Is It Time to Repair or Replace Your Home’s Siding?

Vinyl siding is among the most resilient and sturdy siding materials you can use on your home. But there will come a time when it needs some basic repairs. Further down the line, it will need to be replaced.

Felgemacher Roofing & Siding of Rochester, NY, and Buffalo, NY, would like to give you some practical tips on assessing when it’s time to repair or replace your home’s vinyl siding.

How siding can be damaged

Fortunately, with quality vinyl siding, you won’t have to worry about fading over the years. The pigment used to color the siding is baked into the material, ensuring that it retains its color regardless of any external factors.

But because siding is installed in strips, various things can cause the strips to either pull away from the walls or suffer damage.

Examples:

• Powerful winds
• Pounding hail
• Lightning strikes
• A house fire
• Falling tree branches
• Siding installed by people who didn’t know what they were doing
• Plain old age

The problem with damaged siding

Rain has an open path when siding has splits, breaks, or cracks, or when it separates from the exterior walls. Water can spill down through damaged siding and begin to harm the underlying materials behind it.

Depending on what’s behind the siding, you can eventually be looking at some rotting and deterioration if the issue isn’t resolved relatively quickly. You may also notice a growth of mold, which thrives in dark spaces with poor ventilation.

Of less concern, but still a problem for most homeowners, damaged siding will mar the appearance of the home, making it look neglected and old.

Siding repair for small damaged areas

If just a few of your siding panels are broken/dislodged, or missing, a siding repair should resolve the issue. A good siding contractor can reattach loose siding and match replacement strips with the original color, texture, and style. The end result will not even show that any work was done.

All siding repair projects should start with a close inspection. Everyone can see the apparent damage, but an experienced siding technician can uncover more extensive damage caused by breaks in the siding that may not be noticeable at first glance.

Complete siding replacement

In cases of extensive siding damage, such as from a major storm or decades of neglect, the best option is to install new siding around the entire exterior of the home. Part of this job may include wall or structural repairs before the installation.

You should work with a siding contractor who can help you with decisions on the color and style of the siding and explain the project to you in language you understand. Siding replacement is a big job, so you should feel like you’re a part of it every step of the way.

Signs your siding needs to be inspected

Here’s a checklist to help you determine when it’s time to call a siding professional.

• Select siding panels are loose and rattling in the wind
• Siding sections have pulled away from the home
• You can see green or black mold behind dislodged panels
• Pieces of the siding are missing
• A violent storm has damaged siding across all exterior surfaces of the home

Call your New York Siding Experts

If it’s time to have your home’s siding repaired or replaced, Felgemacher Roofing & Siding is ready to get to work. We offer inspections, repairs, and complete siding replacements throughout the greater Rochester, NY, and Buffalo, NY, regions.

Speak with a siding professional by phone today or use our contact form.