacement.
How do you know when that is and how do you start this process?
Working With Siding Experts
If you’re not sure what the state of your siding is, or if you’d just like a professional opinion, it’s a good idea to work with a siding company.
Most siding experts will give you a free consultation and evaluation, visiting your house and inspecting the siding of your house to determine what issues are present, if any.
These contractors may recommend not doing anything, in the case of siding that still seems functional and intact. They may recommend specific repairs, such as replacing one section of siding. But they may also confirm your suspicions that all your siding needs to be replaced.
This is highly advantageous if you work with multiple siding companies and contractors. If you hear three different experts telling you your siding needs a full replacement, you can feel much more confident following through with it. You’ll also end up with three independent quotes, so you can compare and contrast them.
Clear Signs It’s Time to Replace Your House Siding
There are many different types of house siding, including wood, stone, brick, metal, and unique composite materials, but the most popular type of siding in the United States is vinyl, due to its versatility, functionality, and low price.
While many of the signs we’re about to cover can apply to many different types of siding, we’re mostly going to focus on vinyl. In addition to being the most popular, vinyl is also the most susceptible to obvious forms of damage.
These are some clear signs that it’s time to replace your house siding:
- Prevalent rot. You probably don’t need us to tell you that rotting siding is bad. If the rot is isolated in one specific area, you might be able to tear it out and go through with a small-scale replacement. However, it’s also important to recognize that rot can lurk deeper within your siding, and may eventually force you to undergo a complete replacement.
- Big cracks and gaps. Remember, the siding of your house is designed to be an insulator and protector. If there are big cracks or gaps in your vinyl siding, it won’t be able to do its job properly. Sometimes, you can repair individual cracks and gaps without issue. But if there are many, you’ll need to replace everything.
- Bulging or warped siding. Vinyl is a remarkably flexible material, which is advantageous for construction but also telling when it comes to structural issues. If you notice significant bulging or warping in your vinyl siding, it’s important to address it with repairs or full replacement. This is usually a sign of external damage or excessive moisture buildup, or both.
- Mold and mildew. Mold and mildew are both types of fungi that can manifest and spread within your house’s siding. If there’s just a bit of mildew in an isolated area of your home, you can probably remove it yourself with a hydrogen peroxide solution and a bit of elbow grease. However, if the problem seems further spread and difficult to remove, the only proper solution is to replace your siding.
- Higher utility bills. This is a more subtle sign that many homeowners don’t pay attention to. Over time, you may notice that your energy bills are getting higher, despite the fact that you’re keeping the thermostat at a reasonable temperature. This could be a simple matter of increasing energy prices, but it could also be a sign that your house is losing its insulative capacity. If you’re losing insulation power, siding is a common culprit.
- Never ending maintenance needs. It’s possible to keep your siding in good condition with periodic maintenance. Occasionally, you’ll need to power wash the siding to restore its luster. You may also need to remove mildew once a year or, every few years, repair some small holes and cracks that you’ve noticed. But if it seems like you have never ending maintenance needs, or if you simply can’t keep up, it’s time to replace everything.
- An ugly exterior before a sale. New vinyl siding on a house could add more than $13,000 to the value of your home, depending on many variables, including what type of siding you choose, the condition of your current siding, and where you live. Nonetheless, if you’re planning on selling your home in the near future and your current siding is dilapidated or ugly, it may be worth considering replacement.
If you see one of these signs, it may not be a major cause for concern. If you see several of these signs, and you see them all around your house, you should consider replacing your siding as soon as possible.
It’s more than just an aesthetic preference; keeping your siding in good condition is one of the best ways to protect your home.