After years of use, your house’s siding is starting to look fairly worn. As such, you’re wondering: is it time to replace this stuff?
It very well could be. However, before you go and make any big changes, you want to be sure that you’re doing the right thing. For this reason, you need to look out for a few key signs.
What are these signs, you ask? Great question and one that we can answer. Below, we’re not only going to cover the best siding replacement signs but siding installation cost and a variety of other topics as well.
Let’s go!
1. Your Siding Cracked
An obvious sign that you need new siding is that your siding is cracked. A crack is an issue not just for aesthetic reasons but for functional reasons as well. If a panel of siding is, indeed, cracked, it can’t provide the protection that it’s designed to provide.
As a result, the siding will enable water, insects, and a variety of other elements to pass through to the internal structure of the home. Over time, this can result in substantial and costly damage.
In the end, there’s only one thing you can do: you have to replace the affected piece of siding. Doing so will close up existing gaps and allow the siding as a whole to provide the level of protection that’s required.
2. Your Siding Is Warped
Cracked siding is bad. Warped siding is much worse. See, when siding is warped, it’s because it’s been exposed to water over an extremely long period of time.
Unfortunately, you can’t repair warped siding. And, you can’t spot replace specific panels either (if one is warped, they’re all going to be warped very soon). The only thing you can do about warped siding is to replace it.
Call up your local siding installation company and arrange an appointment. They’ll have your new siding up in no time.
3. Your Siding Is Rotting
A sure sign that you need new siding is that your current siding is rotting. This occurs after extreme long-term water exposure. It’s far past the point of warping and clearly indicates that your siding isn’t able to do its job any longer.
Make no mistakes, there’s no repair for this problem. The only way to do away with it is to replace your siding fully. The sooner you can make the replacement, the better off your home will be.
Unfortunately, if it’s gotten to this point, the internal structure of your home might have already suffered substantial water damage. Have it inspected by a home remodeling company and be prepared for a major renovation project.
4. Your Siding Is Sagging
After decades of use, your siding will inevitably start to sag in the middle of each panel. This is an aesthetic blight to be sure. However, it’s far more than that: it’s also a sign that your siding needs to be replaced as soon as possible.
Simply put, if your siding is sagging, it’s not providing adequate coverage. It’s leaving large gaps through which water and other elements can go. In short, it’s leaving your home vulnerable.
There’s no repairing sagging siding. If you want to fix this problem, you’ll have to have your siding replaced completely.
5. Your Siding Is Old
Siding isn’t meant to last forever. Even if you provide it with tons of maintenance, it will eventually cease to function as needed. As such, once your siding hits the end of its designated lifespan, you should think about making a change.
Of course, each siding material has a different lifespan. Vinyl lasts for between 25 and 30 years; wood lasts for between 30 and 40 years; fiber cement can last 50 to 75 years.
So, keep track of when you installed your siding and gauge whether it’s still doing its job properly. If it’s toward the end of its lifespan and if it’s starting to display other signs on this list, it’s time to make a change.
6. Your Energy Bills Are Rising
Not only does siding prevent the inward flow of water and insects but the inward flow of heat and cold also. In other words, it provides insulation.
But as siding deteriorates, much of this insulation is lost. Even a small crack can allow cold and heat to pour through unabated. And when this happens, undue strain is placed upon the home’s HVAC system.
What happens when the HVAC system faces undue strain? It works harder than it would otherwise, utilizing more energy. This ultimately drives up energy costs.
So, if your energy bills are rising as of late, your siding could be the culprit. A number of other things could be the culprit as well but deteriorated siding is a common factor.
7. You Hate the Way Your House Looks
Let’s face it: your siding comprises a large portion of your home’s exterior appearance. As such, if you hate the way your house looks, you probably hate the way your siding looks as well.
This and this alone is reason enough to make a change. There are all sorts of attractive siding options out there, including a wide variety of colors, materials, and styles. You don’t have to stand for a siding that you despise.
Give a call to your local siding installation company. They’ll be able to show you a number of different siding options, helping you to choose the one that’s right for your home.
Time to Find the Best Siding for Your Home
Did your siding tick any of the boxes above? Need a siding replacement in Charleston? If so, we here at Contact Exteriors are the people to see.
We do the best siding work in the Charleston area and have a variety of options to choose from. Regardless of your preferences, we can accommodate you.
Contact us now to get the process started!
