The natural elements and climate pose challenges to the health of a home’s siding. Siding is an integral part of a house.
Not only does it boost your home’s aesthetic appeal, but it also shields the structure from adverse weather. For your siding to be long-lasting and serve effectively, you need to routinely inspect it for any significant damage that may put your home at risk over time.
The condition of your siding could go a long way toward distinguishing the look and feel of your home. Siding is made to defend your house against wind, rain, snow, and other elements. Moreover, it also impacts how welcoming your home appears.
The exteriors take a whipping from Mother Nature. Pests, sun, falling tree limbs, and mold are all hazards to your siding. Subpar maintenance creates more problems.
This article will discuss the common causes of siding damage and what you can do to keep your residence looking its best.
Common Causes of Siding Damage
Moisture
Moisture is a common siding issue. This is why waterproof barriers are vital to the installation process of the exterior walls of your structure. They keep the wetness at bay, which makes vinyl siding contract and expand. If water enters your home’s siding, mildew and mold can grow, creating rot that can damage both the internal and external parts.
Moisture infiltration deteriorates several types of siding products, producing spongy materials and everlasting physical damage to the home’s exterior. Left unimpeded, moisture can generate larger issues like rot. This can happen beyond the exterior cladding, impacting even the interior walls if not stopped and treated.
During the cold months, the siding on numerous houses will contract. This lets melting snow and ice seep into any cracks or holes in the siding. When the sun comes out, the siding planks become warm and will expand, taking in moisture, which warms up behind the cladding.
Severe winter weather is inevitable and can critically damage your siding. Debris coming into contact with your siding in extreme weather will result in an online search for businesses that offer siding repair in Denver.
In the winter, moisture can get into small gaps and refreeze, causing considerable problems over time. After a huge snowstorm, contact a siding contractor who can inspect for any damage.
Poor Maintenance
Many problems with the outside of your home are due to poor maintenance. While most siding today is considered practical and worry-free, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep your home’s exterior in optimum condition.
The best way to avoid unnecessary issues is to have a routine maintenance plan with a Denver siding services company. These experts will examine your cladding regularly, and they can identify problems before they become major issues.
While many siding companies promote their products as minimal maintenance, this doesn’t mean that you can ignore your siding throughout the year. After all, there could be fundamental issues that aren’t easily apparent to the inexperienced eye. It’s suggested that you hire a siding service professional to perform a routine inspection. They can find minor problems before they become worse.
Canceling routine siding maintenance could cause damage to the outside of your home. If you have wood siding, you’ll need to scrape, paint, and repair wood rot every couple of years. When vinyl siding gets loose, you’ll have to reinforce it. You also might need to clean your home’s exterior to stop mildew. When you don’t upkeep the outside of your home, it can fall into disrepair, and soon you might have to deal with major issues.
Pest Infestation
If your siding is made of wood or held by underlying wood structures, you might find yourself being disturbed by pests, including termites, woodpeckers, or carpenter bees. These pests can present a serious danger to your siding since they can destroy your siding’s structure. To avoid the risk of a pest infestation, you may want to think about applying insecticides. You could also use green products on nearby trees to eliminate pests without harming the trees.
Pest damage could be a drastic concern for homeowners. Wood-destroying insects could create undetected damage to siding, especially wood-based siding options. Routine inspections and treatments are vital to stop pest damage and increase the lifespan of your siding.
Wood-boring insects could destroy natural or engineered wood siding. For instance, termites eat wood from the inside out, making tunnels that deteriorate the structure. This can make your siding crumble. The holes made by wood-boring pests could let in moisture.
If this occurs, you will need to get in touch with a professional exterminator to get rid of wood-boring pests in your siding. If not handled early, the damage could get worse, possibly requiring you to replace the bad wood.
Mold and Mildew
Mold and mildew can appear on your siding for a host of reasons. A build-up of moisture and grime fuels the growth of fungi. Mold specifically thrives on parts of siding that get a small amount of sun exposure.
To stop mold and mildew growth on your siding, you’ll need to frequently wash your exterior with a mixture of dishwashing liquid and water. Additionally, you can power wash your home’s exterior. However, extreme washing techniques can harm weak siding.
Fade and Discoloration
Fading may be produced by direct, long exposure to the sun. This could cause discoloration and might even make the siding crack. Although this is not an issue due to incorrect installation, you should not disregard it. If left unsettled, it will destroy the curb appeal of your home, leading to more serious issues like buckling and warping.
Sun and Temperature
The sun’s dangerous UV rays, the ones that can cause skin cancer, can also make certain types of siding break and fade. Fluctuations in temperature make siding contract and expand, causing splitting. Even though fading is merely cosmetic, cracking could generate leaks and allow pest infestation. It also deteriorates your siding, leading to worse damage in the long run.
If your home is visible to temperature changes or the sun, it’s difficult to stop fading and cracking because of UV rays. The only preventative recommendation is buying siding that is known to resist breaking, cracking, or fading.
Poor Installation
If your siding isn’t correctly installed, this may decrease its lifecycle. Before you know it, you will have issues with your siding. Therefore, it is critical to hire a dependable siding contractor for your installation needs. You can look up siding contractors in Denver and visit their websites to guarantee they possess the right credentials. You can also get recommendations from friends and loved ones. A valid, reliable siding expert will be able to help you if you have any siding questions.
Roofing Issues
Your roof can also be a big reason for siding issues. When your shingles begin to wear out, moisture can get beneath them, extending to the underlayment. Ultimately, it will make its way to your siding and cause destruction like buckling and bending. This is especially problematic since you probably won’t see any visible issues with the underlying structure at first. With routine siding examinations, be sure you get a roof inspection too.
Cracks
A common cause of siding cracks is physical damage due to harsh weather conditions and falling tree limbs. Breaches in siding are unappealing, but they could also indicate there is some other unknown damage to your exterior. If a building’s cladding isn’t treated correctly, water could leak between the crevices, developing mold spores that will produce additional deterioration and decay.
Noise
If your siding makes noises whenever the wind blows or the temperature changes, it could mean that your siding was not installed properly. Unsecured siding should be fixed right away, as this could be an indication of other issues and can lead to more damage if not handled in time.
In Conclusion
Siding problems are really common. Therefore, homeowners need to know what to do to keep their home’s exterior looking and functioning correctly. Inadequate installation, moisture damage, pest infestations, cracks, noise, mold, and fade and discoloration can be prevented with the assistance of a good siding contractor who is an expert in maintenance and installation.
Being mindful and managing these concerns proactively will help you increase the lifespan of your siding. Addressing these concerns will also improve your home’s curb appeal and protection. It could mean the difference between a protected and nice-looking home and one that appears deteriorated and stained.
Priority Restoration, with our depth of experience and dedication to high-quality workmanship, is always ready to assist Colorado homeowners in preserving and replacing their siding to make sure their homes remain durable and attractive throughout every season. Get in touch with us today for a free quote or to schedule a free consultation.
